By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
What’s this? A Disney remake that actually surpasses the original, and doesn’t come across as a shameless money grab? Hard to believe but it’s true. “Haunted Mansion,” based on the hit ride from Disney theme parks, is a remake of the 2003 dud that featured Eddie Murphy. With the bar being as low as it was, it doesn’t take much for this reimagination to surpass that prior film, but the added effort on the script, complimented by outstanding acting, make this an entertaining spectacle for the whole family.
Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) is a single mother who recently purchased a rather affordable mansion outside of New Orleans to follow her dream of creating a successful bed and breakfast. What she didn’t realize came with the mansion was a plethora of malevolent ghosts. Desperate to solve the supernatural predicament she finds herself in, Gabbie hires a ragtag crew of specialists to remove these unwanted residents.
A former astrophysicist, Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), a sketchy priest, Father Kent (Owen Wilson), a local historian with a heart condition, Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito), and an unconfident medium, Harriet (Tiffany Haddish), form an unlikely team to understand the cause of this aggressive haunting. When they learn a particularly nasty spirit named Crump (Jared Leto) is behind the chaotic mischief, they look for a way to stop him. However, Crump’s evil plot won’t be easily thwarted, leading the team to take more desperate action that may result in dangerous consequences.
LaKeith Stanfield raises this film to another level with his remarkably talented performance as the brilliant scientist reduced to a bitter New Orleans tour guide following the untimely death of his beloved wife. The depth he provides his character is surprising for a family film, embracing the darkness of grief to fuel his character’s ambivalence to the outside world. There’s a raw genuineness to his performance that captivates the audience in every one of his scenes. He previously received a supporting acting nomination for 2021’s “Judas and the Black Messiah,” so this is an actor to watch in the coming years.
The great Danny DeVito may be an aging actor, but this nearly 80-year-old still knows how to make audiences laugh, and he does so every chance he gets in this film. He is one of cinema’s living legends and should be treasured as such.
Owen Wilson and Tiffany Haddish also incorporate their own style of humor into this movie that only enhances the entertainment value, while still revealing character flaws that form their characters into more than just comic relief. Rosario Dawson delivers a solid performance as expected, once again crafting a very relatable character. Rounding out the supporting cast is the youngster Chase Dillon, who plays the son of Dawson’s character. As rare as it is to find a talented child actor, Chase holds his own amongst a great cast, building his character as shy but with hints of inner turmoil that invest the audience into learning more.
Having great performances is only one piece of the puzzle to making a successful film, solid direction is another major piece. Director Justin Simien, known previously for his creation of both the film and TV series entitled “Dear White People,” does an excellent job of making “Haunted Mansion” worth seeing. The best decision he makes is focusing the film on the Ben Matthias character rather than the more obvious choice of the Gabbie character. This enables him to play to the film’s strengths, like LaKeith Stanfield as the lead to supply a more unique perspective, having grief provide not just a darker tone to the story, but also give some real emotion, which is what the 2003 adaptation missed. Simien maintains that fine line of balance by incorporating comedy with fun action sequences and even a few jump scares that produce more laughs than fright.
While this does capture the magic of bringing a famed ride to life much like “Pirates of the Caribbean” did, there was a high level of predictability to the outcomes that make the conclusion inevitable. The cinematography and visual effects also didn’t yield any eye-popping moments. Despite these little grievances, it does represent a good introductory film into the horror genre for kids without giving nightmare inducing scares.
Overall, despite recent Disney remake failures, “Haunted Mansion” is a surprisingly entertaining filmgoing experience for all ages. It’s a live action family film, in which parents don’t have to worry about some political agenda being shoved down their throats. You can simply sit back and have a good time, what going to the movies should be all about, well done Disney.
This movie earns:
