Hello! The world’s most inconsistent
blogger is back. And when I say inconsistent...oh boy. The last time I did this was 2021. Yikes!
Another author recently asked if I was going to update my
blog and that got me thinking it was high time I did. So, here I am.
We’ll see how long I keep this going. I’ve been busy
turning out book after book (none of them under my own name), but I think I can
find time to throw out some reviews.
And with it being Spooky Season, what better way to start than 2003’s Haunted Mansion? Also, I watched it this very morning. So, let’s dive right in…
This isn’t a bad movie. But it isn’t a great movie. I
remember seeing it upon its initial home video release. I’d forgotten so much, though,
except for the mausoleum scene (more on that in a minute).
While the film didn’t have a stellar reputation when it
hit theaters, its assessment has improved upon undergoing a sort of re-evaluation
among fans. And rightfully so.
This is hardly the bomb it was made out to be back in the
early 2000s.
Eddie Murphy is typical Eddie Murphy, and it largely
works—though it is evident this is in that career lull between peek Eddie and
comeback Eddie. The rest of the cast is pretty good, but all-in-all, the
dialogue is hokey. In fact, that was my biggest complaint when re-watching it.
Also, it is very much a product of its time. While the
CGI was probably pretty amazing back in 2003, it doesn’t hold up well now. But
it isn’t fair to judge the film based on that. It did the best it could with
what it had, but old-school practical effects probably would have been more
effective.
It seems to be that way for me—practical effects can hold
up years after a movie is produced! But the early days of CGI look cheap and
extremely dated now.
In fact, watching this with a modern lens almost gave it
a made-for-Disney Channel vibe. Those effects just look so TV-ish. But I’m sure
at the time they played as very theatrical.
Okay, now onto what I really liked…
I didn’t remember much about this picture except that
aforementioned mausoleum scene. And I’m happy to say it holds up well! That set
piece was still the best part for me. It’s creepy. Not scary, of course, but
atmospheric and fun. I can see how it would give younger viewers a genuine fright.
And the set design is phenomenal! If you enjoy old tombs covered in spiderwebs,
flickering torches, and corpses rising from the grave—and I sure as Halloween
do!—then you’ll find a lot to love here.
Overall, this isn’t a bad little movie. It would be a
terrific Halloween watch for the younger crowd. For adults who love the ride on
which it’s based, it is fun, too. (Though I do wish it felt more like
the ride, if that makes any sense. Sometimes I forgot I was even watching a
movie based upon the attraction because the tie-ins were pretty thin.)
While I prefer the Haunted Mansion film that was
produced twenty years after this one, 2003’s version is still a good time.
Final verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars for
me. A solid but ultimately forgettable watch.