Day 2-15: The Haunted Mansion Review
October 15th, 2023
Dear Disney,
Last year’s 30 Days of Halloween was a lot of fun, but I believe we exhausted all of the Halloween movies that Disney has put forth in the last 100 years. We could look at all the sitcoms that Disney has produced and watch the Halloween episodes, and we may sometime in the future, but not this year. Lady and I are taking it a little slow regarding one of my favorite time of year. We have decorated for Halloween inside the house, with the Disney Halloween Countdown calendar and pin, but we have not decorated the house outside. We have not watched many Halloween movies or specials this year, but we did watch the 2023 movie, The Haunted Mansion.
The Haunted Mansion(2023), is a supernatural horror comedy set sometime in the relative present. The movie tells the story of six different people and their relationships to each other and to the Mansion itself. Although there is not one main protagonist, the audience follows the viewpoint of Ben Matthias (played by LaKeith Stanfield). Other members of the cast include Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, and Chase Dillion. The movie is very tightly put together, so much so that any further details would spoil it for others and I do not want to do that.
At first I had a difficult time deciding what the movie is about as there are many sub-plots and, arguably, no main protagonists. It truly feels like an ensemble production, unlike the 2003 version which was a story about a workaholic Real estate Agent, who lost touch with his wife and family, and through some misadventures with ghosts, remembered what being a “family man” was all about. The 2023 movie follows 6 individuals through as series of trials and tribulations where each one finds something that they are missing.
I really enjoyed the 2003 version of The Haunted Mansion, but the new one is even better. The casting is wonderful. After watching the movie a few times, in preparation for this article, I can see where it would have been very easy for each of the cast members to upstage each other, but they never do. The relationships they build with each other feel real. Time is given for each actor to have their own, mini, heroes journey.
If you liked the 2003 version, you will also like the 2023 version. Furthermore, if you did NOT like the 2003 version, you probably will like the 2023 version as the story and direction are significantly different.
Until next time.
Sincerely yours,
Jim Dear
