I can see how this didn't do as well as expected at the box office, but it's worth watching. The costumes and set designs are great!
So go watch it!
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reddiemurf813 April 2020
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The movie talks about a house seller (Eddie Murphy) , his wife (Marsha Thomason) and children , they are going to a haunted mansion inhabited by weird people : an owner (Nahaniel Parker) , butler (Terence Stamp) , servant (Wallace Shawn) and psychic (Jennifer Tilly) . They'll take on several dangers , eerie ghosts , scary skeleton and fantastic supernatural forces .
The picture mingles frightening happenings , frenetic action , mystery , tongue-in-cheek and there is horror but with humor , including a lot of references to the Disney theme park ride . From the start to finish fear and giggles are interminable . The film pays tribute to the picture ¨The haunting¨ but with laughs and fun . Much of the movie's plot is inspired by Phantom Manor, the version of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Resort Paris . Vivid as well as thrilling musical score by Mark Mancina . Colorful and brilliant cinematography by Remi Adefarasin . FX , especial effects , by means of computer generator , are of first class , similar to extraordinary make-up by Rick Baker , a number one in this category , as he won various ¨Oscars¨. The make-up designed by Rick for Ramsley -Terence Stamp- was to make him resemble Boris Karloff .
Many designs of the building designs were recycled from both of the Walt Disney attractions , the exterior was based off the original structure at Disneyland and the inside was a mix of both. The production picture was made with a main aim to advertising campaign as theme park attraction . The motion picture was regularly directed by Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little 1 and 2 , The forbidden game , The Lion King) . The film obtained enough success in the Box-office . The motion picture will appeal to horror comedy enthusiasts and Eddie Murphy fans . Rating : 5,5/10 . Average . -
TOMNEL17 April 2007This was a very poorly reviewed film, and it didn't deserve such flack. For me, it was a dumb, entertaining movie with some heart. For others, it was a terrible job of emulating the classic Disney ride and just another stupid Eddie Murphy comedy vehicle. Though I'd rather go on the ride as opposed to watching this, it still has it's charm. This movie is about a Realtor (Murphy) and his family traveling to a haunted mansion for a business deal. While in the house they learn some strange things and end up traveling through various rooms found in the ride (the bride, the ballroom, Madame Leota, the graveyard with the singing busts). In the end, this is a fun movie for kids, and amusing for adults, with fun references, and a fun performance by Murphy and the kids.
My rating: ** 1/2 out of ****. 85 mins. PG for mild language, violence -
inspectors7117 January 2006Another nail in the coffin of Eddie Murphy's career, The Haunted Mansion is a slap-dash attempt to cash in on The Pirates of the Caribbean, an infinitely more successful and better film based on a Disneyland ride. There's just nothing here to write about--very little human drama and not enough computer wizardry to keep you from noticing you don't care about the humans.
About the only two things worth mentioning are Jennifer Tilly's fairly funny Madame Leota, a wisecracking Gypsy trapped in a bright green crystal medicine ball and Marsha Thomason, not for any acting ability but simply that she is beautiful and her beauty relieves some of the boredom.
