... Whilst The Sun may have it’s knockers (sorry), it does carry a reasonable movie review from time to time so if I can’t compete with that particular literary standard, then I apologise in advance.
Anyway, there has been a trend over recent years for Disney to incorporate one of its theme ... Read review
Lush production design and sparkling special effects makeThe Haunted Mansionpretty to look ... more
at. Terence Stamp, as a malevolent ghost ofa butler, provides a suitable air of menace as he dematerialises to and fro. Marsha Thomason is lovely as a real estat...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Lush production design and sparkling special effects makeThe Haunted Mansionpretty to look ... more
at. Terence Stamp, as a malevolent ghost of a butler, provides a suitable air of menace as he dematerialises to and fro. Marsha Thomason is lovely as a real esta...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
When real estate agent Jim Evers and his family find themselves stranded in a 150 year old ... more
creepy and crumbling New Orleans mansion they come face to face with the manor's residents; 999 grim and grinning ghosts! Now the Evers family must weather fa...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Get ready for a thrilling afterlife when Walt Disney Pictures presents a funfilled, ... more
fright-packed comedy adventure that's loaded with eye-popping special effects and hair-raising laughs. Real estate agent Jim Evers and his family come face-to-face with...
From the studio that brought you the Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy comes the ... more
fright-filled comedy adventure with eye-popping special effects presented for the first time through the magic of Blu-ray Disc technology!Eddie Murphy stars as a real estate agent whose family comes face-to-face with 999 grim, grinning ghosts in the creepy old Gracey Manor! Experience each supernatural effect in 1080p High Definition, and hear each ghost wail in frightfully clear audio. The unparalleled realism of Blu-ray Disc technology delivers you directly into The Haunted Mansion... if you dare to venture inside.
Read all about the ghastly ghosts that inhabit the spookiest Disney theme park attraction ... more
of all - The Haunted Mansion! Then build the mansion with the nuts, bolts and wrench included. Punch out the ghostly characters, pop up the terrifying tombstones, and create your own spook-tacular adventures!
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: Christopher Ettridge, Victor McGuire, Emma Amos, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Elizabeth Carling
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Advantages: Good idea Disadvantages: Poor execution
...maybe I should have. Whilst The Sun may have it’s knockers (sorry), it does carry a reasonable movie review from time to time so if I can’t compete with that particular literary standard, then I apologise in advance.
Anyway, there has been a trend over recent years for Disney to incorporate one of its theme park-rides into a movie format. Recently, Pirates of the Caribbean drew attention to the Fast Pass inducing pirate ride in Orlando ... ...most recent outing calls upon the vagaries of the Haunted Mansion spectacular which, having been on it twice, is hardly hair curling but nevertheless reasonably entertaining and good, solid family fodder.
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Director: Rob Minkoff
Run Time: 87 mins
Cert: PG
Curlers prominent, hair net in place, my mother always told me to listen to Johnny Vaughan. Well, actually, she didn’t but after reading his critical review of Eddie Murphy’s latest effort then maybe I should have. Whilst The Sun may have it’s knockers (sorry), it does carry a reasonable movie review from time to time so if I can’t compete with that particular literary standard, then I apologise in advance.
Anyway, there has been a trend over recent years for Disney to incorporate one of its theme park-rides into a movie format. Recently, Pirates of the Caribbean drew attention to the Fast Pass inducing pirate ride in Orlando (and other Disney theme parks, no doubt) and The Tower of Terror (1997, TV movie) did a similar, if smaller scale job. This most recent outing calls upon the vagaries of the Haunted Mansion spectacular which, having been on it twice, is hardly hair curling but nevertheless reasonably entertaining and good, solid family fodder. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Director: Rob Minkoff Run Time: 87 mins Cert: PG
Main Cast:
Eddie Murphy - Jim Evers Terence Stamp - Ramsley Nathaniel Parker - Master Gracey Marsha Thomason - Sara Evers Jennifer Tilly - Madame Leota Wallace Shawn – Ezra ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eddie Murphy is a self-employed estate agent along with his lovely wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason). Typically, he is living the American dream featured so often in a million other movies i.e. all work and no play making Jim Evers a dull boy. Having let his wife down yet again in favour of another potential pay-day, he agrees to make it up to the family by whisking ‘em off to the Lakes for the weekend. However, a curious phone call to his wife offering her the chance to sell a multi-million pound mansion results in a detour via a spooky, almost Adamms family-like residence in the middle of some isolated swampland (did they nick the setting from that Jeep Cherokee ad?)
