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Haunted mansion, common sense media reviewers.

haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

Ghostly comedy is a spirited ride with peril, some scares.

Haunted Mansion Movie Poster: LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Danny DeVito, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, and Chase W. Dillon stand around a crystal ball

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The specifically stated message is that "Grief can

Characters show compassion and bravery, using team

Written by female screenwriter Katie Dippold and d

Suggested death via suicide: A character drinks so

Flashbacks to Ben and Alyssa falling in love and B

"Pissed off."

Many brand and store names mentioned. A Burger Kin

Frequent drinking by several adult characters, inc

Parents need to know that Haunted Mansion is a tween-friendly supernatural comedy that's the second movie inspired by the classic Disney theme park ride (the first was released in 2003). The frights are similar to horror-comedy classics like Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice : Spirits have an edge…

Positive Messages

The specifically stated message is that "Grief can be a doorway to joy, if one's willing to work on it." But it's more likely to be understood as "we can't let grief consume us." Either way, the film supports the expression of loss and grief, which is a positive thing.

Positive Role Models

Characters show compassion and bravery, using teamwork to face terrifying ghouls in an effort to bring peace to the captured souls. Characters are allowed to experience grief in vulnerable ways and find support through those around them, finding connection.

Diverse Representations

Written by female screenwriter Katie Dippold and directed by Justin Simien (who's Black and gay). Diverse cast: Main characters include Black actors LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, and multiracial actor Rosario Dawson (Afro-Latino with Native ancestry), as well as White actors Owen Wilson and Danny DeVito. Centers around romantic and familial love between characters of color and shows Black characters' humanity and vulnerability.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Suggested death via suicide: A character drinks something that would kill him, and his body is shown lying on the floor next to the bottle. Ghouls, ghosts, and skeletons abound -- including some without heads. Jump scares. A "black widow" type of bride repeatedly flings her ax at the characters. A duel, which leads to the duelers' demise. Character hit by a car, but the scene cuts before impact. Lots of peril. Alligator chases and snaps at characters. Supernatural elements like dark magic, seances, the appearance of a Ouija board.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Flashbacks to Ben and Alyssa falling in love and Ben proposing. Characters hug and embrace. Implied romantic interest through lingering looks and knowing smiles. Characters discuss spouses who've passed away.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Many brand and store names mentioned. A Burger King bag is shown; lingering shot of the logo and a mention of one of their food items, indicating likely product placement. The movie is based on an iconic Disneyland ride.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Frequent drinking by several adult characters, including to indicate deep depression and to build courage.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Haunted Mansion is a tween-friendly supernatural comedy that's the second movie inspired by the classic Disney theme park ride (the first was released in 2003 ). The frights are similar to horror-comedy classics like Ghostbusters and Beetlejuice : Spirits have an edge of silliness to them, but a couple (like an ax-wielding bride with demon eyes) are genuinely unsettling. Ghosts swirl through the screen in bulk, and characters -- including a child -- are in constant peril. All of this makes the movie more appropriate for older tweens and teens than younger or more sensitive children. Kids who do want to have the (often powerful) experience of "surviving" watching a scary movie will definitely feel like they're watching a fright fest -- but it's creepy, not screamy, and it's balanced with a sense of humor. Themes do touch on moving on after death and loss (for both the spirits and for living characters who are mourning the loss of a loved one). Adult characters drink throughout, and there are hugs/embraces and references to romance and departed spouses. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

  • Parents say (22)
  • Kids say (16)

Based on 22 parent reviews

A child nearly commits suicide in this movie

Moderate scares with a great message about grief and working as a team, what's the story.

In HAUNTED MANSION, single mom Gabbie ( Rosario Dawson ) and her 9-year-old son, Travis (Chase W. Dillon), move into a New Orleans mansion that's filled with long-buried secrets -- and several unpleasant ghosts. Hoping to cleanse the house of the evil within, Gabbie hires a scrappy team of paranormal experts to help.

Is It Any Good?

Satisfactorily spooky and just the right amount of scary for tweens and young teens, director Justin Simien 's film is a true adaptation of the iconic Disney attraction. And in this case, "true" means more accurate than the actual Haunted Mansion ride itself, which was created in 1969 and, although set in New Orleans, didn't feature any people of color. Simien corrects that disconnect by casting Black actors in the primary roles and infusing the movie's backdrop with the sounds, sights, and culture of the Crescent City, from alligators to zydeco.

That said, the ride probably has more twists than this film. The story is pretty routine: There's a problem (a haunted house), we meet the experts who will solve the problem, and then they solve it. The humor level is enough to keep a feeling of lightness, which balances the specters on screen. Many of the characters are mourning the loss of a loved one, and the movie does address this with real heart. As a way to spend a couple of hours as a family, this fright-light comedy is a hauntingly good time. Still, a matinee may be advisable to give kids a few hours of daylight to process everything, in case -- just like in the ride -- an apparition jumps into the backseat of a kid's brain and follows them home.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Haunted Mansion compares with other haunted house movies. Were the scary moments too scary? How much scary stuff can young kids handle?

Discuss the movie's message. Do you agree that death isn't the end, but the beginning of a new chapter?

What elements of New Orleans culture did you notice? How does the jazz "second line" funeral connect with the film's theme?

Considering how little iffy content is in this movie (other than the scares!), why do you think drinking was included?

Do you believe in ghosts? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

  • In theaters : July 28, 2023
  • On DVD or streaming : October 17, 2023
  • Cast : LaKeith Stanfield , Rosario Dawson , Jamie Lee Curtis
  • Director : Justin Simien
  • Inclusion Information : Gay directors, Black directors, Black actors, Female actors, Indigenous actors, Latino actors, Female writers
  • Studio : Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
  • Genre : Comedy
  • Topics : Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
  • Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Teamwork
  • Run time : 122 minutes
  • MPAA rating : PG-13
  • MPAA explanation : some thematic elements and scary action
  • Last updated : November 24, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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The Haunted Mansion (2003)

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I Rewatched The Original Haunted Mansion Before The New One, And I Have To Talk About It

Enter the mansion -- if you dare!

There are few movies from my childhood that I can fully say I still love just as much now. While many of them have certainly aged, and my humor has matured, some family films have stood the test of time, and I have an even deeper appreciation for them. 

We could talk about animated movies, like Lilo & Stitch, and my newfound love for Nani . Or, we could bring up some of my favorite Christmas films, like Home Alone – and all the very dangerous injuries that would surely kill those bandits. But, there's one movie from my childhood that I haven't watched in a long time: The Haunted Mansion, starring Eddie Murphy . 

Since a new adaptation referencing the famous theme park ride was released in theaters in July 2023 – appropriately named Haunted Mansion – I decided to revisit this favorite from my younger years. And I have to talk about it.  

Eddie Murphy Is The Best Part Of This Movie

You'd have to live under a rock not to know who Eddie Murphy is. The legendary actor has appeared in some of the funniest films of the last forty years. From his time in the Beverly Hills Cop franchise to Coming To America and Boomerang, Murphy is a certified king of comedy. Truthfully, I don't think many can top him. 

If you love Eddie Murphy, check out where we rank ten of his best films. 

Even years later, sequels are still happening to some of his greatest movies. Coming 2 America released in 2021 , and now, there's another Beverly Hills Cop film that is in development. Murphy has also moved into dramatic roles, such as his Academy Award-nominated performance in Dreamgirls, and other critically acclaimed work, like his leading part in Dolemite is My Name . 

Having Murphy as the star of a Disney horror comedy film is a safe bet. Even now, he's still the best part of The Haunted Mansion. The rest of the cast is great, but there's just something about Murphy in the lead that draws eyes in. Not only is his comedic timing on point – as it usually is – but he's able to link plenty of generations in his performance. 