Oh, well. At least it didn't have some character pontificating, "Follow your heart!"--the ubiquitous and hackneyed Disney message -
Spanner-21 December 2003Another film based on a theme park ride, defnitely hit or miss affairs.. this one definitely falls closer to the later.. Eddie Murphy and his family work as real estate agents and they go to this mansion and get sucked into its ghostly history which has something to do with suicide and murder and burried chests.. none of which makes much sense. There are a few amusing gags and the effects are decent but Murphy, as is his usual these days, mostly sleepwalks thru the picture and the story never really gets too interesting. GRADE: D
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christian12313 July 2005The Haunted Mansion is a lame children's film that is short on laughs and a good story. Realtor Jim Evers and his wife and business partner Sara get a call from mansion owner Edward Gracey, who is looking to sell his property. Smelling the biggest deal of their career, Jim, Sara and their two children pay a visit to the mansion, located on a remote bayou. A thunderstorm strands the Evers family in the old mansion with the brooding, eccentric Gracey, his mysterious butler, Ramsley, and a variety of residents both seen and unseen. Will they be able to figure out what's going on and survive the night? The plot is based on a ride so I wouldn't really expect a really good story. However, the story is weaker then expected and its stupid. Kids won't be interested in the story though, they just want a fun film to watch. Kids may have some fun but anyone over the age of twelve probably won't. Its just a bit of a boring ride since there is really nothing exciting about the film. The acting is, at best, average with the best being Jennifer Tilly. She is a bit underrated and she would sometimes have some really funny lines. Eddie Murphy was enjoyable to watch in Daddy Day Care but he is really bad in this film. Terence Stamp plays the butler and does an okay job. Marsha Thomason plays Sarah and she did a terrible job. She was really boring to watch on screen and didn't show a lot of emotion either. Marc John Jefferies and Aree Davis play their two kids and they both actually give tolerable performances. Rob Minkoff seems to have lost his touch after making The Lion King since his last two kid films have been average at best. The best thing about the Haunted Mansion is that it had pretty good special effects. Nothing spectacular, but still not too cheesy looking. The music was horrible, but I guess they were trying to get a scary vibe which didn't work. The film is of course not scary and I don't think it was trying to be scary. If the film was supposed to be scary then it might work on little kids but it's a weak effort. The running time is only 97 minutes which makes the movie a little more tolerable to watch. Its better then The Country Bears but not as good as Pirates of the Caribbean. It's also not as good as Daddy Day Care which was a lot more enjoyable to watch. In the end, Haunted Mansion has little going for it as its hurt by shoddy direction and a weak script, there are few positives to be found here so I recommend you just skip it. Rating 4.3/10
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Eddie Murphy plays a workaholic real estate man. He loves his beautiful wife and two kids--but can't resist working. He gets a call to see an old, rundown mansion (the title one). He arrives with his wife and kids. They meet the mysterious butler (Terence Stamp) and his even stranger master (Nathaniel Parker) but they soon realize they're there for a sinister reason...and their lives may be in danger...
Believe me it's NOT as good as it sounds! This is a supposed "family movie" from Disney. It OPENS with two suicides and includes sequences with the kids in danger and being attacked by the (pretty gruesome) living dead. This would give most little kids nightmares. That aside this is supposed to be a comedy...but none, and I mean NONE, of the lines are funny. The plot gets increasingly stupid as it unfolds and (for no reason) the main villain tells Murphy his whole part--giving Murphy plenty of ammunition to use against him. That's just lazy writing. The ending is extremely stupid and pointless--it's as if the scriptwriters just threw up their hands and gave up.
Murphy is pretty good but even he can't overcome the stupid script. Marsha Thomason (as his wife) is good and so are the kids--acting like real kids would (for once). But Stamp walks through his role (not really his fault--he has nothing to work with) and Parker is very good--TOO good for this movie. Jennifer Tilly has a FEW somewhat cute lines too.
This film is chockful of (admittedly) fantastic special effects--but there's no story and it's filled with painfully unfunny one liners. This was obviously made for two reasons: 1) Eddie Murphy desperately needs a hit and 2) "Pirates of the Caribbean" was such a huge hit. I didn't like "Pirates" either but it's not as bad as THIS! This movie bombed badly at the box office. That's good--it hopefully means no more Disney theme park rides will be made into movies.
I give this a 5--and that's just for the special effects. But I can't recommend this at all. -
This movie is a family movie and should be reviewed as such. Effects are not bad for its time period. The story is Halloween spooky cheesy and not really scary. We watch it every Halloween and its just fine for what it us. Way better than the 5 stars rated here.
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gavin-thelordofthefu-48-4602973 June 2012Oh, Eddie Murphy. You were a great comedic guy with such great hits like the Beverly Hills Cop movies, Shrek and many more, but you just kept picking some stupid (Showtime), stupid, (The Adventures of Pluto Nash) and *STUPID* movies (I Spy) (Norbit) (Meet Dave). This is one of those movies that I never saw in theaters, but have seen it on Disney Channel a few years ago because there was nothing to watch for me.
While it's not as bad as Battlefield Earth, Batman & Robin, The Garbage Pail Kids Movie, and Kazaam (those were terrible movies, but I digress), this adaptation of a ride from Disneyworld is not that good either. The story's predictable with it's painfully obvious anti-climatic ending and the dialog didn't surprise me at all. Even the humor wasn't that funny at all and some of the lines in the script are repetitive.
