For 60 years, an old mansion next to the Rivers of America in Disneyland has inspired stories. Be it urban legends, comic books, or major motion pictures, the Haunted Mansion has found a way to haunt storytellers. Now, with the newest iteration, Disney’s Haunted Mansion follows Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon) as they move into a fixer upper she found on Zillow, which turns out to already have a few guests — 999 to be exact. So, they gather one of the most interesting groups to help find a way to clean the house of the spirits that have trapped them there.
Directed by Justin Simien and written by Kate Dippold (who Simien has described as a Haunted Mansion superfan), this film is a non-stop tribute and Easter egg hunt of references to the beloved attraction at not only Disneyland but also the version in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The film also brings together a “Dream Team” cast of LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon, Dan Levy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto to make a fun movie. In this day and age where we the world seems to have moved back to needing an escape for a few hours of just pure fun — or as many call it a “popcorn film” — this fits that description perfectly.
I will say that one of my biggest concerns with this movie was the sheer amount of cast as, more often than not, when you have such an ensemble, someone gets lost. But, in this case, everyone has a chance to stand out and, by the end of the film, you know and care about each of them. If I did have to choose one standout star of the movie it would be Chase W. Dillon. This young actor not only stands apart from a cast of many veteran talents but shines bright with his comedy and heart multiple times throughout the film.
Since seeing this film, I have been met more with the “is it good?” from friends than I have with any other movie I have seen in advance. And each time I have assured them it is with a follow up of “it is a fun movie.” I believe going to the movies is a chance to go somewhere we’ve never been before and escape into a world of laughter and fun (not trying to sound like Nicole Kidman here) and this movie does just that.
Now I am not saying this movie is perfect. Between over the top product placement and my not being sure if it wants to be a kid friendly movie or not (much like the attraction, the film is between silly and scary), it has a few flaws. Still, nothing that would stop me from seeing it multiple times in the theater and many times on Disney+.
Overall Disney’s Haunted Mansion is a fun ride just like the attraction that inspired the film. This should most definitely be on your must see list this summer and hopefully will be a tentpole film that maybe leads us around the world to some of the other attractions that would tie into this fun world.
My Grade: 4 out of 5 singing busts.
P.S.: You can check out Mike’s thoughts on the film in his review.