Ushered in by the latter day Lurch that is Terence Stamp, a spot of bad weather sees them stuck in the mansion overnight setting up a ghost laden sequence of shenanigans to support the story. The plot is a thin one, well worn before in that Murphy’s wife is a dead ringer for the previous, now deceased lady of the house and the master wants to get it on with her, aided and abetted by his erstwhile butler. Finding himself slung somewhat unceremoniously from the house, Jim must find a key to re-enter and rescue his wife from the mad machinations of the Master Gracey (said in a kind of Igor voice). This ain’t any key, mind you, it’s a very special key that takes Jim and children on a roller coaster ride of ghosts and goblins and singing heads and zombies and..erm…you’re getting the message aren’t you?
Well, what can I say? You’d think that all the ingredients were there for a great family outing but, sadly, it doesn’t quite work out that way.
Rob Minkoff’s work on both Stuart Little films would have set up him just nicely for this special effects laden affair. A mix of the obligatory CGI, blue screen along with plain, old fashioned dummies and people dressed up all feature in a plot that’s been woven around the most obvious facets of the theme park ride itself. With one too many close ups of the grinning Murphy, Minkoff whirls around from room to room, admirably struggling with a story that’s too anchored in the mansion for too long. OK, the effects are enough to encourage the odd whoop from the kids whilst the ephemeral white mist that’s supposed to be a ghost along with the transparent ghosties lifted straight from the ride may get the odd 4-year-old hiding under their seat.
I really can’t make up my mind about Murphy. That bad ass smile of his takes up his whole face and I loved him in Trading Places (1983). A brief sojourn into producing via Harlem Nights (1989) proved a financial disaster for EM. Ever since, a string of mainly comic roles has seen him move up to 5th place in the all time earnings league and at $20million a movie who can blame him from taking any scripts on offer? Possibly, one of the worst ever was The Nutty Professor 2 – The Klumps (2000), which is so incredibly bad it beggars belief. His reputation for bad-mouthing women as part of his stand-up routine tends to put me off and he has starred in some simply dreadful movies. Here, he plays a confident, grinning estate agent so a role, which would have been like falling off a log for him. Unfortunately, he is let down by a lame script that provides few laughs despite Murphy’s best efforts.
Marsha Thomason (Shazza in TV's Playing The Field) looks the part as the gorgeous wife of the workaholic estate agent but she gets little opportunity to expand her role much beyond the vulnerable female victim that so offend offends the feminist movement (she ain’t no Lara Croft). Bland and with hardly anything interesting to say at all, she may want to consider her next script a bit more carefully before disappearing down the chute of cast off, Hollywood rejects.
Terence Stamp is a mighty fine actor (an English man, don’t you know?) so quite what he is doing appearing as a starch-faced Butler as the villain of the piece is quite beyond me. Maybe he thought that this role would be a little light relief but bearing in mind his previous pedigree (see Superman (1978) Superman 2 (1980) and Young Guns (1988) amongst many others) then this will prove to be one to forget.
The rest of the cast, simply make up the numbers in a plot that reminded me of the excellent James Herbert inspired Haunted (1995). As the master, Nathaniel Parker seemed, in the main, lifeless (maybe this was the intention) and almost irrelevant, at times, despite being essential to the story line whilst the servants and the gypsy head in a crystal ball provide what humour there is.