There are some good things that saved this movie. The cinematography's very nice and the visuals are impressive with some great music that gives the movie an atmospheric charm to it. The costume designs are cool and the special effects are the best I've ever seen in most movies. The cast isn't that bad either. Eddie Murphy was good, but didn't quite handle the script. Marsha Thomason and the kids were good and so was Wallace Shawn and Nathaniel Parker, but I think that Jennifer Tilly steals the show for having some great lines as Madame Leota. Terence Stamp, however, is quite underused with the material he's been given.
Overall, not as bad as some say it is, but with a much better story and a better script, it would've been so much better. I've heard that there's gonna be a reboot and it sounds like it's going to be written and produced by Guillermo del Toro while Disney is trying to find a new director for the remake. As long as they make it into a horror movie, I will be so satisfied to see it. -
PsychoKlown11 August 2005When this movie came out critics and audiences were saying how rubbish it was and it was a waste of time and money, but as i have a keen interest in the paranormal i still wanted to see it anyway and i glad i did! This is a family film but there are elements of adult horror here such as suicides, murder and even zombies! The story is of a typical workaholic dad who neglects his family and decides to take them away to make up for this, but when he receives a call asking him to sell a mansion he can't refuse so off he and his family go.
Once there they meet the creepy butler Ramsley and the owner Mr Gracy who are obviously ghosts, and from then on all the supernatural events follow one-another from zombie reflections to levitating around a psychic in a crystal ball called Madame Leota. And i thought she was the best character in the film, not just because i'm a Jennifer Tilly fan but because she is very funny and has a strong personality for just a head.
The effects are as amazing as the sets with the green glow of Madame Leota, the zombies and more even the people who didn't like this film can't deny that the effects are excellent. As i said the sets are also some of the best i've seen the mansion is absolutely breathtaking.
The only thing that i think is bad with this movie is the child actors, they just look bored going round the mansion with straight faces even though they follow ghostly orbs into unknown places. But apart from this the rest of the film is great fun for kids and for the adults who aren't afraid to turn their brain off for 90mins. WATCH IT!!!! -
moviemanMA10 July 2005Walt Disney World and Walt Disney Land have featured a ride called the Haunted Mansion for years. I have been to the one in Disney World and it is one of my favorites. The ride features ghosts, ghouls, and haunts that are amusing and fun. This movie, however is far from the ride.
Although it centers around the Gracey Mansion which is the same as the ride it is based upon, the movie The Haunted Mansion isn't that good. The only thing worth watching are the comparisons to the actual ride. Much like Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, they makers of the film put in features from the ride like Madame Leota's head in a glass ball and the singing statues. These were all cute and a nice touch, but the plot of the movie is incredibly boring. It centers around Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) and his family trying to make a deal on the house for his job. The kids are tricked into going and it seems like Jim is losing his family. When weird things start to happen around the house, it seems that Jim must save his family from certain disaster when some of the ghost mistake his wife for another woman who already passed on.
The story itself is cute, but lacks luster. Some decent effects don't hurt the film, but the movie just isn't entertaining. Fans of the ride will be left disappointed and wanting much more. Disney should think twice before making a movie about another attraction in their parks. -
okie-2284312 July 2020Don't go in expecting a true horror movie and you'll love it. This movie actually succeeds at capturing the mood of the titular ride. The jokes are subtle but funny, the mansion itself is amazing and Murphy & Stamp deliver memorable performances. It's stunning how much they squeeze into the run-time and the pace is fast & fun. This is a good time popcorn movie so don't look for anything deep or scary. Simply putting it, if you like the ride, you'll find something to enjoy in this movie.
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lukem-5276014 March 2020Eddie Murphy is great fun as usual & has always been a favourite of mine as i grew up watching his Classic 80's & 90's films. Since the 2000's, Comedy legend Eddie Murphy has become a more goofy but fun family friendly movie star as he's moved onto big budget family films like "Daddy Day Care" & "I Spy" & "Meet Dave" & "Dr. Doolittle 2" & the "Shrek" films, so Murphy has become a new Comedy star for a new generation of kids which is nice & has kept his Career very much alive & relevant. I've enjoyed pretty much most of his films & Murphy always cheers me up. My favourite Eddie Murphy movie would have to be his 90's Comedy CLASSIC "The Nutty professor" & i loved it's goofy-silly sequel & I've got big Nostalgia love for the first "Dr. Doolittle" film, but hey i like most of his films. This big budget supernatural fantasy family comedy-adventure is another great film to add to your Eddie Murphy collection. "The Haunted Mansion" is a beautiful looking film with some of the best & detailed products design I've ever seen in a movie, especially in a family comedy!!! The huge Haunted Mansion set is absolutely beautiful & visually stunning with gorgeous cinematography. The special effects are fantastic as this is a huge mega budget Disney production, so everything looks spectacular & the best of the best, like the Zombie scene that is done like a proper Horror movie sequence with fantastic looking Zombies created by legendary movie effects master, Rick Baker.