I know personally from watching this film with my dad way back when. He loved Murphy, so he came with me to see the movie and laughed along, while this was my introduction to the actor, when I was only five. Murphy was the perfect choice for the lead – and I still don't think anyone can carry a comedic movie as well as him. 

Upon Rewatching, I’m Starting To Realize This Film Was My Introduction To “Scary Movies”

While I wouldn't call The Haunted Mansion my first real horror movie, it was my introduction to "scary movies."

As an adult, the scares in this film don't phase me. I've seen enough of the best horror movies out there not to feel any fear over simple jump scares; I always know when they're coming. It takes a film like the critically-acclaimed Talk to Me or Midsommar to get my blood pumping nowadays. 

I rewatched this movie from a child's perspective, and I have to say – it's scary for younger kids. Plenty of moments make you jump or are creepy, and I'm pretty sure I was scared of certain scenes in The Haunted Mansion as a young girl that don't shock me now. It's one of the first films that introduced me to the concept that 'scary' can be fun, so I thank it for that. 

For A Comedy, The Haunted Mansion Can Get Dark

This was marketed as a supernatural comedy with horror aspects, and for the most part, it is that. It's usually because Murphy's delivery is always on point – and I also want to point out that his on-screen son in the film, Marc John Jefferies, was also a funny addition. 

But man, this movie can get dark. It's almost concerning that I recall this film shown to a room of nine-year-olds in fourth grade, because it mentions many dark themes. Suicide, death, drugs, sex – and this movie was rated PG. I feel like, with what it talks about, it at least deserved a PG-13 rating, but I suppose Disney wanted to bring in as many people as possible. 

Either way, dang. This movie is deep sometimes. 

The 2003 Visual Effects Are Actually Still A Lot Of Fun To Watch

I've said this about a few movies I've rewatched, but I don't find the 2003 visual effects all that jarring, as I still love to watch them, and they're enjoyable. 

It's almost like with the Spy Kids movies , especially the early ones. The visual effects aren't the best compared to what we have today, but they're a lot of fun and feel manageable to watch. 

The practical effects, too, are great – I swear, Murphy's face suddenly decomposed actually made me snicker in delight because it legit looked creepy. So, I did enjoy the visual effects just as much. 

Also, Those Singing Heads From The Mausoleum Will Forever Haunt My Dreams

I can't tell you how many times I have sung, "You left your key in the mausoleum," and wondered where it was from and how it was so ingrained into my brain. Then I rewatched this movie and remembered those freaking singing heads. 

They're not actual heads – just busts of statues singing like a barbershop quartet, but man, the songs are catchy and will forever haunt my dreams. 

I Really Don't Understand How This Film Received So Many Negative Reviews

This is my biggest complaint – because, for the life of me, I can't figure out why this movie was pummelled with horrible reviews. 

The Haunted Mansion has a 13% on Rotten Tomatoes , which is absurdly low. Is it the best comedy film of all time? No, but it does not deserve that rating. Murphy was amusing in the leading role, and the movie was entertaining enough for kids and adults, and the perfect intro to scary movies for children of my generation. 

I may be clouded by nostalgia, for all I know, because the audience score isn't much better. Despite it, The Haunted Mansion holds a special place in my heart, and I'll forever stand by it, no matter what critics or the rest of the general public says.

I Think The New Haunted Mansion Will Be The Next Generation’s Intro To Scary Movies

The new movie is now in theaters, I got the chance to see it – and dare I say, I enjoyed it. 

While I know the movie wasn't necessarily made for me, it almost felt like my positions had switched. Instead of my dad going along to see the film with me to watch Eddie Murphy, I went to see the new movie for LaKeith Stanfield and Tiffany Haddish – and I'll say that I think it's the next step for scary movies for younger kids now. 

It's not the scariest film, by any means, but our review called it "fun starter horror" and I agree, plus, it's appropriately rated at PG-13. It's a good step in the right direction, and while I still favor the older film , I like this new one, too. 

This makes me want to revisit some of my favorite kids' movies more. Halloween is coming up – maybe I need an entire marathon of all the scary movies I used to watch as a kid – starting with The Haunted Mansion. Now all I need are some pumpkin cookies and apple cider. 

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A self-proclaimed nerd and lover of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire, Alexandra Ramos is a Content Producer at CinemaBlend. She first started off working in December 2020 as a Freelance Writer after graduating from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in English. She primarily works in features for movies, TV, and sometimes video games. (Please don't debate her on The Last of Us 2, it was amazing!) She is also the main person who runs both our daily newsletter, The CinemaBlend Daily, and our ReelBlend newsletter. 

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From the original ride to now-three of film adaptations, Disney's Haunted Mansion is properly cemented into the company’s spooky canon. This installment is in line behind 2003’s nostalgic Eddie Murphy chapter and 2021’s Muppets edition. Justin Simien (“ Dear White People ,” “Bad Hair") directs this return to a Black-led live-action iteration of the story. 

The simple plot lends to simple execution across the board. Single mother Gabbie ( Rosario Dawson ) has moved into the antique house of her dreams with her nine-year-old son Travis ( Chase Dillon ). But not long after stepping into the home, they become blatantly aware of the spirited tenants occupying the creepy abode. Enlisting the help of grieving astrophysicist Ben ( LaKeith Stanfield ), priest Father Kent ( Owen Wilson ), medium Harriet ( Tiffany Haddish ), and haunted house expert Professor Bruce Davis ( Danny DeVito ), the gang hopes to put their heads together to rid the house of its supernatural tormentors.

“Haunted Mansion” is star-studded but shoddy at best. Despite the talent of writer Katie Dippold (“ The Heat ” “Parks and Recreation”), the script’s punchlines are forced and flat. Everyone is doled their share of one-liners, but Wilson and Haddish carry most of the weight. While Wilson often runs dry, Haddish delivers in her classic tone and cadence, executing flimsy jokes to her best ability. The script does toe the line of Disney’s boundaries, tossing in some light innuendos in a somewhat concerted effort to draw in more mature audiences.

Simien's film does display its fun-loving origins in how the house can transform into a surrealist landscape. Halls that never end, ceilings that extend into impossibility, gargoyles, hidden rooms, and the ever-so-classic ghost-inhabited portraits recall nostalgia for the film’s classic Gothicism. “Haunted Mansion” boasts a handful of playful chases and spooky sequences, but they’re fleeting and soon bring us back to the film’s stuttering pace. It's hard to find any true tension in "Haunted Mansion" until the climactic faceoff in the third act. 

Perhaps the greatest letdown of Simien's movie is how little the cast delivers. The ensemble is brimming with lively, prolific candidates, yet the script hardly seems to keep this in mind. Their talents are either underused or misdirected. Stanfield’s Ben mourns the loss of his wife, his grief becoming a cornerstone of the story. Yet while we’ve seen Stanfield display emotional depth in other roles, every tearful moment feels like a soap opera, not on account of sentiment, but performance. There’s a sense of watered-down contrivance across the board. The forced, postured will-they won’t-they romance between Stanfield and Dawson showcases this also. And with seasoned comedic actors in Wilson, DeVito, and Haddish, too few of their comedy efforts actually hit. 

“Haunted Mansion” is constructed with the familiar bricks of a Gothic tale, down to the theme of grief that runs throughout. There’s a thoughtful examination of how grief makes us vulnerable while also being able to harness the power of that love to connect with one another and appreciate the lives we lead. There’s also value for family audiences in the nostalgic spookiness that rides along the surface. But with a repeated sourness in the film’s comedic efforts and a tragically misused ensemble, “Haunted Mansion” misses the chance to become a Halloween classic. 

