Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's Good!, April 22, 2004
Eddie Murphy stars as Jim Evers, one half of Evers and Evers Real Estate. At Evers and Evers, they want to keep you happy for evers and evers. But Jim's addiction to his work is starting to affect his relationships at home. Even his wife and business partner, Sara Evers, is losing patience with him. When a couple of new customers cause Jim to miss an anniversary date with his wife, that's the last straw. He has to promise a full, family weekend at the lake to make up for it. So Jim, Sara, and their preteen kids, Megan and Michael, are all set for a fun little vacation when the phone rings at the last minute. It's just a quick little stop off at the Gracey Manor in New Orleans, what's the worst that could happen? The owners want to sell. Too many...bad memories. But in no time, the family finds they must stay the night as a sudden rainstorm has flooded the road. The wife and kids aren't thrilled, the creepy butler Ramsley and the suspicious staff were enough to put them off, but Jim is overwhelmed at the idea of selling the huge place. And Mr. Gracey is thrilled to have them, especially Sara, who reminds him so much of someone he loved long ago. It doesn't take long before we realize that a plot is underfoot. It also doesn't take long before we discover that the inhabitants of Gracey Manor aren't what they seem to be. In no time, the movie gets kicked into high gear, as the Evers family members find themselves on a quest to save their beloved Sara from a houseful of restless spirits! "The Haunted Mansion" is far better than most people might lead you to believe. Had it come out after Disney's "The Country Bears," it might have been hailed as a fantastic achievement (unless people just avoided it), but on the heels of "Pirates of the Caribbean," well, how can a cute little family comedy compete with one of the greatest action/adventure films ever made? Still, when judged on its own merit, Haunted Mansion is a fine film, well worth purchasing and repeat viewing. With the fantastic skills of effects master Rick Baker and the comedic talent of Eddie Murphy, along with another of Disney's best rides as a basis and several nods to it throughout, the fact that the film could probably have been better isn't enough to detract from the fact that it IS quite good. I mean, most movies could be "better." If you judge everything like that, you probably only actually like about 4 or 5 movies. Now, I'm not saying this movie doesn't have some obvious flaws. Marsha Thomason may be beautiful, but her acting is pretty bad. Perhaps she was focusing too much on hiding her accent. And sure, the film could have been funnier, and it could have had more scary moments, though that Zombie sequence was pretty darn good. Overall, "The Haunted Mansion" is a highly satisfying night of entertainment. If you're a fan of the ride, it should be all the more fun, and the rewatchability level is pretty high on this one. Definitely not the total disappointment it was made out to be. I purchased this one not sure what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. The extras on the disc are pretty good too, though I would have loved to have seen more, including some of the old Disney TV programs about the ride. I'm surprised the cartoon "Lonesome Ghosts" wasn't included on this one, since it seems to be on every spooky Disney release. The behind the scenes stuff was pretty neat though. At any rate, I'm happy to give this film a thumbs up! Loved the singing busts and hitchhiking ghosts, and Madame Leota was pretty cool too! Props to Jennifer Tilly for pulling off a role that I had originally wanted Phyllis Diller to play. The only thing missing was Don Knotts as the Groundskeeper!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
999 Happy Haunts? Not really., November 27, 2003
I'm a huge fan of Disneyland, and the Haunted Mansion is one of my favorite attractions, so I force myself not to get my hopes up too high when they say they are going to make a movie out of one of them, lest I be too disappointed by the result. And it's a good thing. I was pleasantly surprised when they came out with the very entertaining "Pirates of the Caribbean" this summer, but "the Haunted Mansion" doesn't quite deliver on its promise so successfully, as hard as it tries. And it does try hard. From the typically sumptuous sets that a Disney movie can afford, to the great comedic talent of Eddie Murphy, this movie could have had the right mix of atmosphere and comedy to be both a satisfying homage to a beloved themepark ride, as well as a fun piece of entertainment. But this House falls down in the storytelling area, from where it can't quite get back up. The story did have potential, it really did. It included enough "explanations" of various parts of the ride, that it could satisfy any annual passport holder to Disneyland, like the Hitchhiking Ghosts, the guy hanging from the ceiling, or the wedding dress in the attic. But the moths in that dusty attic must have been running amuck, because there are too many holes in the fabric of the story. Whenever there was a chance for a character to explain or develop part of the story, they seemed instead to take the time to harp about a vague evil curse in the house, the origin of which we can only speculate about. Okay, the house is cursed, but why? Okay, one servant is evil, but why? Okay, there are lots of spirits hanging around in the backyard cemetary, but is it too much to ask, why? It's left up to you to guess, but then, they don't give you a satisfying answer. This movie is probably worth viewing just to pick out the references to the ride, and to see a funny Eddie Murphy picking his way through them. It's not too bad for kids, except for one scene that belongs in the Thriller video, that could be frightening to the young ones. Just be sure to "look alive", and beware of the plot holes, which, like Hitchhiking Ghosts, will haunt you all the way home.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pirates of the Carribean this is not, November 30, 2003
While not in league with Pirates of the Carribean (POTC), this movie was still entertaining in its own right. Scary? Well, not really. They are a big fan of having things jump out and try to get you jumping yourself... but all these parts were rather predictable. But, my son enjoyed the thrill factor of this movie. I've always shied from him watching scary movies, but I felt okay about bringing him to this one. Funny? Well, Eddie Murphy is always funny. He is just a funny guy and a fun guy to watch on the screen. He did seem to be coasting through most of this movie, but he becomes to this movie what Johnny Depp was to POTC. Story line? Pretty simple, but this is more a movie for kids so simple was in what was called or. My son really enjoyed it. But how they beat the bad guy... just not too dramatic or outstanding of an ending to this movie. Special Effects? Fantastic!! Flawless! The ghosts were well done as well as the magic crystal ball. Recommended? For the very little ones that are weak of heart... I wouldn't recommend. For the older young ones who can stomach a ghost story, oh yes!!! For adults... maybe consider it for a rental unless you are taking your kids.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
