Disney’s Haunted Mansion is a hauntingly fun movie that brings the fan-favorite ride to life.
A woman (Rosario Dawson) and her son (Chase Dillon) enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.
Haunted Mansion offers a variety of laughs that is suitable for all audiences. One part is silly humor, stumbling, laughing, and slapstick, leading to easy laughs for the little ones. The one-liners are quotable madness for kids – cute, whimsy, fun, and simple, while the other is the grown-up words that will scratch that itch of nostalgia. The sarcasm and sass of the conversation hit the situational style with a touch of relevance that in a spooky situation works for relief.
This film does pay heed to some classic landmarks in the tale and finds cool ways to bring the famous ride to life. I loved the nostalgia, but what was even more impressive was the placement and integration of those Easter eggs into the movie that wasn’t too over the top or forced. Sometimes it was a comedic gag, merely paired with a line or two to call attention. Other times, it’s a story arc or obstacle that worked and tries to take a rewritten lore to a level that was necessary for the plot’s direction.
With such a loaded cast, I was very impressed with the balance of all these actors having decent time on screen and use in the story. Every actor had some stellar moments and great presentations that proved why they joined this adventure. The standout for me was LaKeith Stanfield. Stanfield showed just how talented he is with such a level of emotion in the more intense moments that reflect hurt, doubt, depression, and so much more.
There are moments where the story does deeper than I thought it would and explores emotions perfectly for this setting. It adds a little more flair and adult elements to the film which really helps add character depth. The rest of the movie pretty much lines up with the lore of the ride – a mystery to solve, some horror occult components that are dialed back to make it feel like the theme park ride, and plenty of drama. I really did appreciate that they respected the lore of the ride in this new film.
The movie’s visuals and setting were outstanding. The mansion felt like an expanded version of the ride- the structure, feel, architecture, and more that screams an adaptation of the Haunted Mansion. The VFX moments were certainly exciting like when the mansion would change, fold, twist, and turn to match the agenda of the Hat Box ghost. The lighting really added to that enchanted element, using a more realistic style that helped add the occult atmosphere with the fantasy elements of the ride.
Overall, Haunted Mansion is a movie made for a fun escape from the realities of the world. The acting is great for the most part, only dipping when things would get extremely silly and forced tones that they didn’t seem ready to act out. As for the visuals, they are the things really bringing the dead to life. The way they paid homage to the ride, but warp it in this fantastic Disney vibe of spooky works well to be entertaining and fun. However, the movie doesn’t quite live up to its full potential, mainly not being able to balance the feels and the genres in a way that work in tandem. Trying to be for the family, while still being spooky and thrilling just doesn’t mesh well. All in all, I was still very entertained and enjoyed the movie very much, and will happily watch it again
Disney’s Haunted Mansion is now playing in theaters.
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