There are a number of sub plots that it may be worth reflecting on. The story provides an opportunity for Ever’s son to confront his fears (mainly spiders) giving dad the chance to pontificate about not showing fear lest this be used against yee. There is a touch of irony, therein, as dad admits to being scared when having crept into a crypt, he fails to creep out again as he’s locked in with what looks like the cast of the Michael Jackson music video – Thriller. Oh, and there does appear to be a veiled racial agenda as the former intended of the master was not allowed to marry him as she was from a different world (i.e. black). Of course, Disney sanitisation is hardly new and almost customary in most of the politically correct obsessed film studio’s movies (I’d give an example but there will be so many….oh, alright then, Pocahontas (1995), Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Lilo and Stitch (2002), need I go on?)
Best bits then without spoiling for you, dear movie-goer?
The inclusion of the singing barbershop quartet’s heads lifted straight from the theme park attraction. We really liked that bit as it reminded us of a holidays in Orlando.
The scene in the crypt with Murphy, children and a load of zombie-types
Murphy’s BMW car that featured several times and looks the sexiest thing on show
The outer-worldly ghost effects in general.
With original music from Mark Mancina and cinematography by Remi Adefarasin, I can’t think of anything else to add. I’m sure the music was suitably suspenseful although I may have nodded off at times. I can’t remember, now.
By now, you’ll realise that I absolutely cannot recommend this movie. Although my kids enjoyed it (both under 12) it left me cold. I suppose you could accuse me of being blinkered as this is billed as a children’s movie but there will be far better offerings that this around so go see them and avoid this. Saying that, it might look better on DVD/Video and possibly worth a rental later on instead. I’ll listen to you next time, Johnny.
Thanks for reading
Marandina
The Haunted Mansion is on general release across the UK.
Official movie web site at: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/hauntedmansion/main.htm
Advantages: Not bad for the kids Disadvantages: Nothing for adults here
...Unfortunately Jim's desire to make the business a success is often detrimental to the family life and he often misses important occasions in the children's life. Knowing that Sara is becoming disillusioned with his behaviour, he arranges for them all to go away for the weekend. Just before they leave, Sara gets a phone call asking them to view a potential property as soon as possible, and not wanting to lose the business, Jim persuades her to stop ... ...mansion belonging to the Gracey family, who have had a tragic past, and have plans for the Evers family. Once in the mansion, will they ever get out again? And what was the tragedy that casts a shadow over the Graceys? Eddie Murphy plays Jim Evers. Anyone hoping for a return to the form of Murphy's eighties blockbusters are going to be sadly disappointed here. Murphy isn't bad, and he certainly doesn't do anything wrong, but he is just not that funny. ...
sunmeilan 09.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Haunted Mansion (DVD)
Advantages: a few comic moments, can keep the kids quite Disadvantages: run of the mill, slow in places
...have lost their touch over the years? They haven’t really been making the masterpieces that you used to long before many of us were born. Digital effects company Pixar, responsible for the “Toy Story” films and the recent “Finding Nemo” have been raking in the commission for Disney but when their contract expires with the award winning animated studio: what then? However last year: Disney was responsible for the Summer’s unsuspected success “Pirates ... ...Based on the Disney World theme park ride off the same name it saw the welcome return of the long forgotten high seas adventure that is fun for all the family. Based on this success: Disney decided to make another live action theme park ride cum film. This new film was based on the famous spooky ride: The Haunted Mansion. Unlike “Pirate’s Of The Caribbean”, “The Haunted Mansion” has a run of the mill core, zero freshness and therefore can’t be considered ...
DarkMark 30.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Haunted Mansion (DVD)
Advantages: very good film if you see it once Disadvantages: your perspection of it drops if you see it more than once
...watched twice now due to the fact that I watched it at the cinemas, and then I bought it on DVD so that the rest of my family can watch! This film is from the studio that brought you Pirates of the Caribbean. Now I thought, at first, that this film was way better then Pirates of the Caribbean, but since watching it twice, it has totally changed my mind on this film. I think what really made this film excitingly enjoyable at the cinemas, for me personally, ... ...that and it was nearly the end of the film! They asked me: "Is this film entitled "School of Rock?" Nowadays I would have been really mean and said yes it was. But back then in 2004 I was not a Goth and I wasn't too mean, so I obviously said "No" and they ran, literally ran out of the cinema, me and my friends were laughing, it was soooooooo hilarious, and since it happened to be at the part when the crystal ball says "I've got nothing to hold on ...
