Back in 2003, Disney released Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, their most successful film based on one of their theme park attractions by virtue of spawning a money-printing pentalogy. That same year, mere months later, Disney would also release The Haunted Mansion, based on the theme park attraction of the same name. Although the film would actually break even at the box office, with about $180 million earned against a $90 million budget, the film’s negative reception among critics, with a meager 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, would turn me off from watching it in the two decades since its original run. That would change with this blog’s yearly celebration of the Halloween season. While by no means a masterpiece, I now firmly believe that critics were too harsh on the film the first time around.
Jim (Eddie Murphy) and Sara Evers (Marsha Thomason), of Evers & Evers Realty, live in Louisiana with their young children, Megan (Aree Davis) and Michael (Marc John Jefferies). Unfortunately, Jim’s workaholic ways are alienating him from the rest of his family, which comes to a head when he misses his own wedding anniversary in pursuit of a lead. He tries making amends by planning a weekend vacation to a nearby lake, but Sara is contacted by Gracey Manor in the interest of negotiating a sale. Unable to resist a potential sale, Jim decides that they’ll make a quick detour to the manor on the way to the lake. At the site, the Evers end up taking refuge inside the spacious mansion during a freak thunderstorm that floods a nearby river. Following dinner, the owner, Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker), and his butler, Ramsley (Terence Stamp), insist that the Evers stay the night to wait out the storm. Over the next several hours, the family get far more than they bargained for as they deal with all manner of supernatural encounters.
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The Evers take refuge in Gracey manor during a thunderstorm; L-R: Jim (Eddie Murphy), |
The Haunted Mansion may not have the best writing, but it does plenty right. There’s an efficient and natural setup for the Evers’ family dynamic and why they would visit, and subsequently get trapped in, the mansion, which leads to some good character arcs that allow Jim to grow closer to his family. All of the actors have some good chemistry between each other and put some noticeable effort into their roles, with Eddie Murphy pulling off some decent dramatic moments. The main twist for why Edward Gracey had originally invited Sara to the mansion alone is built up pretty well and the plot moves along at a good pace. There’s not one moment where the short 88-minute runtime feels bloated or bogged down.
While the presence of Eddie Murphy might give the impression of a potential farce, the film actually balances the laugh-out-loud comedy and PG-level horror nicely. Fortunately, the film mostly derives its comedy from the witty dialogue and the interactions between the cast, which I appreciate. Aside from Jim and his family, footman Ezra (Wallace Shawn) and maid Emma (Dina Spybey) get their moments to shine, as well as show off some of the well-executed special effects. These effects help enhance some of the surprisingly dark moments in the film, like an approaching undead army or Jim seeing a more nightmarish variation of his face in a mirror. Moments like these are scary enough for kids, but help keep the thrills going for adults as well.
Disney parks fans may also enjoy seeing some nods to the original attraction, including some effects, such as two busts facing you regardless of position, and even decorations. There’s also a brief inclusion of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” that leads into a short comedic bit without taking away from the song itself.
The Haunted Mansion may not be the best attraction-based film in Disney’s catalog, but if your Halloween season has room for a fun, family-friendly blend of horror and comedy, it’ll do its job well.
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