In theaters now.

Peyton Robinson

Peyton Robinson

Peyton Robinson is a freelance film writer based in Chicago, IL. 

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Film credits.

Haunted Mansion movie poster

Haunted Mansion (2023)

Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and scary action.

123 minutes

Rosario Dawson as Gabbie

Chase W. Dillon as Travis

LaKeith Stanfield as Ben Matthias

Owen Wilson as Father Kent

Tiffany Haddish as Harriet

Danny DeVito as Bruce Davis

Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota

Winona Ryder as Pat

Jared Leto as Crump / Hatbox

  • Justin Simien
  • Katie Dippold

Cinematographer

  • Jeffrey Waldron
  • Phillip J. Bartell
  • Kris Bowers

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haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

Realtor Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) cannot let a business opportunity go by much to the chagrin of his business partner wife Sara (Marsha Thomason, "Black Knight") and kids Megan (Aree Davis) and Michael (Marc John Jeffries, "Losing Isaiah"). After blowing an anniversary dinner engagement, Jim promises to take the wife and kids to their cabin on a lake for the weekend, but once again, money talks and Jim insists on a swing-by at a lucrative property which turns out to be an overnight adventure at "The Haunted Mansion."

Laura's Review: D+

It's hard to believe that the screenwriter of the confectionery "Elf," David Berenbaum, also penned this walking mass of tepid turkey leftovers. Sitting through "The Haunted Mansion" is about as exciting as watching a stranger's slide show of their trip to Disneyland.

The opening title sequence shows up the backstory of the mansion's haunting. As hundreds of lavishly outfitted guests swish around a ballroom, a woman dies of poisoning and her lover, the mansion's owner, hangs himself in grief. In the present, Eddie Murphy smears a false smile across his fact to assure clients that he wants them to be happy for "Evers and Evers." We learn his son's terrified of spiders and his daughter is fearless because that information will prove useful later.

As soon as the Evers clan reaches the mansion (a padlocked gate mysteriously opens), a thunderstorm of immense proportion unleashes. Ramsley (Terrance Stamp, "The Limey"), the butler, appears out of the shadows to announce that he'll have to set additional places for dinner (only Sara's services had been requested). Of course, Sara is the spitting image of the dead master's beloved and the family is quickly separated so that dead owner Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker, "Squanto: A Warrior's Tale") can break the mansion's curse by marrying her once she's joined him in the spirit world.

There are a few pleasures to be had in "The Haunted Mansion," but most of them are the recognition of decades old signatures of the theme park ride. Statuary heads on pedestals turn and paintings change as Jim walks down the hall. A frustrating fortune teller, Madame Leota (Jennifer Tilly, "The Cat's Meow") is a disembodied head floating in a crystal ball. Musical instruments fly about the room, creating a nice surround sound effect and a statuary barbershop quartet in the mansion's cemetery are amusing. In general, the production design (John Myhre, "Chicago"), at least in the mansion's interiors (exterior and crypt work is far more artificial), is rich, sets decorated with armor, animal horns, Venus flytraps under glass and wooden panels and moldings.

With the exception of Stamp, the cast is average to inadequate. Eddie Murphy's only successful schtick is that fake realtor's leer and he plays that card once too often. Otherwise he's like one of those character actors in a Three Stooges haunted house short that run around screaming with their eyes popping out. Thomason is a very pretty woman but she can't act. The kids and Parker are OK. Wallace Shawn ("The Princess Bride") is as disappointing as Murphy, bringing nothing to the party. Terrance Stamp dredges up obscenely rounded tones to make announcements like 'The storm has swollen the river.' which are a hoot, but even he seems to tire of the film well before its over.

Director Rob Minkoff ("Stuart Little") churns out this increasingly numbing affair with less life than the mansion's denizens. The whole thing ends up with a pit of hell, ghostly wedding and heavenly ascent that owe much to Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast" (as does the attraction itself) but are mostly R.I.P.P.ed off from "Beetlejuice."

Robin's Review: D+

Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is a hard driving, go-go-go realtor always looking to make yet another sale. When his wife and business partner, Sara (Marsha Thomason), is summoned to an old, antebellum mansion to discuss its sale by the owner, Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker), Jim smells a big deal. Instead of keeping his promise to take the family away for the weekend, he leads the way to Gracey Manor. The Evers, with their two kids, don’t know it but they are about to enter a “Haunted Mansion.”

This is the third time that Disney has taken one of its theme park rides and turned it into feature movie. First was the surprisingly popular ”The Country Bears,” followed by the box-office dynamo, “Pirates of the Caribbean.” I didn’t see the former, loved the latter and have never been to Disney World but was open-minded about “Haunted Mansion.” I got, I am told, a fairly accurate rendition of the theme park ride of the same name, but not much more. After the roller coaster ride (and terrific comic performance by Johnny Depp) of “Pirates,” I was less than thrilled with the blandness of “Mansion.”

Murphy’s Jim Evers is shown as a glad-handing realtor who is more concerned with the sale than he is his family. He takes yet another meeting with perspective clients rather than get home in time for his anniversary celebration. Jim gives his word that he will take them all to the lake for the weekend when Sara gets the mysterious phone call from Gracey’s butler, Ramsley (Terence Stamp). Sara tries to put it off but the eager realtor sees dollar signs in the prospective deal and decides to make a little detour on the way to the lake, “just for 20 minutes,” to check out the old manor. While there, a violent downpour washes out the road to the remote estate and the Evers family must stay the night.

Jim disregards the warnings and evidence that there are ghosts in the mansion until he discovers the truth about Edward Gracey and the man’s interest in Sara. When Evers is separated from his wife and kids, he realizes the true values of life, finds the kids and, with the help of crystal ball bound seer, Madame Leota (Jennifer Tilly), stops Gracey’s plans for Sara. This fantasy tale is rife with special F/X: ghostly apparitions, flying instruments, singing statues and more whirl around the mansion and offer help and hindrance to the Evers.

“Haunted Mansion” may have an audience in those 4 to 7-year olds that are familiar with the ride and will be amused by the spooky action on screen. There is little appeal, though, for anyone older than that. Eddie Murphy should be embarrassed by his portrayal of Jim Evers. His fake smile salesman persona extends to his family life and, you get the feeling, has always put Sara and the kids, Michael (Marc John Jefferies) and Megan (Aree Davis), after business. Worse, still, are the wide-eyed stares of fright – akin to Stepin Fetchit in the 1930’s – as Murphy hams it up with the ghosts. I hope Murphy got a lot of money for “Haunted Mansion” because it surely does not do his career any good.

Marsha Thomason has the unfortunate task of being the object of the ghostly affections of Gracey and gets to just play a damsel in distress. Marc John Jefferies and Aree Davis are OK as the kids but are mainly relegated to reacting to the off screen effects that aren’t really there. Terence Stamp, as the droll, slow moving but ever-present butler, Ramsley, steals the show any time he is on the screen. Wallace Shawn and Dina Waters play a ghostly pair of servants that aid the Evers in their quest save Sara and free the earth bound apparitions that are stranded between life and the freedom of “white light.” Nathaniel Parker is uninteresting as the master of Gracey Manor.

Technically, “Haunted Manor” is not bad. (Though, not anywhere near enough to make me recommend the movie.) The ghost effects are routine but the flying instruments and barbershop quartet singing busts are amusing. Special F/X, alone, do not make a good movie.

If the creative folk at Disney are going to keep using the theme parks as an idea pool for films, they should stick to the “Pirates” mold and break the “Haunted Mansion” one.

