
Disney’s Haunted Mansion strengthens the place it occupies in the company’s frightening collection, starting with the original ride and now to 3 film adaptations. This particular entry in the canon goes between the Muppets edition and the 2003 nostalgic chapter of the franchise starring Eddie Murphy. Justin Simien, who directed ‘Dear White People’ and Bad Hair, is at the helm for this ‘oh-so’ nostalgic story return to Black-led live-action iteration.
Gabbie’s (Rosario Dawson) hopes of starting a new life with her son, Travis (Chase Dillon), from a single mother’s perspective greatly add to the already simple plot. Gabbie moves into an antique house that she dreams of, but soon after moving in, the pair realizes the house comes with ghostly inhabitants. With the help of a grieving astrophysicist Ben (LaKeith Stanfield), along with a priest Owen Wilson as Father Kent, medium Tiffany Haddish as Harriet, and professor Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito), the gang tries to use their skills together to remove the reluctant spirits from the house.
“Haunted Mansion” is mismatched and poorly done, but enjoyable nonetheless. Whether it is best experienced on the big screen or not is a different issue. Katie Dippold’s “The Heat”, and “Parks And Recreation” do an amazing job playing with words yet the quips in the script seem forced. Everyone is doled their share of irrelevant monologues, but it seems like Wilson and Haddish are the main actors. Haddish executes flimsy jokes to the best of her ability but Wilson often runs dry. The well-written parts are smattered with Disney boundaries so it doesn’t get out of hand.
Simien’s film certainly shows its fun-loving beginnings in the way the house morphs into a surrealist world. Endless corridors, ceaseless ceilings, gargoyles, hidden chambers, and the all-too-familiar ghost-possessed portraits capture the essence of nostalgia for the film’s incredible Gothicism. “Haunted Mansion” is filled with comical pursuits and eerie scenes, yet they are only a handful, and soon enough, we are drawn back into the tedious pace of the film. “Haunted Mansion”, also struggles when it comes to delivering any pulsating tension, saving it for the independent climax towards the end.
Most likely the most disappointing aspect of Simien’s movie is just how little the cast can give. The cast is full of fun, active prospects, yet the script seems to do little to help. It’s either too much or simply misplaced. Ben, played by Stanfield, is overly dramatic, and borderline tragic in his portrayal of a loving husband, attempting to elevate a more profound narrative. Although we have seen and loved Stanfield in other roles, displaying emotional depth feels like a dramatized, soap opera version of a movie rather than sentiment-infused acting. The conflict seems to be somewhere in the middle ground of ambiguity. This notion is further highlighted by the overly stimulated romance between him and Dawson.
Wilson, DeVito, and Haddish are all seasoned comedic actors, but this time, far too many of their chortle-worthy attempts miss the target.
‘Haunted Mansion’ is built from the same bricks of a Gothic tale and it even has the theme of grief intertwined. There is an interesting look at how grief renders us vulnerable, yet allows us to powerfully love other people, which is why we can appreciate the lives we have. There is also something for family audiences in the nostalgic scary offering that lingers on the surface. But due to the comedic attempts having a repeated sourness in the film and a sadly wasted ensemble, ‘Haunted Mansion’ does not grab the opportunity to be one of those precious Halloween films.
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