Jonni_boi 24.01.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Haunted Mansion (DVD)
Advantages: Funny and entertaining for the whole family Disadvantages: None
I do love most of the Disney films whether it be animated or not and there are also certain actors that I like as do most people - one of these actors is Eddie Murphy and so it is probably no surprise that I would enjoy Disney's 'The Haunted Mansion'. Released in 2003 the rides at the Disney parks of the same name have elements of the film that are exactly the same.
The film was written by David Berenbaum and directed by Rob Minkoff
The story:
... ...of the family and real estate agent Jim, finds out about an opportunity to view an old mansion which is just slightly off the route they are going. Unable to turn down a chance to view the property which could make him lots of money, he persuades his Wife Sara and two children Michael and Megan, to tag along as a quick viewing. However things don't go to plan when they get stuck in the mansion for the night due to a heavy storm. From the creepy staff ...
frankiecesca 29.09.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Haunted Mansion (DVD)
Advantages: I suppose the kids will love it Disadvantages: Not Eddie Murphy at best form
...ghoulie story. This film has the Disney stamp all over it, so you can be sure it is jam packed with what I call kiddie content. Which can transpire as god damn boring/tedious to the adult audience.
Meet Jim Evers(Eddie Murphy) Who plays a workaholic estate agent with a definate gift for the gab. Although not to be knocked as this has made him very successful, but not very on the homefront. His partner and wife played by(marsha Thompson) has had ... ...and the kids is just the thing needed, well that was the idea anyway. However Jim decides to just quickly view a potentional new clients house/mansion. He feels that this is the one that could really push them into the big time realestate market. However upon reaching the property he soon realises this is no ordinary mansion, I mean who has a graveyard for a back garden?
And as soon as he cops sight of the pasty house butler(Terence Stamp) The penny ...
KRISPY13 09.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Haunted Mansion (DVD)
In this Disney family comedy Eddie Murphy stars as the workaholic father, Jim Evers, sucked into a world of ghosts, ghouls and other spooks when he convinces his family that his professional interest in a potentially lucrative piece of real estate is really a 'family trip to a big old house'.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
WALT DISNEY HOME VIDEO; WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINM
Commentary - 1. Don Hahn - Producer, Featurette - 1. Disney's Virtual DVD Ride: THE HAUNTED MANSION - Exploring the mansion with ghost-g, 2. Anatomy of a Scene: Ghost in the Graveyard, 3. MAKING OF: Behind the scenes of HAUNTED MANSION, Music Video: Raven Superstition, Bloopers, Deleted Scenes
Professional reviews
Review
"...A thoroughly enjoyable experience... what terrific fun it all is! The special-effects are fabulous..." (Film Review, )
"...Eddie Murphy brings his best comic talents to the show, and when it comes to blending chills with laughs there is no one better..." (Sunday Mirror, )
DVD Description
Eddie Murphy stars in this spooky, CGI-packed Disney film, based on the famous Disney World attraction. He plays Jerry, a workaholic estate agent who interrupts his family's vacation to check out a remote mansion that's for sale. But soon he and his family are trapped in the haunted house and are screaming for their lives. Terence Stamp is the ghost butler, and Nathaniel Parker is the ghost owner who falls for Jerry's wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason), believing she is the reincarnation of his lost love and providing for both a refreshingly interracial, and frighteningly inter-dimensional romance. Jennifer Tilly has a great bit as a loudmouthed head in the crystal ball; Wallace Shawn and Dina Walters are the ghost servants. Zombies rise up from their graves to attack the living, but generally the film is harmless kid stuff that is bursting with cheerful colour, noise, bloodless shocks and refreshingly bathroom-free humour. Fans of the ride should be pleased, as it hits nearly every bump, from the barbershop quartet busts, to the ghostly passenger in the coach. Murphy hams it up royally and the rest of the cast is up for the challenge, especially Stamp, whose droll line readings provide a perfect balance of menace and mirth. Makeup maestro Rick Baker provided the non-CGI special effects.
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