Might be hard to believe, but we actually have a Disney movie that was fun!!! It didn't try to shove an agenda down your throat while still tackling important themes such as loss and grief. Of course that is all secondary to the most important thing...FUN AT THE MOVIES which is rare these days sadly! It was escapism, great cast, not to mention soooo many easter eggs for fans of the ride. If I'm honest, the 2003 version isn't something I hated like many, but this does it MUCH better. I told my wife when we left, "if I wanted someone to know what ride they were about to get on at Disney World, I'd just have them watch this and I love the movie for it".

I wasn't expecting Disney's "Haunted Mansion" film to be a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but I was hoping it would be good entertainment, as the trailers seemed to make it look a bit more fun and authentic than some of Disney's other ride adaptations. It also has a talented cast including LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, and Danny DeVito. Yet the film fell short of my expectations, simply because it is so generic and derivative that it fails to offer the viewer anything new. It's not simply that "Haunted Mansion" might be too scary for younger kids and too juvenile for older kids, as that would not be a problem if the movie was good or interesting--it's just that this film overall isn't very good or interesting, period.

The film follows a single mother and her son who move into the Haunted Mansion, which is in New Orleans. While the film tries to utilize the setting of New Orleans in some decently authentic ways, the rest of the plot and character development is so generic that they fail to make viewers more engaged in the setting. The film's attempts at both humor and scares fall flat, as the jokes are formulaic and corny while the attempts at more frightening moments fail to elicit any tension or suspense, and are quite repetitive and CGI-heavy. For a film that supposedly cost $160 million to make, the visual effects look very cheesy and artificial as well. At over two hours long, the film also runs for too long, especially given the plot has limited resolution or payoff in a way that would be directly satisfying for the audience. While the supporting cast (such as Wilson and DeVito) try their best with the material they have been given and sometimes give off charismatic and fun performances, the rest of the film does not work especially well. Not recommended. 5/10.

I was surprised to see that Disney's Haunted Mansion is rated PG-13. I thought maybe they're trying to make a new Pirates of the Caribbean, a series I love (mostly). So I gave it a chance. That was a mistake.

This movie is not funny. It made me laugh about 4 times. This movie is not scary. I never felt creeped out. I never jumped at any of the numerous poor jump-scare attempts, even in Dolby Cinema where the speakers shake the auditorium. Very little works and there are some extra-cheesy moments.

It's a shame, this could have been fun. I like most of the cast. LaKeith Stanfield gives a great performance. There are a few cool scenes and visuals. But I just didn't care. I was not at all invested in the story or characters. And I just wanted it to be over.

Maybe it's just me. My crowd applauded when it finished. I can see children liking this, maybe something a family can watch together. I personally wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Just watch Pirates again instead.

(1 viewing, early fan screening Dolby Cinema 7/26/2023)