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Haunted Mansion Review

Haunted Mansion

In 2003, Disney proved they could make a hit movie based on one of their theme-park rides with the first  Pirates Of The Caribbean . They followed up with an Eddie Murphy vehicle (remember them?) based on another Disneyland attraction,  The Haunted Mansion . That scared up reasonable business but didn’t become a major film franchise.

Twenty years on, ignoring the warning bells sounded by big-ticket items like  Tomorrowland  and  Jungle Cruise , Disney greenlit this  Haunted Mansion , which is neither a sequel nor a remake but throws together the same set of ingredients. Talented cast, CGI phantasms all over the show, open-mouthed comedy, Easter eggs for theme-park obsessives, needlessly complicated supernatural mystery, and an air of being in too much of a hurry to deliver on a promise of shivers.

Haunted Mansion

Haunted Mansion  is the sort of watchable product which fills out streaming services – though in that category it’s less fresh than Christopher Landon’s recent Netflix offering  We Have A Ghost ,  and on Disney+ rubs shoulders with deep backlist titles like  Blackbeard’s Ghost  or  The Gnome-Mobile . Director Justin Simien made the smart indie satire  Dear White People  and followed up with a pointed hip-hop fable about vampire hair extensions called  Bad Hair . He’s a canny choice to step up to mainstream studio directing, but it’s a shame he doesn’t get chewier material to work with. Katie Dippold (of  The Heat  and the 2016  Ghostbusters  reboot) assembles a script as if deluged with notes about the plot beats which had to be included and the trick effects from the Disneyland original which couldn’t be left out.

Rosario Dawson inherits the Eddie Murphy role but is sorely underused in a regulation Mom part.

Well-acted but rote talks about grief and ‘moving on’ are layered between scenes of Danny DeVito prowling haunted corridors in his underwear or Tiffany Haddish screaming as a haunted chair tips her into mud. LaKeith Stanfield plays a troubled hero with a low-key, likeable intensity, which is admirable — but less on point than Owen Wilson’s usual spacey act (he’s a failed exorcist) and Haddish’s spieling as an overconfident medium.

As the owner of the haunted mansion, Rosario Dawson inherits the Eddie Murphy role but is sorely underused in a regulation Mom part. As Madame Leota, Jamie Lee Curtis earns bonus points for one astonishing silent-movie-star outfit but is mostly stuck in a crystal ball as a disembodied head – and fails to match Jennifer Tilly’s reading of the role (the most memorable thing in the 2003 film). Jared Leto’s Morbius cheekbones get a CGI workover so he can play a head in a hatbox big bad. The funhouse illusion of corridors becoming impossible geometries is spun out via CGI, which doesn’t dispel a feeling that we’ve been here before and aren’t as spooked this time round.

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Haunted Mansion

2023, Fantasy/Comedy, 2h 3m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Haunted Mansion 's talented cast makes the movie a pleasant enough destination, although it's neither scary nor funny enough to wholeheartedly recommend. Read critic reviews

Audience Says

Haunted Mansion is a fun blend of horror and comedy with a great cast and a story that'll be extra entertaining for fans of the ride that inspired it. Read audience reviews

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Haunted mansion videos, haunted mansion   photos.

A woman and her son enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.

Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Elements|Scary Action)

Genre: Fantasy, Comedy

Original Language: English

Director: Justin Simien

Producer: Dan Lin , Jonathan Eirich

Writer: Katie Dippold

Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 2023  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2023

Box Office (Gross USA): $67.6M

Runtime: 2h 3m

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Production Co: Rideback, Disney+

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Atmos

Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Cast & Crew

LaKeith Stanfield

Ben Matthias

Tiffany Haddish

Owen Wilson

Father Kent

Danny DeVito

Bruce Davis

Rosario Dawson

Chase W. Dillon

Jamie Lee Curtis

Madame Leota

Crump, Hatbox

Hasan Minhaj

Sketch Artist

Justin Simien

Katie Dippold

Screenwriter

Jonathan Eirich

Nick Reynolds

Executive Producer

Tom C. Peitzman

Jeffrey Waldron

Cinematographer

Phillip J. Bartell

Film Editing

Kris Bowers

Original Music

Darren Gilford

Production Design

Laurel Bergman

Art Director

Shawn D. Bronson

Kristen Maloney

Victor J. Zolfo

Set Decoration

Jeffrey Kurland

Costume Design

Carmen Cuba

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‘Haunted Mansion’ Review: A Disney Ride to Nowhere Fun

Starring LaKeith Stanfield and Rosario Dawson, this movie plays like a feature-length ad for Disney’s theme-park attraction of the same name.

  • Share full article

Inside a spooky library stand Rosario Dawson in matronly dress, Tiffany Haddish costumed as a psychic, LaKeith Stanfield in street clothes and Owen Wilson as a priest.

By Manohla Dargis

There is a mansion, it is haunted, boo, blah, the end.

That’s pretty much all there is to say about “Haunted Mansion,” a live-action branding opportunity from Disney “inspired by” its theme-park attraction of the same name. The first of these opened in 1969 in Disneyland , in Anaheim, Calif., where it’s in the “Music-Lovin’ New Orleans Square,” as the park’s website puts it. That’s the site of another fan favorite, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which spawned a multibillion-dollar film franchise for Disney. “Haunted Mansion” is unlikely to do the same.

This is the second feature based on the “Mansion” attraction. (A 2021 Halloween special, “Muppet Haunted Mansion,” is streaming on Disney+.) The first film, “ The Haunted Mansion ” (2003), starring Eddie Murphy, was widely panned but made millions. In his review, the New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell wrote that it was “only a matter of time before “‘Parking Lot: The Movie’ and ‘People-Mover: The Motion Picture,’” an observation that feels more true and less funny now that this year has brought us other I.P.-based branding opportunities about all kinds of stuff, including sneakers (“ Air ”), games (“Tetris,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”), junk food (“Flamin’ Hot”) and, of course, a doll (a.k.a. “ Barbie ”).

The new “Haunted Mansion” was directed by Justin Simien, whose first feature, “Dear White People” (2014), is an incisive, sharply funny satire about a political firestorm at a college that earned him a lot of attention and led to both a book and a well-received Netflix show of the same title. I hope that Disney paid Simien truckloads of money to direct “Haunted Mansion,” and that he had more fun making it than I had watching it. He keeps things moving along, more or less, and the appealing cast hit their marks, but it’s dispiriting to see him directing what is effectively a feature-length Disney promotion. I hope it’s his last big-studio ad.

It stars LaKeith Stanfield (“Atlanta”), who imbues his generic role — a brainiac with a tragic story and busy tear ducts — with more emotional intensity than the movie calls for, which is its only surprise. His character, Ben, has developed a camera that can take photographs of ghosts, equipment that you’d expect the paranormal investigators in the (non-Disney) Ghostbusters series to have. And, wouldn’t you know it, the screenwriter here, Katie Dippold, also co-wrote the female-led “Ghostbusters” (2016) reboot. Like that movie, “Haunted Mansion” features a ragtag group of likable eccentrics battling digital ghosts, but it’s fright-free and far less funny. It’s all setup and no payoff.

The cast includes Rosario Dawson, whose unwaveringly fixed smile suggests that she decided to just grin and bear it to play Gabbie, a single mother with a predictably cute moppet, Travis (Chase W. Dillon). Gabbie wants to open a bed-and-breakfast in the mansion, which she found on Zillow, one of a number of product brands invoked throughout the movie. (For a cross-promotion stunt, the mansion has been listed on Zillow in the real world.) Also onboard is an oddball priest (Owen Wilson), a ditsy medium (Tiffany Haddish) and an excitable scholar (Danny DeVito). Jamie Lee Curtis pops in, too, for a turn that made me want to rewatch her genuinely scary performance in “The Bear,” a show on the Disney-owned streamer Hulu. I’d watch Curtis in just about anything, including “Parking Lot: The Movie,” which I assume is already in development.