The simple story is about a busy realter (Eddie Murphy) & his family are summoned to a massive old mansion & discover it's haunted & must try to solve the mystery of the mansion. Also it's about Jim Evers (Murphy) realising he's been neglecting his family & wants to be there more & take them on an adventure but of course they end up at the "Haunted Mansion" it's a nice sweet funny family film but also a really great supernatural adventure with Horror elements. There's still a heart & that sweet Disney magic toward the end but it all plays out nicely. If you like Horror movies then this is a really nice watered-down version, thats still rich with stunning gothic scenery & a real spooky atmosphere complete with a rain storm & lightening. The Ghost effects are Awesome & very glowing & colourful.
A great fun ghostly fantasy comedy with a great Eddie Murphy. One of Murphy's best "Family" films. -
Rectangular_businessman30 June 2012This movie is horrible.
It is one of the worst family films ever made, being shallow, dumb, annoying and soulless.
It was quite clear from the beginning that here the producers wanted to achieve the same success from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise (Since those movies and this one are inspired Films based on theme-park attractions) but at least, "Pirates of the Caribbean" have a nice visual style and some entertainment value.
This has nothing of that, being an obnoxious and dull. The plot is almost non-existent, being just an excuse to show lots and lots of special effects and add some bad comedy sequences. The characters are the most uninteresting ones that I have seen in a film of this kind: They had zero personality, and were annoying at best. The jokes from this movie are stupid and unfunny.
This movie is a complete waste of time, without any redeeming value. "The Haunted Mansion" had zero artistic or entertainment value, being one of the worst films for the whole family ever made, and the worst Eddie Murphy movie (And that's saying something) -
yessdanc24 January 2005My six year old son loved it as a rental, in the comfort (and safety) of our home. We ended up purchasing a copy and he must have selected it at least 3 times a week for a month. I thought it was a bit frightening for a boy his age, but i guess he enjoys being frightened. Reminds me of when i was his age and my Dad let me stay up to watch FRANKENSTEIN, or some other old classic that was considered scary in those days (I'm now 49). I thought it was well done,even w/ Murphy as a bit over the top realtor. It was the ROLE that was over the top, and I think Murphy was excitable in his usually funny way. I'm continually surprised at what DOESN'T frighten kids nowadays. A fun ride!
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hitchcockthelegend9 March 2012The Haunted Mansion is directed by Rob Minkoff and written by David Berenbaum. It stars Eddie Murphy, Terence Stamp, Marsha Thomason, Nathaniel Parker and Jennifer Tilly. Music is by Mark Mancina and cinematography by Remi Adefarasin. Based on the Disney Park attraction of the same name, film finds Murphy as real estate agent Jim Evers, a man who is so driven by his work he neglects to notice he is neglecting his family. Setting off for a weekend family trip, it is no surprise that when a call comes through to go see about another property to be sold, Evers whisks all the family out to the bayou mansion with him. What is a surprise is that this mansion is haunted and a curse threatens to engulf the Evers family when they are forced by bad weather to spend the night there.
Well it has lovely colour photography, a production set of some excellence by John Myhre, great costumes from Mona May, nifty effects by Jay Redd and Rick Baker once again delivers quality make up work. But these high points are part of a very bad movie. Script is lazy, almost as lazy as Murphy's performance in actual fact, front line cast members are playing second fiddle to the outright homage of the park ride itself. As film progresses the plot becomes a Whirling Dervish of style over substance, where it is neither funny or scary. The very young will be transfixed by the noise, motions and images, those from teenager upwards will surely know they have been conned by the mighty house of the mouse. 3/10 -
jana-5524 October 2005I can't believe Disney would even put their name on this one. It's NOT for children, as there are suicides towards the beginning, and at the end of the movie, when they send the Master to hell, they use very foul language and it scared my kid to death with the fire and sound effects. This movie is an embarrassment for Disney. Disney is known for their outstanding effects, and story lines. They are known for entertaining the whole family. The originality and quality are what Walt Disney invisioned for his company. And this movie probably has Walt turning over in his grave. Whoever gave the "go" on the filming of this story plot, much less the release of the movie itself, outta be fired.
