The opening of the film is quite nicely done, consisting largely of a skillfully and subtly crafted montage that rewards those paying attention with an outline of the tragic side of the story to follow. By the end, though, the storytelling has devolved into the kind of anything-for-a-happy-ending typical Disney tale that ensures the rag-tag Mighty Ducks magically win the championship or Ernest saves Christmas. Hopefully you’re distracted enough by the special effects and ride allusions not to notice some gaping plot holes (I’ve got some questions for this film and I’ve yet to decide if I’m up for a repeat viewing after the novelty of discovering all the ride references has worn off). Perhaps the most important part of unraveling a mystery is finding out the motives, but here I felt that we were only given the “who” without the “why.” “Why?” is a question that comes to mind a lot, especially toward the end and pertaining to the ways in which things are wrapped up more neatly than the streets of Disneyland used to be swept.
I feel I should say something about the great makeup work done in the film. Many of the ghosts in the graveyard looked so alike their Audio-Animatronic counterparts that I overheard one woman in the theater remarking, “I remember that one!” while pointing to the little leprechaun-esque ghost sipping tea. As for performances, I thought Terence Stamp was rather enjoyable as the Mansion’s head butler. Some of Eddie Murphy’s shenanigans can be amusing, while others, like his line about “getting jiggy,” are not. There are a few brief scary moments in the film, but none anywhere near as stomach-churning as the Nelly song that starts off the closing credits. I’d take a personal run-in with zombies any day over ever hearing that “here’s something maybe we can sell a soundtrack with” pop crap again!
In the end, The Haunted Mansion is more a fun cinematic homage to one of the greatest theme park rides ever built than a film that can stand securely on its own. While it surely won’t ever outshine the ride in any way, it may slightly alter how you perceive certain elements the next time you pay a visit to that theme park residence of 999 grim, grinning ghosts.
http://sombrerogrande.blogspot.com
www.maskedmoviesnobs.com
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
thanks Sombrero, fine job and I agree with your assessment, not a great movie, but pretty good and a fine extrapolation of the ride, which is still great after all these years. We went last May and introduced a whole new generation