Haunted Mansion Rated PG-13 for very mild ghost action. Running time: 2 hours 2 minutes. In theaters.

Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic of The Times, which she joined in 2004. She has an M.A. in cinema studies from New York University, and her work has been anthologized in several books. More about Manohla Dargis

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haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

  • DVD & Streaming

The Haunted Mansion

  • Animation , Comedy , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

In Theaters

  • Eddie Murphy as Jim Evers; Marsha Thomason as Sara Evers; Terence Stamp as the butler Ramsley; Nathaniel Parker as Master Gracey; Jennifer Tilly as Madame Leota; Wallace Shawn as Ezra; Dina Waters as Emma; Marc John Jefferies as Michael; Aree Davis as Megan

Home Release Date

  • Rob Minkoff

Distributor

  • Disney/Buena Vista

Movie Review

Using Disney’s popular Haunted Mansion theme ride as inspiration, Stuart Little director Rob Minkoff has created yet another assembly-line “horror-comedy” about what might happen if ghosts and people could actually interact. To set the stage for the paranormal collision, a vaporous butler places a telephone call to Sara Evers, one half of Evers & Evers Realty (“Because we want you to be happy for evers and evers”). He informs her that his master wishes to discuss the selling of his remote mansion. “He wishes to see you … alone ,” he intones dryly.

Sara’s about to hang up on this oddball Prince-Albert-in-a-can prankster when her lesser half, Jim, swoops into the room and pushes her into trying to “get the account.” At least we can go see the place, he pleads. So, ignoring the butler’s instructions, Jim and Sara pack up their two children (Michael, 10, and Megan, 13) and drive through the swamps of southern Louisiana to the creepy old house the ghosts call home. Dad’s famous last words? “It’ll be 20 minutes, tops!” Twenty hours is more like it.

Thunder rolls, lighting flashes ferociously and rain gushes down in torrents as the dripping family is ushered into the cavernous foyer. The butler is greatly disappointed that Sara brought her clan with her, and secretly rallies his legion of long-expired compatriots to isolate her. He succeeds, and Sara is delivered into the care of Master Gracey. Gracey (dead for decades) uses their solitude to attempt to woo Sara (he thinks she is his deceased fiancée reincarnated), while kindlier apparitions send Jim and the kids on a macabre scavenger hunt with promises that upon its completion, they’ll be able to save Sara.

Positive Elements

It’s a kids’ movie fallback: Dad must learn to value his family over his job. The Haunted Mansion plays this subplot out as if by rote, displaying a workaholic, money-hungry realtor finally coming to grips with the fact that he really does love his wife and children more than making that next big sale. (Interestingly, in this instance there is no fallout from Jim’s neglect. Nobody’s in trouble, doing drugs or in jail because Dad wasn’t around. Everybody’s healthy, happy and serene, with the exception of Michael, who’s afraid of spiders—hardly a blemish easily blamed on absentee parenting.) Naturally, Michael triumphs over his fear (he’s forced to ignore a horde of gigantic eight-leggers to save his dad and sister from zombies). The Evers family sticks up for one another, they watch each other’s backs and they express a deep desire to remain an intact family (read: don’t let the ghosts get us).

Spiritual Elements

“Dad,” Michael blurts out, “I see dead people!” Ha ha. Get it? That’s the tone of the movie’s supernatural elements—half Casper , half Sixth Sense . Ghosts are everywhere in the house and its surrounding grounds, seemingly trapped on terra firma until Master Gracey brings order and closure to his pre-death love life. Sometimes everything’s fun and games, like when marching band instruments chase Jim through the hallways. Other times, things get creepier and much more serious:

A concluding line (and what happens thereafter) from the butler proves to be the movie’s most disturbing moment. Enraged at how things are turning out, he screams, “D–n you! D–n you all to hell!” Instantly, the floor behind him falls away revealing what the filmmakers want audiences to think of as the pit of hell. Evil spirits swirl into the room from all directions and a fiery devil ascends to claim what is his. Once all the “bad ghosts” are safely entombed in their eternal torment, hell’s gaping maw closes and the “good ghosts” begin ascending into heaven, twinkling like stars as they rise. A deceased maid races to retrieve her travel case, and when she’s told she can’t take it with her to heaven, she retorts, “The h— I can’t.” A ghost briefly possesses Sara’s body and apparently brings her back from the dead after she’s poisoned.

During Jim’s race to save Sara, he and Megan are forced to fight off dozens of decaying corpses who stumble out of their coffins bent on adding two more souls to their tortured numbers. Rotted flesh hangs off visible skeletons and dried gore clings to the bones of their decomposed faces as they gnash their teeth and blindly grope at their victims. Also included is a spirit medium (a disembodied head trapped in a large “crystal ball”) who gives Jim instructions. Tarot cards are used as a visual motif both in the body of the film and in the opening credits.

Sexual Content

Upon first entering the mansion, Jim reaches up to lift the mammoth door knocker and remarks to his wife, “Wow, look at the size of those knockers.” When he learns that Master Gracey is trying to steal Sara, he exclaims, “You mean he’s trying to get jiggy with my wife? He’s trying to get with her?” When the spirit of Master Gracey’s fiancée takes over Sara’s body, Gracey kisses and hugs her (Michael and Megan are pretty uncomfortable watching “Mom” kiss some strange dead guy, and Jim finally taps Gracey on the shoulder to make him stop).

During the opening credits, tarot card drawings include a naked man and woman (full frontal nudity). Jim discovers that Michael has been ogling the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, but only reacts by saying that if Michael is man enough to look at those kinds of pictures, then he should be man enough to kill a spider (audiences see the magazine’s cover model).

Violent Content

Jim gets attacked by flying musical instruments (a drum lands a direct hit on his noggin) after his chair levitates and he’s taken for a literal spin around the room. He also thrusts and parries with suits of medieval armor and is attacked by gory zombies. While in the mausoleum fighting the undead, he decapitates one with a torch and severs another’s arm with a door. One of the ghosts takes the family for a wild ride in a carriage pulled by skeletal horses. After crashing through one of the mansion’s rock walls, they drive past scores of wispy apparitions who are seen in the state in which they died. Audiences see a ghost get shot with a crossbow and a corpse dangling from a noose. Jim tries to fight with the butler, but his punches find only thin air as the ghost disappears and reappears at will. Michael and Megan are locked in a storage chest and used as hostages to make Sara do what the ghosts want her to do. To regain access to the mansion after being thrown out (through an upstairs window), Jim smashes at a magically reinforced window with an iron rod, then revs up his BMW and crashes it through the wall. Master Gracey believes his fiancée committed suicide by drinking poison (flashback images are seen) and Sara is forced to drink poison so that she will join Gracey in the afterlife. The butler tries to drag Jim down into hell with him.

Crude or Profane Language

God’s name is used as an interjection twice. The butler yells “d–n” twice. “H—” is used as a profanity. “Crap” and “a–” are used a couple of times each. (When Jim uses the word “crap,” Michael parrots it back to him—Jim chides him for it.)

Drug and Alcohol Content

Two of Jim’s clients down tropical drinks, and urge him to drink with them. When he asks for a ginger ale, they laugh, saying, “That’s not a real drink!” Ghosts also drink, and flashbacks to Victorian-era parties include alcohol use. Jim accepts hard liquor from the butler and steals a cigar from Master Gracey.