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skcollob22 April 2005What can I say about a film based on a Disneyland theme park ride?. Well not a lot actually. Eddie Murphy stars as an estate agent who along with his wife(who also happens to be in the profession) goes to a mansion to talk to the owner. They think it is to discuss a sale however the owner and his butler(Terence Stamp) have other more sinister reasons for their visit.
This film is OK for kids , but for anyone else it is sometimes boring and not at all scary, although some scenes may scare very young viewers.Eddie Murphy is good but he has given the same performance before in better films such as Dr Dolittle and Daddy Day Care. By no means is this film bad , it is just that there are better films out there that could be classed as family viewing. -
jorgevigara18 October 2020If you like the Tim Burton's spooky kind of fun movies, this wont disappoint you.
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tbfalsename30 September 2006This film is not a cinematic masterpiece, but then that's something it was never trying to be. It's fairly bland fairly, light hearted, fairly routine and fairly amusing. It won't make you think, but it's not meant to. It's aimed at kids and it's something you can watch with them without having to worry that you'll have to explain anything. it's not Murphy's best work but it's not his worst either. I've seen better films and I've seen worse, often when someone took a good premise/plot and presented it poorly.
In short this is an average film which you can use to switch off waste 1.5 hours of your life with. Just don't expect to come away from it feeling enlightened or taxed mentally, and you shouldn't be too disappointed. It's a kiddie movie and it shows. -
EmperorNortonII16 January 2005"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. But the movie does have its good points. The art direction is beautiful, and there are plenty of visual gems. The ghosts seen in the graveyard are probably the best part of the movie. Terence Stamp puts in a suitably creepy performance as Ramsley, the butler, and Jennifer Tilly is kooky as Madame Leota. "The Haunted Mansion" is no "Pirates of the Caribbean," but it is still worth a look.
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wg-1126 November 2005OK, if you're looking for a classic eddie murphy movie - this ain't it! but that doesn't stop it from being reasonably enjoyable. its not for the person looking for a deeply engaging experience. but if you're looking for a reasonably entertaining, family-friendly movie, this is a safe bet.
has a kind of a nickelodeon kind of feel, but its well shot, nice effects (not too over the top), and has great art direction.
if you are looking for something scary, or thought provoking - move on. if you want an innocuous, diversion... id recommend it!
a solid 5 out of 10 -
belva030810 October 2006First of all, I am a Disney kid that grew up going to Disneyland in CA every year. Since I am a fan of the ride, "The Haunted Mansion", I guess I expected this film to be good. When I heard the mediocre reviews, I backed off from watching it until I just bought it on DVD this past weekend. I was very surprised to find it a lot better than I expected. My kids loved it and have watched it about 3 times.
The sets were beautiful and intricate, the costumes and make-up are gorgeous and the special effects are amazing. Rick Baker "Monster Maker" is so talented and has done an impressive (as always) job creating a vision from the Haunted Mansion ride that he also admired.
If you are a fan of the ride, I would imagine that you would enjoy this movie as much as me. -
parkerviale16 October 2021When I think of Halloween movies, this is the first one that comes to mind. I am a big fan of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, and I feel that this movie is very accurate compared to the ride. Considering that this film is from 2003, it stands up to some of today's films. The VFX were pretty well done as well as the cinematography. I do love the house itself. I also think the graveyard looks very neat too. The film does however contains some cheesy scenes. Overall, it's a fun movie to watch around Halloween. Don't be expecting a scary movie or lots of comedy.
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"The Haunted Mansion", I REALLY WISH THEY WOULD GET OFF THE DISNEY RIDE MOVIES! "Pirates of the Carrobean" was a great movie, they can't keep going. They couldn't expect this movie, if that's what you call it, to get the same reaction. Eddie Murphy has lost his touch beyond all measures. The whole story is very lame. I couldn't describe how much I wanted to turn this movie off. But everyone always says "You never know, it could get better". Why? I wasted a hour and a half of my time on this junk! Don't even show the movie to your kids, they won't like it. It's so bad and cheesy, don't even bother yourself to watch it.
1/10