User reviews

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 .

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!

This 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

Another 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

I found this movie to be alright, but isn't that good. I like the idea of the movie based on a well known attraction and the possible it have in it. The story is pretty weak because it's mostly characters wandering around the mansion and come across things you see at the ride. There's also a mystery that comes later which happen pretty quickly and the reveal isn't that surprising. I didn't find the movie to be that funny because most of the humor is pretty much the same and it gets old quickly. There are some funny moments and lines that got me. The characters themselves aren't that interesting and some of them don't have that much screentime to be interesting. The main character obviously have an arc of him focusing on his work too much, but soon changes later on in the movie. Some of the spirits have potential like Ramsey, Edward Gracey, and Madame Leota which they have depth to them. The acting itself is a hit or miss with some actors does a pretty good job like Terence Stamp & Nathaniel Parker. While some of them feels overtop or miscast. As for Eddie Murphy, his humor is a hit or miss with a couple of funny moments, but it feels like he telling the same joke over and over again.

I really like the setting of the mansion itself and wish we see more of it throughout the movie. Also the visual effects also looks decent for the time it was made and it doesn't look bad.

Overall, good potential, but isn't my kind of movie.

Another 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

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.

What 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.

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.

Don'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.

If you like the Tim Burton's spooky kind of fun movies, this wont disappoint you.

Oh, 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.

My 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!

Walt 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.

This 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.

The 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

"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.

The Haunted Mansion is based on a ride at Disneyland, and is one of three movies the other two being the Country Bears and Pirates of the Caribbean based on a Disneyland ride. As for the movie, it is very flawed, but you know what, it isn't that bad. It's not as good as Pirates of the Caribbean but it's better than Country Bears.

The film does look amazing, with splendid sets and costumes and the special effects were actually above average my favourite being the singing statues. The music is great, and the performances in general are very good. Eddie Murphy has been better, but he gave a good account of himself and the children were appealing. The best of the lot has to be Jennifer Tilly as the crystal ball, but she should have got more screen time than she did. The film does have a fairly creepy atmosphere to it, especially that truly scary scene in the tomb.

However, The Haunted Mansion isn't without its flaws. The script is very cliché-ridden and doesn't give the actors very much to work with. The plot does have its dull and predictable spots, and never really recovers, and is further disadvantaged by a rather anti-climatic and obvious ending. The only real disappointing performance came from Terence Stamp as Ramsley, he is a fine actor, but he is given little to do.

All in all, it is very flawed, but it is watchable. 6/10 Bethany Cox

First 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.

`When the crypt doors creak and the tombstones quake Spooks come out for a swinging wake Happy Haunts materialize and begin to vocalize- Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize'

Who would have thought that at this point the Walt Disney Company would be at a big crossroad with their adaptations of classic theme park attractions? When the family oriented studio announced the trio of ride based features, many were quick to call Disney executives crazy and desperate for story ideas. Most of the movie-going public would have agreed with them after the embarrassment that was The Country Bears in July 2002. Almost one year after that box office flop, Disney bounced back big with the surprise hit of the summer, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, which steamed rolled its way to $300 million domestically and possibly two sequels. With both a hit and a miss in their hands, Disney's third and final theme park adaptation, The Haunted Mansion, could swing either way but the company executives would have it be a hit for sure. The presence of star lead Eddie Murphy should assure this. Granted Murphy has had plenty of recent adult oriented flops such as Showtime and I Spy but his reputation as a family film star has been remarkable including his most recent hit, Daddy Daycare. Can he continue the streak with The Haunted Mansion? If the marketing campaign for the film has anything to say about it, the answer should be a big yes.

The story focuses on a man who enters a haunted house with his family and must do whatever he can to save them from its ghostly in habitants. Jim Evers is a successful real-estate agent along with his partner wife, Sarah, but doesn't seem to find the time to spend quality time with his family. He's missed soccer games, anniversaries and barbeques for his work. Seeing his problem, Jim decides to take the entire family out to the lake for the weekend to make up for his mistakes. At the last minute, Sarah receives a call for her to stop by the Gracey Manor to help sell the decrepit estate. She at first declines but Jim urges her to take up the offer for the sake of the business and the family. Unfortunately they get more then they bargained for as creepy incidents occur around every corner and the entire mansion itself seems to be hiding a disturbing secret. Jim Evers must discover the mystery in the Haunted Mansion before it's too late for his family and himself. The story for The Haunted Mansion, though well intentioned, seems lacking and predictable. The opening sequence of the feature ruined any suspense for many later events and could have been done in a different way that didn't give away much of the story before the audience even had a chance to settle down in their seats.

The cast of The Haunted Mansion is a relative bunch of no names but they try to their best, which works effectively for the most part. Eddie Murphy leads the group with a moderate performance as Jim Evers. The problem lies in the fact that Murphy is not all that funny in the feature and really isn't given anything to do that gets a laugh. Nathaniel Parker, who portrays Master Gracey, gives a wonderfully Victorian style performance that's both creepy and effective. He starts off a sinister character but by the end, you realize his true intentions are as evil as they may seem. Terence Stamp achieves an amazingly creepy performance as the butler, Ramsley. Though the character seems to be a supporting role at first, as the feature rolls on he becomes more central to the storyline and therefore much more effective. Jennifer Tilly is a delightful highlight as Madame Leota (aka the floating head in the crystal ball) and stays true to character within the attraction for most of her time on screen. The only disappointment in the casting area involves Terence Stamp and Dina Waters who play the servants of the mansion. Stamp, who is most famous for his role in The Princess Bride, could have been used in a more humorous way then he was here but the filmmakers fail to do so. The two were barely used at all which results in a disappointing aspect of the feature, which could have been avoided if they were used more prominently.

Overall, Foolish mortals should heed this warning! If you are looking for another Pirates of the Caribbean, wait for the film's sequel rather then searching for it in The Haunted Mansion. Not to say that the film is not entertaining, it has its moments, but The Haunted Mansion doesn't even come close to the spectacular filmmaking that was presented in the summer swashbuckler. The problem lies mostly in the plot that is often flat and predictable ruining many of the film's twists before they are even set up. So what is the offender of this horrible filmmaking crime? The actions of the opening credits. If you have to see this film but don't want the film's secrets given away early then keep your eyes closed for the first three to five minutes. If anything reasonably favorable can be said of this film, it has to be the solid special effects and the creepy atmosphere the filmmakers are able to maintain despite a weak story. Disney fanatics will love the many tips of the hat towards the inspiration of the film including the hitch-hiking ghosts on the side of the road. There is no doubt that this film will be a family-friendly hit over the Thanksgiving weekend but for those looking solid filmmaking should save their money for the likes of Elf.

My Rating: *** ½ out of 5 (Grade: B-)

If you need an example of the evils of corporate and media convergence, this uninspiring film is it. Old Walt Disney had fun making his movies and one suspects he actually wanted to entertain kids. Here we see flinty eyed accountants and oh-so-serious market researchers uncontaminated by artistry using film as a corporate tool,in the process producing a movie that while technically excellent has neither soul nor spirit. It had a balance sheet, not a shooting script; a corporate goal, not a plot. A)Let's use black actors as a cynical device to attract new black markets for the same old stuff whites have bought for years B)Let's create an effective cross promotion for the Haunted House attraction at Disneyworld. The result is a movie that is both sterile and stupid. Walt would not have smiled.