There's a part of me that really misses the era of Disney when they would make relatively short, fun family films (that alliteration wasn't intentional). Some of the films I have enjoyed the most from Disney barely clock in at around the 90 minute mark. These films would be full of adventure, simple stories and a relatively small cast. Yet each one felt different from the last. These days, I can't help but feel that giants such as Disney can't help themselves but flesh out films in attempt to please both shareholders in regards to their cash burn, as well as justify any streaming cost increases to the consumer. After all, the argument to both is that things epic and good cost money, both sides need to pay up if they want more of it.
To defend Disney, they are far from the only ones doing this. Pretty much every streaming service is bloating out films in attempt to rinse the shareholder and the consumer as prices increase every few months whether you watch them or not. Now, in regards to Haunted Mansion, this is a remake of a 2003, relatively short, film of a similar name: The Haunted Mansion. Both of which are based apparently on a Disney attraction named, you guessed it: Haunted House. I did see the 2003 film back when it released, I believe I still have the DVD from that time. I saw it a few times and never really thought a whole lot of it, but it was a fun film to watch to get into the Halloween mood during October. To look at the 2003 release and to compare it to this new 2023 release probably isn't fair given how vastly different they are, so if you ever saw that film, I guess don't quite assume it has much relation to this one.
At first, I wasn't even sure if they were related at all as I started watching, but I kept looking back at that 2003 title and trying remember it. Though, from what I remember, it just was mediocre at best. Anyway, keep in mind that there will be spoilers here. If you want to see this film, perhaps read this after you have seen it.
Haunted Mansion
I haven't really heard of director Justin Simien, but I glanced over his IMDb page and did see a few titles I recognised. Though, I haven't seen them, I admit. So going into Haunted Mansion was my first introduction to his capabilities as a director. And I have to say, one of the first things I noticed with Haunted Mansion was that it really did look good for a Disney+ title. In terms of lighting and cinematography, it's a very dark, but well-lit film. It certainly managed to capture the fun atmosphere of a haunted mansion, and the typical Halloween themes you would expect. But this isn't a horror or a thriller, for the most part it's a comedy. Much like the 2003 film. Therefore you can't expect the type of lighting and directing of a horror or thriller. Think family film, Halloween fun, atmosphere and adventure!
What adds to this are the performances from a cast I don't really know anything about. A downside is that it holds less soul than the likes of Eddie Murphy and his charisma, for the most part the film is carried by Danny DeVito, a long loved Disney actor, and Owen Wilson. The rest of the cast just didn't really do it for me, and I feel that some of that might be because they just didn't seem like they were believable in any way. Not much of a family you can really see being real. Perhaps slightly miscast in this sort of film but better off elsewhere in other genres. This did ruin some of the immersion a bit, but flatter characters did make the whole spooky, darker side of the film more evident. Though I don't think the performances themselves are bad, just that the characters and casting itself seems a bit weak.
But the film still had its moments. I liked how well the set design was, and even down to the use of special effects it wasn't that bad. I think some of this is due to the darker lighting, allowing them to hide the set and special effects in shadows. Blade Runner is a great example of this. Not to compare, but for context. And this is a surprise coming from a modern Disney film, which they typically love to go wild with cheap special effects and to pursue that option wherever possible instead of building sets and using real locations. The mansion's interior seemed spacious but real, full of mystery and many unique rooms that may have been hidden in time. The film utilised the space quite well, which I have to admit is another strange thing to be saying about a modern Disney release.
It's story is the weakest part of the whole production, though. A single mother moving into a mansion which is haunted by ghosts, to which she hires a priest to try to remove them. It has a similar setup to the previous 2003 title, but weirdly with a few changes regarding the family structure. And as mentioned before, these characters are the least interesting part of the film compared to the performances by Danny DeVito and Owen Wilson. With this story, I just can't seem to see why it needs the runtime it has. It doesn't feel justified nor taken advantage of. It ended up being a bit of a slog when it could've been much stronger had it been shorter. And for a family comedy/horror, it just didn't really have that adventure and charm to it, the comedy just seemed like it wasn't really present.
Perhaps it's worth a watch if you can spare the time and want to get into the mood for Halloween. In my case, I watched it because I wanted to avoid rewatching the classics as I usually do. I wanted something new, and this was definitely something new. Just, a little lackluster. I wouldn't expect a whole lot from it if I were you, that might make it a bit more enjoyable if you go in just expecting a lengthy film but with mildly interesting set of characters. I wouldn't say it's a terrible film at all, I don't think it qualifies. Nor would I say it's entirely worth skipping. Pretty much, if you like Halloween themes and have too much time, then I guess it could be your thing.
