Haunted Mansion is better than some had made it out to be. The film focuses on grief and how it has affected some of the characters but how it also makes them an easy target for grief-hungry spirits.

I do have issues with it. The film is too long, clocking in two hours. The main villain is generic and even has a generic evil laugh. To be fair - I would never guess Jared Leto played the part if I didn’t know beforehand.

There was one moment where Lakeith Stanfield gave a surprisingly emotional performance that was moving. It would have been even more effective if there was no sad music underneath it because you don't need to cue the audience that you have to feel sorry for the character now, as the emotion is already there. Unfortunately, the scene got ruined by forced and unfunny humour. I wished it was risky enough to let it be as it is: emotional.

Although this was a memorable experience, and the reason is not the film itself, it is the fact I watched it in an American cinema. I was in Orlando and saw this in an AMC cinema. The comparison between UK and US cinema was interesting. The smell of butter in popcorn was so strong, how many freaking movie trailers were playing before it started, or how wildly different things operated. The audience was responsive to the film, laughing at every line spoken. Also, I had the privilege of seeing that Nicole Kidman AMC commercial on the big screen, and what is even funnier is that as soon as it started, I heard someone sitting next to me whisper, “I hate this commercial”.

So, I have been to the UK, US, Dubai, Australia, and New Zealand cinemas. I wonder what is next.

I've seen the Eddie Murphey version and the Muppet version, and now I've seen this version. So, which is the best version? Honestly, it's going to come down to your personal preference. I think they're all pretty on par with each other. This one, more than the others pays more respects to the ride and I think that's been engineered to be that way... Why else would they release this in July, if not for Disney's executives to get rabid at the thought of the misplaced summer audiences of this movie, somehow enjoying it enough to subliminally be moved to the point of booking a trip to youknowwhere land/world in time for Halloween - one of their parks highest earning holidays of the year.

But I digress. The acting is better than you might expect from a wacky cast of actors both recognizable and unrecognizable alike that are actually enjoyable as their characters and all work well with each other. The movie is surprisingly able to pull on your emotional heartstrings as you empathize with those grieving (a large plot point) even if you have nothing you have ever grieved about before. I thought that part was very well done. In that way, this version makes it the most emotionally powerful of the 3 Haunted Mansions and perhaps will be the reason why it'll stick out.

I am getting so tired of mega-corps name-dumping apps, products, services, and other mega-corps as hidden advertisements during a movie's run-time, and Haunted Mansion has its fair share of that. I miss the days when we could have normal characters not talk about Amazon or Google and still have a compelling story. It's frustrating, and it could be more egregious than it's done here but it's something I gotta point out.

It'll certainly be interesting to see how the masses enjoy this movie on Disney Plus come October, when the vast majority of human beings choose to watch spooky Halloween-themed movies, and if you're one of those people reading this in the future come that time, I'm letting you know that this is inoffensive enough to deserve a watch, especially if you're a fan of the ride or the other movies.

As a longtime Disney enthusiast, I was highly skeptical (and very wary) about director Justin Simien‘s “Haunted Mansion,” the second film inspired by the classic and beloved theme park attraction. Everything about this project screamed “pointless” and “dreadful,” but I was pleasantly surprised at the inventive and fun finished product.

When a woman (Rosario Dawson) and her bullied son (Chase Dillon) move to a haunted manor in New Orleans, they seek the help of supposed spiritual experts to help rid their historic home of supernatural inhabitants. They collect a motley crew of misfits, including a fake exorcist (Owen Wilson), a man with a penchant for photographing specters (LaKeith Stanfield), a history professor (Danny DeVito), and a medium (Tiffany Haddish). After it’s learned that once you enter the home you must always return (or a ghost will follow you home), everyone is trapped and cannot leave. After a walk on the other side during a séance, an evil spirit called the Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto) is encountered, and he’s collecting souls. If the new friends want to live, they must work together before time runs out.

The mythology created fits in with the theme park ride, is done in a way that feels natural, and is sure to please Disney fans. Think of almost any element from the attraction and the film gives a satisfactory back story (Madame Leota’s is my favorite, not to mention the casting of Jamie Lee Curtis in the role). I can’t wait to go back to Disneyland after seeing this movie, because it will be so much fun to experience the Haunted Mansion through fresh eyes that have this new background narrative.

Easter eggs are around every corner, and they’re a fun treat for eagle-eyed viewers. Most elements from the attraction are incorporated organically (like the exterior and location-specific bits from both the Florida and California versions of the ride), and the most iconic scenes are fun to see on a grand scale (the stretching room, the dining room party, Constance in the attic). As a fan, I was absolutely delighted by all of this.

The film is elevated by a talented cast (including a strong lead performance from Stanfield and a charming one from Dillon) and kooky characters that lighten the mood when it gets too dark. There’s a lot of talk about grief, and plenty of borderline scares that may teeter on the terrifying side for little kids. This is not a traditional scary movie, and the balance of light humor and emotional drama works really well.

Since this is a big studio film, the overt product placement becomes distracting and laughable, and the denouement is bloated, excessive, and drawn out. The film could use a bit of editing, but I didn’t find it too long.

I quite enjoyed “Haunted Mansion,” flaws and all. If you’re a fan of the Disney parks and share a passion for the ride, I’m sure you will, too. It isn’t an instant classic by any means, but it’s far better than it has any right to be and is a fun way to spend a couple of hours this summer.

"Gabbie" (Rosario Dawson) and her young son "Travis" (Chase Dillon) arrive at their eponymous new home only to come face to face with a walking suit of armour that forces them to flee! Escape isn't that simple, though, and they enlist the help of priest "Fr. Kent" (Owen Wilson) who in turn finds "Ben" (LaKeith Stanfield) who has developed a camera that can photograph visitors from the spirit world! Stuck in this increasingly perilous house, they all have to work together to get to bottom of the source of the haunting before they all get their comeuppance. There are a couple of fun, over-the-top, contributions from Danny DeVito and an engagingly attitudinal Tiffany Haddish as "Harriet" (the medium) but otherwise this is all just a pretty straightforward rehash of the 2003 version - only I did think this was slightly better without Eddie Murphy. The visual effects are pretty standard, it's bit over-scored and though much credited, I am not sure it mattered at all that Jared Leto was the Top-hat ghoul. It's still enjoyable enough fayre for Christmas telly, but is unremarkable as a piece of not remotely scary cinema that I expect you will forget quite quickly.

LaKeith Stanfield steals every scene that he’s in while The Hatbox Ghost is one of the more menacing live-action Disney villains to be portrayed in quite some time. But _Haunted Mansion_ is a PG horror comedy trapped in a PG-13 rating. It’s only PG-13 because it revolves around the supernatural. The exaggerated comedy is annoying and anything remotely scary is ruined by relentless buffoonery.

Full review: https://bit.ly/hatboxghost