The Haunted Mansion is Disney’s third (recent) attempt at turning theme park attractions into movies. The quality of the first, The Country Bears , left a lot to be desired. The second, Pirates of the Caribbean , wowed and surprised just about everybody who saw it. This one ranks somewhere in-between, existing on the same plane as the likes of Beetlejuice and Jumanji . It’s entertaining, in a strictly mindless manner. It’s visually stimulating, when it’s not filling the screen with corpses. It’s even endearing and sweet, albeit with a saccharine aftertaste.

As for content, Disney gives parents plenty of reasons not to haul the kiddos into the multiplex for this one (not the least of which are nightmare-inducing zombies, spooky ghouls, mild profanity and sexual references). It’s the movie’s flagrant misuse of the spiritual dimension, though, that put me off the most. Heaven and hell are used as preternatural tent pegs grounding what happens throughout the movie to our real world experience rather than some non-specific imaginary land of magical occurrences. That fundamentally changes the way children react emotionally and spiritually to what they see. And the lessons taught are far from biblical. I knew what my verdict was going to be the second the butler’s hateful curses cued the fire from below: Haunt some other holiday movie, this Mansion ‘s no bargain.

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haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

THE HAUNTED MANSION

haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

What You Need To Know:

(OOO, Ab, H, LL, N, V, A, MM) Very strong occult worldview with anti-Christian and humanist messages about a family trapped in a haunted mansion, with abhorrent theology such as tarot cards playfully used in opening credits, Gypsy medium (headless woman in crystal ball) prophesies and calls up evil spirits, “devil’s curse” forces good ghosts and bad ghosts to walk the grounds eternally, murder plot to kill children’s mother to lift the curse, possession after her death and resurrection by the “good” ghost, belief expressed by main character that “you only go around once, so live full out,” sinister ghost dressed as and takes on role of priest at wedding then threatens others with Purgatory, and evil ghost dragged to Hell by fiery dragon while all other ghosts (good and bad) allowed to go to Heaven (even ghost who jokingly curses); 10 mild obscenities and one strong exclamation of “Oh my God”; often scary, comical violence includes man being thrown out high window and crashing onto his car, fighting with disembodied knights, ghosts, and decaying skeletons crawling from crypts, two women die from poison drinks, man shown suicide-hanging from rafters, man sees a frightful decaying version of himself in mirror, intensely frightening scenes of children being terrorized by scary creatures and spiders, one scene shows spiders all over young boy who has a fear of spiders, ghosts “playfully” being beheaded and shot in head with arrow, and ghosts moving around headless; artwork nudity (both male and female nude drawings) and some kissing; some alcohol use; and, joke makes light of divorce, lying, betrayal, husband rebuked for working too much, son’s language rebuked by dad immediately after father curses.

GENRE: Comedy/Horror

More Detail:

The opening credits of THE HAUNTED MANSION introduce viewers to a little history of a once colorful estate. A foreign woman loves the owner of the house, but mysteriously dies from a poisoned drink. Unable to live without his love, the master hangs himself rather than live without her.

Across town years later, workaholic real estate agent Jim Evers (played by Eddie Murphy) concludes another successful sale in his fast-growing family business. Later that day, he misses an important anniversary dinner because another selling opportunity arises. When his business partner wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason), is summoned to an old estate for a sales consultation, Jim sees a huge windfall coming their way. This frightful HAUNTED MANSION resides in swampy Louisiana and has a massive cemetery for a back yard. The Evers and their two children arrive with a promise from dad that this is “just a 20 minute detour” from their weekend vacation plans.

The family is met by a creepy butler named Ramsley (Terence Stamp) and introduced to mansion owner Master Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker). A predictable storm whips up, a swollen river floods their way out, and the Evers family is forced to stay the night in this haunted place.

Master Gracey is more than mesmerized by Sara, because she is a dead-ringer for his dearly departed love. Meanwhile, Jim and the children discover secret passageways in the haunted mansion, good and evil spirits, and a plot to take Sara’s life in order to lift a centuries’ old curse. An evil ghost plans to kill her first so that she can rightfully marry Master Gracey. To rescue Sara from this grave danger, her family must battle frightening creatures, face down their fears, retrieve a key from a crypt, and bring the hidden truth to light. Along the way, the children and dad experience nightmare-inducing hours and learn to face their fears directly. Helping them are “friendly” ghosts and a headless Gypsy medium guiding them from her crystal ball.

Jim’s bravery and determination stops the wedding in time, but fails to prevent Sara’s poisoning and death. An evil ghost of THE HAUNTED MANSION calls on more evil spirits to attack the family, but instead finds himself dragged down to Hell. Then, a good ghost possesses Sara’s dead body, tells Master Gracey the true story, then resurrects Sara. In the end, the “devil’s curse” is broken, and all the remaining lost souls are allowed to ascend to Heaven.

The Disney execs must have sold their own souls to get a PG rating for THE HAUNTED MANSION. Though the language is toned down, the scare-factor of this movie easily exceeds THE PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN (another Disney theme park ride turned blockbuster movie). The movie has high production values, but this mouse-house suffers from plot rot and it should be condemned. The greatest abomination is that this movie is marketed to families and children. The heavy-handed occult worldview, along with the intensely scary scenes of THE HAUNTED MANSION, make this a lousy ride for all.

Please address your comments to:

Michael Eisner, Chairman/CEO

Buena Vista Distribution Co.

(Walt Disney Pictures, Caravan, Hollywood, Miramax, and Touchstone Pictures)

Dick Cook, Chairman

Walt Disney Pictures

500 South Buena Vista Street

Burbank, CA 91521

Phone: (818) 560-1000

Website: www.disney.com

SUMMARY: THE HAUNTED MANSION, based on a theme park ride and starring Eddie Murphy, is about a family trapped overnight in this creepy place and forced to rescue their mother from the clutches of evil ghosts. The heavy-handed occult worldview, along with intensely frightening scenes, make this a lousy ride for all.

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haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

Is Haunted Mansion's Remake Better Than the 2003 Disney Film?

The Haunted Mansion remake does many great things but there are big flaws as well, leaving fans curious how it stacks up to Eddie Murphy's 2003 movie.

  • The 2003 version of Haunted Mansion had a more compelling and thought-provoking dark romance compared to the reboot.
  • The original Haunted Mansion had a more innovative and immersive spectacle, while the reboot relied more on style than substance.
  • The predecessor struck a better balance between a grounded essence and a supernatural wow factor.

The following contains spoilers for Haunted Mansion, now playing in theaters.

In an era of remakes, many fans engage in heated debates comparing reboots to the originals. The Little Mermaid recently stirred up conversation again, which is understandable. It's quite natural to examine the past and present from a creative perspective, with Disney opening the door for this the most. The studio also remade The Lion King and Aladdin , which does feel like the train won't stop anytime soon.

Haunted Mansion is another movie adapting the theme park ride and retelling the 2003 movie that starred Eddie Murphy as Jim Ivers, a real estate agent whose family got trapped in the spooky manor. In this case, it's a very different story with Gabbie and Travis needing help to exorcize their New Orleans mansion so that they can have a place to live. With such a divergent take, many are curious which version is the best.

RELATED: Does Disney's Haunted Mansion Remake Have a Post-Credits Scene?

