I never had the pleasure of riding the famous Disney attraction but I know enough about it to understand the particulars of the story and its appeal. After the somewhat awful 2003 attempt with Eddie Murphy, Disney takes another crack at adapting one of their most iconic attractions. In the end it amounts to a very entertaining and heartfelt horror comedy that I imagine will allow for a good gateway for budding horror fans. I won’t proclaim it as a masterpiece, but when all was said and done, I was so much more satisfied than I was with the 2003 first attempt.
Ben was a promising young scientist who now spends his days drinking in local bars, and making ends meet, leading ghost tours in New Orleans. Ben finds himself in a dead end in perpetual grief over the loss of his beloved wife, but things change when the unusual Father Kent offers him a lucrative gig capturing a ghost on camera. He’s sent to a massive, sprawling mansion recently purchased by single mom Gabbie and her son Travis. After confrontations with the ghosts, and surefire proof, Ben assembles a small crew of paranormal experts, including medium Harriet (Tiffany Hadish) and Professor Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito), all of whom work together to uncover the truth about the haunted mansion.
Justin Simien’s “Haunted Mansion” is a much more sincere effort than the 2003 movie was, mainly because its narrative is much more down to Earth. I’m no fool, I know at the end of the day these movies are about attracting revenue to Disney parks, but “Haunted Mansion” raises a great argument for investing time in to it. Simien’s film is not just a great mystery but it’s also a loving tribute to New Orleans, as he pains the film with the wonderful spirit and soul of the city. The landscape of the New Orleans can almost always be seen in the background and this allows “Haunted Mansion” to garner a lot more heart. The general idea behind “Haunted Mansion” feels like a call back to “Ghostbusters” to where ides about science, the supernatural, and faith clash when faced with a massive foe that defies all the aforementioned concepts.
“Haunted Mansion” is spooky enough to arouse a few chills in younger audiences, but it’s almost always committed to delivering a fun ride through and through. The production design by Darren Gilford and set decoration from Victor J. Solfo are absolutely stellar, and the special effects are pretty damn good. This is especially true when applied to the evil specters that make up the film’s central antagonists and protagonists. This time the ghosts have so much more personality and we’re given a pretty slimy villain with the Hatbox Ghost, as voiced by Jared Leto. Not to be outdone there’s a bang up cast including Owen Wilson, Tiffany Hadish, and Jamie Lee Curtis respectively, all of whom contribute beautifully to the film’s comedic and horror sensibilities.
I especially enjoyed the chemistry between Lakeith Stanfield and Chase W. Dillon, the son of Rosario Dawn’s character Abby. Their interplay is endearing and injects high stakes to the overall devious plans by the Hatbox Ghost. While “Haunted Mansion” is a great adaptation it thrives when it confronts its central themes about grief and learning to move on and find a reason to continue. The themes becomes especially poignant in the finale with the stand down with “The Hatbox Ghost,” and offers the audience a very valuable message about finding light when everything seems darkest. “Haunted Mansion” is assuredly a delight packed with chills and heart; it’s too bad that wasn’t released near Halloween time as it’s the perfect bit of soft core horror for a breezy autumn day.