Set in New Orleans and incorporating several familiar tropes and tricks from the paranormal franchise, "Haunted Mansion" delivered consistent entertainment with a sprinkling of scares and a good dollop of comedy.
African-American culture was in particular focus throughout the movie. This was admirable for plenty of reasons, not least among them being the fact that New Orleans (and Louisiana) culture is renowned for its ancient Afro roots - superstitions, dancing, music, food, and all.
A new house and all the haunted ghosts the new owners never knew came with it defined the plot. A single mum (Gabbie, played by Rosario Dawson) and her son (Travis, played by Chase Dillon) became the focus of the story. Before long, that focus included other characters, namely a coterie of ghosts and ghouls.
Apparently, anyone who enters the house is soon plagued by spirit activity, compelling them to return. This was a curious creative choice, reminiscent of the 2003 Eddie Murphy starrer "The Haunted Mansion". This movie is a loose (emphasis on the word) remake of that one.
The main villain-spirit (Alistair Crump) was intent on performing a ritual that needed one thousand ghosts. Upon successfully completing it, he would then be free to escape the mansion and spread his spectral shade of chaos anywhere he pleased. This dark and ominous setting wove an admirable layer of mystery into an otherwise comedic script.
I was most surprised, and pleasantly so, to see Jared Leto playing the role of the 'big bad' Alistair Crump, aka the hatbox ghost. They never showed his actual face (though just the once, via VFX), but his performance was riveting regardless.
On a related note, it was as amusing to see Winona Ryder and Dan Levy give cameos as tour guides (Pat and Vic, resp.). Both gave comedically nuanced performances.
Among the main characters, Chase Dillon's acting was astounding. He had such great timing for one so young. Every scene in which this kid featured was remarkable.
Having been a fan of Rosario Dawson for years - and hugely appreciative of her latest transformation into Ahsoka (of Star Wars fame) - I was glad to see she did not disappoint in this role. Though her performance was minimal, she set a nice tone going forward.
"Haunted Mansion" also had other notable 'paranormal performers' who made the haunting feel compelling and, dare I say it, fun. The movie grew progressively better, despite it stubbornly sticking to one corny trope after the next.
The cherry on this cake was Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota. She was funny, and wasn't subtle about it. I loved her dramatic presence in this story in which she played a mystic medium of the most clichéd (intentionally so) kind. She was the reason I even saw this movie.
Everything Danny DeVito (as Bruce Davis), Owen Wilson (as 'Father' Kent), LaKeith Stanfield (as Ben Matthias), and Tiffany Haddish (as Harriet) brought to their respective roles lent the movie a diverse fun-filled ambiance.
Tiffany Haddish and Danny DeVito were especially hilarious. They carried some of the more mundane scenes in the movie. Tiffany and LaKeith also did justice to some surprisingly empathic moments.
I refuse to conclude this review without making mention of the house itself. The titular 'haunted mansion' was a gothic paradise in more ways than one. The set was aesthetic in all the right Halloween-style ways, and every feature felt like an architectural (Greek Revival-style) décor treat.
Disney is no stranger to this edifice. In fact, the Gracey Manor has been part of their amusement park haunted mansion tours for years, starting from the 1950s. Suffice to say, the house itself was a main character in this 2023 movie. It also contained plenty of Disney's 'haunted mansion' ride elements woven into the scenes.
A great musical score - with 90s-era Beetlejuice-style vibes and New Orleans jazz - notable performances, and classic 'haunted house' moments made this movie entertaining through and through.
I was worried "Haunted Mansion" would end up being more trick than treat, but they did ghoulishly good work. It's not easy to make clichés feel this engaging.
African-American culture was in particular focus throughout the movie. This was admirable for plenty of reasons, not least among them being the fact that New Orleans (and Louisiana) culture is renowned for its ancient Afro roots - superstitions, dancing, music, food, and all.
A new house and all the haunted ghosts the new owners never knew came with it defined the plot. A single mum (Gabbie, played by Rosario Dawson) and her son (Travis, played by Chase Dillon) became the focus of the story. Before long, that focus included other characters, namely a coterie of ghosts and ghouls.
Apparently, anyone who enters the house is soon plagued by spirit activity, compelling them to return. This was a curious creative choice, reminiscent of the 2003 Eddie Murphy starrer "The Haunted Mansion". This movie is a loose (emphasis on the word) remake of that one.
The main villain-spirit (Alistair Crump) was intent on performing a ritual that needed one thousand ghosts. Upon successfully completing it, he would then be free to escape the mansion and spread his spectral shade of chaos anywhere he pleased. This dark and ominous setting wove an admirable layer of mystery into an otherwise comedic script.
I was most surprised, and pleasantly so, to see Jared Leto playing the role of the 'big bad' Alistair Crump, aka the hatbox ghost. They never showed his actual face (though just the once, via VFX), but his performance was riveting regardless.
On a related note, it was as amusing to see Winona Ryder and Dan Levy give cameos as tour guides (Pat and Vic, resp.). Both gave comedically nuanced performances.
Among the main characters, Chase Dillon's acting was astounding. He had such great timing for one so young. Every scene in which this kid featured was remarkable.
Having been a fan of Rosario Dawson for years - and hugely appreciative of her latest transformation into Ahsoka (of Star Wars fame) - I was glad to see she did not disappoint in this role. Though her performance was minimal, she set a nice tone going forward.
"Haunted Mansion" also had other notable 'paranormal performers' who made the haunting feel compelling and, dare I say it, fun. The movie grew progressively better, despite it stubbornly sticking to one corny trope after the next.
The cherry on this cake was Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota. She was funny, and wasn't subtle about it. I loved her dramatic presence in this story in which she played a mystic medium of the most clichéd (intentionally so) kind. She was the reason I even saw this movie.
Everything Danny DeVito (as Bruce Davis), Owen Wilson (as 'Father' Kent), LaKeith Stanfield (as Ben Matthias), and Tiffany Haddish (as Harriet) brought to their respective roles lent the movie a diverse fun-filled ambiance.
Tiffany Haddish and Danny DeVito were especially hilarious. They carried some of the more mundane scenes in the movie. Tiffany and LaKeith also did justice to some surprisingly empathic moments.
I refuse to conclude this review without making mention of the house itself. The titular 'haunted mansion' was a gothic paradise in more ways than one. The set was aesthetic in all the right Halloween-style ways, and every feature felt like an architectural (Greek Revival-style) décor treat.
Disney is no stranger to this edifice. In fact, the Gracey Manor has been part of their amusement park haunted mansion tours for years, starting from the 1950s. Suffice to say, the house itself was a main character in this 2023 movie. It also contained plenty of Disney's 'haunted mansion' ride elements woven into the scenes.
A great musical score - with 90s-era Beetlejuice-style vibes and New Orleans jazz - notable performances, and classic 'haunted house' moments made this movie entertaining through and through.
I was worried "Haunted Mansion" would end up being more trick than treat, but they did ghoulishly good work. It's not easy to make clichés feel this engaging.