Haunted Mansion (2003) Has a Better Dark Romance

The 2003 movie had the ghost of Edward Gracey and his staff luring Jim and his wife, Sara, to their mansion. Edward was hoping to woo her, thinking she was his beloved Elizabeth reincarnated. It turns out, Elizabeth was poisoned years before, with someone hating he was white and she was Black. It spoke to racism centuries prior in America, how brave the likes of Elizabeth and Edward were, but also, how people of color were mistreated. Sadly, it would lead to Edward taking his own life.

Edward as a ghost had a lot more nuance than the new Gracey: William. The reboot uses him as a supporting character, losing his wife to yellow fever and then having Jamie Lee Curtis' Madame Leota work séances to communicate with her. They'd bring spirits over, including Jared Leto's Hatbox Ghost , the latter of whom would start trapping spirits and humans in a reincarnation scheme. Thus, the Gracey romance feels a bit light here.

The reboot does add some depth with other characters, namely, Ben ( played by LaKeith Stanfield ) trying to communicate with his wife, Alyssa. But there's no twist -- it's just a straightforward take on grief. In Edward's case, his trauma resonated more, diving into social and political issues of the era and how his butler committed the kill to protect the family estate. It also produces a villain more layered than the Hatbox Ghost, who just looks cool but feels quite generic. In short, the dark romance and villain of old felt much more fleshed out and thought-provoking than the modern spin.

RELATED: Haunted Mansion's Big Cameos, Explained

Haunted Mansion (2003) Is a Better Spectacle

It's worth noting both movies honor the ride. But one would think advancements in CGI and technology would push the reboot to a whole new level. While the property evolves, most of the spectacles feel rudimentary. The CGI ghosts aren't that impressive, Hatbox Ghost feels like something seen in a Mortal Kombat game and there aren't many practical effects. Even the masterpiece shots of the house rearranging have been done in Inception . It's more style than substance.

The original Haunted Mansion , however, had a fresh, inventive and original feel to it with its zombie skeletons that nod to Ray Harryhausen. It hinged on simplicity and real-world haunting effects, which had more bite to it. That's not to say it didn't use CGI specters, but it felt a lot more like fans could encounter a home like this with this dust, dungeon and sheer sense of terror. The new Haunted Mansion has suspense, terror and cool ghouls, but the original with its treasure chests, puzzles, cryptic mysteries and haunts are more immersive. Ultimately, the predecessor middles the ground better in terms of a grounded essence and supernatural wow factor.

Haunted Mansion is now in theaters.

Screen Rant

How the haunted mansion reboot director is avoiding eddie murphy movie’s mistakes.

The Haunted Mansion's reboot director Justin Simien opens up about how he is avoiding the mistakes that plagued Eddie Murphy's previous movie.

With 20 years now gone from the prior adaptation, Justin Simien is explaining how The Haunted Mansion reboot is avoiding the Eddie Murphy movie's mistakes. The upcoming film marks the second adaptation of the iconic Disneyland ride, with the story revolving around a single mother and her son hiring a team of paranormal experts to help exorcise the eponymous manor. The Haunted Mansion previously made its way to the screen with Murphy's 2003 film, which was a critical failure, albeit financial success.

As part of their summer round-up preview, Entertainment Weekly caught up with Justin Simien to get some insight for the upcoming Haunted Mansion reboot movie. In discussing his extensive research for the project, the director revealed he and his team looked to the 2003 Eddie Murphy-led movie as a reference point to see what mistakes they needed to avoid. See what Simien explained below:

[We looked at Eddie Murphy’s Haunted Mansion for how we could] go awry. We got down to the point where we were obsessing over the angle you first see the mansion when you walk onto the ride in Disneyland, when we see it through the gates and we see the pillars. That angle has to hit. That's how specific we were. When you first glide through the dining hall and you see the waltzing dancers, that angle had to be right, because that's the one where you gasp on the ride.

Why Eddie Murphy's Haunted Mansion Was So Hated

Upon its release, Murphy's The Haunted Mansion movie found itself the target of much critical derision, with most reviews feeling it lacking any successful humor, despite its lead star, or any scares, despite its setting, and for taking its story far too seriously, resulting in a scattershot and dull mess. The film was also criticized for its attempts to adapt the lore of the ride into a coherent story, which some felt to be too convoluted and uninteresting in nature.

Related: How Disney's New Haunted Mansion Movie Can Finally Get The Park Ride Right

Interestingly, though it does still sit at a 14 percent approval rating from critics and 31 percent from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, appreciation for Murphy's The Haunted Mansion has begun shifting towards a more positive outlook. The film is now frequently compared to the likes of fellow Disney release Hocus Pocus , as well as '80s cult classics Clue and The Monster Squad , being better received by those who grew up with the film and continue to enjoy its blend of horror and comedy.

Regardless of where one sits on that debate, anticipation for the Haunted Mansion reboot movie is largely high for both those who did enjoy Murphy's movie and those who still detest it. The first trailer for the new film has already shown off a number of iconic set pieces from the ride being adapted for the screen, namely the rising ceiling, Jared Leto's Hatbox Ghost and the seeming appearance of murderer spirit Constance Hatchaway.

Key Release Date

Haunted mansion.

haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

  • Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The Haunted Mansion Starring Eddie Murphy Revisited 20 Years Later

The haunted mansion released in theaters on november 26th, 2003.

haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

On this day in 2003, Disney brought one of its iconic theme park attractions to life with “The Haunted Mansion.” It is a fantasy-comedy-horror film that marks its 20th anniversary. Rob Minkoff directed the film. He is known for his work on “Stuart Little” and “The Lion King.” Starring in this ride adaptation was Eddie Murphy . Two decades later, let us go on a nostalgic journey back to the spooky estate.

“The Haunted Mansion” follows the Evers family. Jim Evers, played by Murphy, is a real estate agent, and Marsha Thomason is his wife, Sara. The Evers family is summoned to the mysterious Gracey Manor, a dilapidated mansion with a haunting history. As the family navigates through the spectral twists and turns of the estate, they encounter ghostly inhabitants, unraveling the secrets that bind them to the mansion. The film blends fantasy, comedy, and horror elements, offering audiences a rollercoaster of emotions as the Evers family strives to break the curse that shackles the spirits within.

The movie paid homage to the classic Disney attraction of the same name.

“The Haunted Mansion” was the fourth Disney film based on a theme park attraction at the time. It followed in the footsteps of “Tower of Terror” (1997), “The Country Bears” (2002), and “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003). While the film received mixed reviews from critics, it found a place in the hearts of audiences who appreciated its blend of humor and spooky storytelling. However, fast forward to 2023, and a recent remake of “The Haunted Mansion” has once again entertained audiences. This time, the film stars Rosario Dawson and brings a fresh perspective to the timeless tale of a family entangled in the supernatural. Read our Movie Review .

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of “The Haunted Mansion,” it’s evident that its appeal lies in the fusion of fantasy, comedy, and horror. Whether revisiting the classic or exploring the revamped version, “The Haunted Mansion” continues to beckon audiences into the eerie embrace of Gracey Manor, where laughs and scares await around every corner. Read more  News  on Nerdtropolis and make sure to subscribe to our  Channel .

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Sean Tajipour is the Founder and Editor of Nerdtropolis and the host of the Moviegoers Society and Reel Insights Podcast. He is also a member of the Critics Choice Association. You can follow on Twitter and Instagram @Seantaj.

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  2. Disney's The Haunted Mansion Movie With Eddie Murphy Is Good, Actually

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  3. The Haunted Mansion

    haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

  4. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

    haunted mansion eddie murphy rating

  5. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

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  6. Mr. Movie: The Haunted Mansion (2003) (Movie Review)

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COMMENTS

  1. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

    The Haunted Mansion: Directed by Rob Minkoff. With Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Nathaniel Parker, Marsha Thomason. A realtor and his wife and children are summoned to a mansion, which they soon discover is haunted, and while they attempt to escape, he learns an important lesson about the family he has neglected.

