★★★☆☆
A ragtag team of heroes faces off against a house full of ghosts and other things that go bump in the night in Justin Simien’s kid-friendly horror adventure. Read our Haunted Mansion review.It seems like a very Disney-esque thing to make a film about a theme park ride. 2003 was a big year for films based on rides as both Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean both premiered in the same year. One of these went on to become a huge, franchise-starting success and one went down in history as one of the worst Disney-produced films ever. We’ll let you decide which was which. Despite the largely negative reviews for the first Haunted Mansion movie, the ride itself has remained popular, so a reboot was only a matter of time. Justin Simien, best known for Dear White People, is the next brave soul to tackle the spooky-licious theme park attraction. At the beginning of Haunted Mansion, we meet Gabby (Rosario Dawson) and her young son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) arrive at their new, very lavish house. It’s blatantly obvious this place is going to be haunted, but Gabby and Travis get settled in regardless. They’re viciously attacked by the ghosts that inhabit the building and find themselves unable to shake them even if they leave the house.
Credit: Disney
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The most jarring and grating part of Haunted Mansion is the CGI. There is plenty of it and most ghosts and monstrous creations look weirdly plasticky. Especially horrifying is the CGI head of Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis which just floats in a crystal ball. Granted, Haunted Mansion is clearly aimed at a very young audience and there’s room to be a bit goofy with the visuals, but the film lacks finesse at times. Thankfully, Simien has assembled a very talented cast for his film. Lakeith Stanfield, an unpredictable, exciting performer, makes for a very engaging lead. He sells the heck out of a monologue where he finally lets his new friends know why he can’t let go of his wife’s tragic death and, reader, I teared up. Danny DeVito, Tiffany Haddish and Owen Wilson are all allowed to be funny, but not quite hilarious. While Simien devotes a lot of time and care to exploring the budding friendship between Travis and Ben, Gabby’s character feels neglected. Kate Dippold’s script seems to hold back, perhaps to remain family friendly, but it comes at a cost. Haunted Mansion is constantly on the verge of being great, but a more raucous script and a more outrageous approach might have pushed the film past that and into truly memorable territory.
Haunted Mansion is in UK cinemas 11 August.
