An abandoned manor, with hidden rooms, secret history and a malevolent ghost prowling its decrepit halls, welcome to Disney’s “Haunted Mansion”! A remake of the 2004 release starring Eddie Murphy and based off the beloved Disney Land ride. Sometimes I wonder if studios like Disney aren’t running low on ideas. It seems like the market strategy for every major studio is to try to remake old movies countless times. The issue is that most of the time, remakes tend to be shameless money grabs. Yet, every once in a while, there are remakes that are truly worth your time. The question is; could Disney pull this off?
I’m happy to report that watching ‘Haunted Mansion’ is an absolute delight. Right from its opening we see a single Mom (Rosario Dawson) trying to persuade her young son to make a fresh start in this decrepit mansion, quickly before realizing that they aren’t alone. The film then quickly shifts by letting us follow the story of Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), a super-genius now relegated to giving cheap tours in New Orleans. Matthias is an essentially good man, haunted not by terrifying ghosts (that comes later) but rather by the death of his wife. After being recruited by the eccentric Father Kent (Owen Wilson), William brings an invention that allows him to see ghosts into the ancient mansion. Discovering of course that the mansion is filled with all kinds of ghosts and spooky specters, all dominated by the powerful and mysterious ‘Hatbox Ghost’.
‘Haunted Mansion’ is great fun, combining excellent visuals, good humor and fantastic acting. To my surprise, there is even a well developed and emotionally charged plot. This movie is nothing like the original, in all the best ways. ‘Haunted Mansion’ is set against the backdrop of New Orleans making this setting clear through subtle references like when one of the characters covers up an old mirror out of fear (in New Orleans there’s a superstition that mirrors can show the deceased). I’m also impressed how well the cast works together. Mashing up Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Tiffany Hadish, Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson and Jamie Lee Curtis doesn’t sound like it would work very well. Remarkably, everyone brings their A-game (it wasn’t hard for Jamie Lee Curtis who shows very briefly). Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito both do a great job of basically playing tag with the humorous scenes. Tiffany Hadish makes good use of her natural persona, which is to say, she’s obnoxious and over the top. I was especially impressed with Jared Leto managing to pull off a skin crawling ghost, hunched and carrying his head in a lantern. The biggest surprise for me, was just how well LaKieth Stanfield manages to bring much needed weight and emotion to the film through his character.
Plot-wise, ‘Haunted Mansion’ also scores big in my book. Rather than just focus on people running and screaming hysterically, the writers manage to skillfully combine the concept of ghosts haunting places, while also reminding us that no specter can haunt us as much as the memories of lost loved ones. As powerful and evil as the Hatbox ghost is (didn’t want to spoil his identity for you), his only true power is to exploit a persons grief, highlighted in some very poignant scenes involving Mathias and Rosario Dawsons young son. Which brings me to probably the biggest surprise I had, this is a movie that ably encapsulates all the fun of a ghost movie, while also avoiding any morbidity or gloominess. I also appreciate how life-affirming this film ended up being. The Hatbox Ghost offers his victims relief and respite from their suffering, leading the characters to choose between life and death itself. Ultimately the movie ends with a positive reminder of the value of life.
The final point I’ll make is how well this film handles the details. The Hatbox Ghost has been given a theatrical flair, especially when the main character gets his first good look at him, hunched, with a cape and his ‘head-lantern’, with the moon behind him. Love it. Then there’s the New Orleans-jazz esque remix of “Grim Grinning Ghosts”. So many of the scenes you could pause and just admire the production handiwork.
Overall, “Haunted Mansion” is the best Disney film since “Jungle Cruise”. This actually has the feel of older Disney films (you know, back then they were actually worth watching and not filled with cheap political moves?). I’ve always liked the original “Haunted Mansion” but after watching this last rendition, I can honestly say that the re-make has improved on the original in every way. Whether you’re here for the ghostly action, or the humor, or you just want to see a new movie with your family, ‘Haunted Mansion’ is a glorious return to form for Disney. Great job guys, keep it up.