  2. The Haunted Mansion

    The Haunted Mansion Photos Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy, center left) brings the family - wife Sara (Marsha Thomason, center), son Michael (Marc John Jefferies, center right), and daughter Megan (Aree ...

  3. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

    Sara reacts to poison given to her by a ghost and appears to die (Jim and their kids see that). A ghostly ball of spiritual energy then goes into her body and lifts her up into some white light, eventually resurrecting her. Skeletons and dead bodies come to life and try to attack Jim & Megan.

  4. The Haunted Mansion (2003 film)

    The Haunted Mansion is a 2003 American supernatural horror comedy film directed by Rob Minkoff and written by David Berenbaum, based on Walt Disney's theme park attraction of the same name.The film stars Eddie Murphy as a realtor who, along with his family, becomes trapped in a haunted mansion. Terence Stamp, Wallace Shawn, Marsha Thomason, and Jennifer Tilly appear in supporting roles.

  5. The Haunted Mansion Movie Review

    Parents need to know that The Haunted Mansion is a spooky comedy (based on the iconic Disneyland ride) that stars Eddie Murphy as a dad who ends up trapped in an old estate filled with ghosts, demons, and zombies. There are many chase scenes involving peril to young kids, plus creepy crypt scenes and references to death via suicide and poisonings (along with brief images of an adult hanging ...

  6. The Haunted Mansion

    Eddie Murphy really needs to get his act together. In the 80's and 90's he made some pretty funny and thrilling movies, but now he makes worthless POS films. (Daddy Day Care, A Thousand Words, Norbit, Imagine That, Meet Dave, Showtime, I could go on forever).

  7. The Haunted Mansion movie review (2003)

    The surprising thing about "The Haunted Mansion" isn't that it's based on a Disney theme park ride, but that it has ambition. It wants to be more than a movie version of the ride. I expected an inane series of nonstop action sequences, but what I got was a fairly intriguing story and an actual plot that is actually resolved. That doesn't make the movie good enough to recommend, but it makes it ...

  8. Haunted Mansion Movie Review

    Read Common Sense Media's Haunted Mansion review, age rating, and parents guide. Ghostly comedy is a spirited ride with peril, some scares. Read Common Sense Media's Haunted Mansion review, age rating, and parents guide. ... Show your kids the Eddie Murphy one instead! Show more. Joe G. Parent of 12-year-old. July 27, 2023 age 8+ Moderate ...

  9. The Haunted Mansion (2003)

    "The Haunted Mansion" is the latest movie to be based upon an attraction at the Disney theme parks. It stars Eddie Murphy as Jim Evers, a workaholic real estate agent who finds himself and his family trapped in a mansion infested with ghosts. The movie doesn't rank as well as "Pirates of the Caribbean." The story isn't all that it should be.

  10. Screen It! Parental Review: the Haunted Mansion

    Jim Evers (EDDIE MURPHY) is a successful realtor who runs his own company with his wife Sara (MARSHA THOMASON). His drive to provide for the family, however, has put a strain on their relationship since he's often too busy with work to spend time with their kids, 13-year-old Megan (AREE DAVIS) and her 10-year-old brother, Michael (MARC JOHN ...

  11. I Rewatched The Original Haunted Mansion Before The New One, And I Have

    Having Murphy as the star of a Disney horror comedy film is a safe bet. Even now, he's still the best part of The Haunted Mansion.The rest of the cast is great, but there's just something about ...

  12. Haunted Mansion movie review & film summary (2023)

    From the original ride to now-three of film adaptations, Disney's Haunted Mansion is properly cemented into the company's spooky canon. This installment is in line behind 2003's nostalgic Eddie Murphy chapter and 2021's Muppets edition. Justin Simien ("Dear White People," "Bad Hair") directs this return to a Black-led live-action iteration of the story.

  13. The Haunted Mansion

    Robin's Review: D+. Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is a hard driving, go-go-go realtor always looking to make yet another sale. When his wife and business partner, Sara (Marsha Thomason), is summoned to an old, antebellum mansion to discuss its sale by the owner, Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker), Jim smells a big deal.

  14. Haunted Mansion

    Feb 20, 2024. Haunted Mansion In this supernatural horror comedy, Gabbie and her son, Travis, move into a new house that's haunted. Their quest to banish these spirits leads them to assemble an unconventional team including an astrophysicist and paranormal guide, a priest, a history professor, and a psychic medium.

  15. Haunted Mansion

    As the owner of the haunted mansion, Rosario Dawson inherits the Eddie Murphy role but is sorely underused in a regulation Mom part. As Madame Leota, Jamie Lee Curtis earns bonus points for one ...

  16. Haunted Mansion

    TOP CRITIC. Haunted Mansion comes to audiences 20 years after the Eddie Murphy led version. Although curiously debuting in the summer, the film's cast and script bring the necessary topic of ...

  17. 10 Ways The Haunted Mansion Remake Is Already Improving On Eddie Murphy

    Disney's Haunted Mansion remake already looks to be improving on the Eddie Murphy movie from 2003. Based on everything we know about the Haunted Mansion reboot, Justin Simien's spooky tale is based on Disney's creepiest attraction and follows Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), her son Travis (Chase Dillon), a psychic (Tiffany Haddish) and a crew of paranormal pals with the star power of Jamie Lee Curtis ...

  18. 'Haunted Mansion' Review: A Disney Ride to Nowhere Fun

    The first film, " The Haunted Mansion " (2003), starring Eddie Murphy, was widely panned but made millions. In his review, the New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell wrote that it was "only a ...

  19. The Haunted Mansion

    Movie Review. Using Disney's popular Haunted Mansion theme ride as inspiration, Stuart Little director Rob Minkoff has created yet another assembly-line "horror-comedy" about what might happen if ghosts and people could actually interact. To set the stage for the paranormal collision, a vaporous butler places a telephone call to Sara Evers, one half of Evers & Evers Realty ("Because we ...

  20. THE HAUNTED MANSION

    500 South Buena Vista Street. Burbank, CA 91521. Phone: (818) 560-1000. Website: www.disney.com. SUMMARY: THE HAUNTED MANSION, based on a theme park ride and starring Eddie Murphy, is about a family trapped overnight in this creepy place and forced to rescue their mother from the clutches of evil ghosts. The heavy-handed occult worldview, along ...

  21. Is Haunted Mansion's Remake Better Than the 2003 Disney Film?

    Haunted Mansion is another movie adapting the theme park ride and retelling the 2003 movie that starred Eddie Murphy as Jim Ivers, a real estate agent whose family got trapped in the spooky manor. In this case, it's a very different story with Gabbie and Travis needing help to exorcize their New Orleans mansion so that they can have a place to ...

  22. How The Haunted Mansion Reboot Director Is Avoiding Eddie Murphy Movie

    Why Eddie Murphy's Haunted Mansion Was So Hated . Upon its release, Murphy's The Haunted Mansion movie found itself the target of much critical derision, with most reviews feeling it lacking any successful humor, despite its lead star, or any scares, despite its setting, and for taking its story far too seriously, resulting in a scattershot and ...

  23. The Haunted Mansion Starring Eddie Murphy Revisited 20 Years Later

    On this day in 2003, Disney brought one of its iconic theme park attractions to life with "The Haunted Mansion." It is a fantasy-comedy-horror film that marks its 20th anniversary. Rob Minkoff directed the film. He is known for his work on "Stuart Little" and "The Lion King." Starring in this ride adaptation was Eddie Murphy. Two ...