Entry #6 - "The Haunted Mansion:" A Spooky, Family Friendly Film with a Deep Lesson
We all have favorite movies that we like to watch every time the Halloween season comes around. Movies such as Casper, Beetlejuice, Hocus Pocus, and The Nightmare Before Christmas have become some of the most popular Halloween family movies. We enjoy watching these movies because they put us into the spirit of the season and can actually provide us with wholesome memories and lessons. Honestly, I have never been a huge fan of scary movies, and I will not go anywhere near a horror film. However, a new, spooky movie recently came out that has quickly jumped to the spot of one of my very favorite films of all time. A movie that was actually based on one of my favorite rides at Disneyland. . . The Haunted Mansion.
Disney's The Haunted Mansion was released on July 28, 2023. As of September 8, 2023 the movie had made $101.3 million worldwide, which was way less than what Disney had originally anticipated (Harrington). According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie scored 84% in audience ratings and only 37% in critic ratings. IMDb gives the movie a 6.1 out of 10 star rating. As we can see, The Haunted Mansion did not do well in the Box Office nor did it get great ratings; however, I stand firm in my belief that it is one of the most incredible movies ever to be made. I am shocked that the movie did not make better numbers, and its star studded cast, talented actors, and great story line are some of the many reasons for my shock.
The stellar cast of The Haunted Mansion includes the well known names of Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Jamie Lee Curtis. LaKeith Stanfield, Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, Jared Leto and Chase Dillon also starred in this spooky film. The acting was incredible, and the actors did a great job at drawing me into the story. The movie begins by introducing us to Ben, who used to be an astrophysicist engineer. Many years ago, he created a camera that could take pictures of ghosts in order to unite his world of science and his wife's world of the supernatural. His wife has since died, and it is clear that he is suffering greatly from grief. His wife used to lead ghost tours, and after her death he took over even though he doesn't believe in ghosts himself. One day, Father Kent arrives at his door and convinces Ben to go to a supposed "haunted" house that is owned by a young woman and her son. They are hopeful that Ben can capture a photo of a ghost. Ben enters the mansion, unaware of how drastically his life will change when he does so. He and a group of misfits quickly discover that there are hundreds of ghosts inside of the mansion, and they learn that these ghosts are actually scared of an evil spirit who lives there. A spirit who needs to collect one more soul before he is in full power. The movie is full of haunting twists, turns, and jump scares. The story is frightening and spooky, but it is still engaging and light hearted enough for children.
One of the best parts about this move was the incredible visuals. When I first heard about the movie, I was a little nervous. Would Disney be able to pull of the look of so many ghosts? The instant that I saw the first ghost, I knew that I had NO reason to worry. The color palette and the CGI were exceptional, and I was not expecting the ghosts to look so cool and terrifying at the same time.
The other thing that I really enjoyed was how the movie tied in so many aspects of the original ride. I have rode the Haunted Mansion ride many, many times, and I loved getting to spot certain ideas and designs that came from the ride. The mansion, inside and out, was designed based off of what the ride looks like, and it was almost scary how identical they look. On top of that, the film makers managed to relate the two in a way that wasn't to pushy; they managed to do it in a way that made sense with the story. Many of the ghosts that are in the movie can actually be seen drifting around the halls of the Haunted Mansion ride, and it was fun to see so many of the characters that I have grown up with come to life.
Besides for a great cast, incredibly well developed story, and phenomenal visuals, this movie had another great aspect that could be even more important. This movie had a lesson that we can learn from. While racing down spooky corridors filled with ghosts and being chased by evil spirits, the movie focused a lot on the idea of grief. Ben is grieving his wife's loss, and it is clear how painful living can be for him every day that she is gone. Then, we are introduced to another character who is also grieving, and in an effort to help the character Ben says, "Tell me your misery. We can be miserable together until there's nothing left." The movie focuses on the idea that it is extremely important for us to find a group of people whom we can trust; a group of people whom we can lean on in times of need. When we are drowning in grief, it can sometimes seem as though we are completely alone. We often think that no one understands how we feel. But the truth is, there is always someone who can understand. It is quite likely that they want to help us, but we push them away because we are scared of being left alone. It's quite ironic, isn't it? The misery that comes with feeling alone urges us to push others away so that we are not left alone again. This is not a healthy way to live. The Haunted Mansion emphasizes on the idea that we are never actually alone, we just have to open our hearts and trust. It is very important that we have others around us to lean on, because we cannot handle grief on our own.
I think that the biggest reason that I love this movie is that it reminds me of my childhood. When I was little, my family and I would go to Disneyland all of the time, and as I have mentioned previously, the Haunted Mansion ride was one of my favorite rides in the park. Watching the movie was like diving back into my childhood and reliving all of those incredible memories that I made with my family. The Haunted Mansion will always have a special place in my heart; it will always be a reminder of the great times that I had with my family at Disneyland.
The Haunted Mansion in an incredible movie, full of amazing actors, stunning visuals, and a very valuable lesson. It is a perfect family movie to watch in preparation for the Halloween season as it is spooky, haunting, and engaging. While there are some jump scares and creepy moments, I don't think that it is to scary for ages 11 and older. After all, I get scared of the cartoon Coraline, and I am 19 years old! Despite my dislike for all things scary, I loved this movie. It is one of my favorites, but that doesn't mean that you have to like it. I merely suggest that you give it a try. Who knows? You might just find that you fall in love with the world of The Haunted Mansion, just like I did.
I wanted to go see this movie in theaters but unfortunately, I just did not have the time. Thank you for giving such a detailed summary of the movie! I hope to go see it soon.
ReplyDeleteI still havant had a chance to watch this movie but if anything like the first one this is going to be a good movie and I heard that the GCI is way better now than it was before
ReplyDeleteI have not watched the movie before but I have been to Disneyland and have rode the haunted mansion ride before. So reading more about the movies ties the ride in way better.
ReplyDeleteUgh! The Haunted Mansion looks sooo good. I wish I saw it in theaters but I didn't have the time. It's crazy that it didn't make better numbers it looks really good.
ReplyDeleteI also agree it is now a favorite Halloween movie for me because of how good I thought it was. I went to see it in theatres because I enjoyed the first Haunted Mansion Disney came out with too. The ride at Disneyland is also my favorite because I love Halloween and it is the only ride all year round that is spooky. I thought the movie was funny but also spooky with a good storyline. Haunted Mansion is a good movie and agree how good the CGI and effects are so good to the ghost's story.
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