Simply, quite underwhelming is <em>'Haunted Mansion'</em>. The original 2003 movie with Eddie Murphy is one I did enjoy just about, though it's been a long time since I watched it and I can only remember Murphy; no plot details or anything, so it's evidently quite a forgettable movie (or my memory isn't great, who's to say?). This 2023 reboot holds similarities, in that sense. On paper, I like the cast so will likely remember them going forward. However, nothing else stands out in my thoughts... and I only finished viewing it moments ago, so that's not a positive sign. It holds a good cast list but it is disappointingly one that is wasted. LaKeith Stanfield stands out most and puts in a solid showing, most notably in an unexpectedly emotive scene; which sadly didn't quite hit due to alternative reasons, nothing to do with Stanfield's fine acting. That scene, actually, also features the best joke, told by a certain Danny DeVito - who is kinda underutilized, really. Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson and Tiffany Haddish are alright in their respective roles, though Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto are very meh in their parts; wouldn't have even known it was Leto to be honest, if not for the opening credits. Still, as you can tell by the names involved, it's a promising bunch with, in the end, unmined potential. The story doesn't hold anything that I could find interesting, the visuals are boring and the scare attempts are easily predictable and of low quality. It is also a film that overruns, this ought to have been a 90 minute production (like the Murphy flick was) in my humble opinion. This should've been good, it unfortunately isn't.

"Gabbie" (Rosario Dawson) and her young son "Travis" (Chase Dillon) arrive at their eponymous new home only to come face to face with a walking suit of armour that forces them to flee! Escape isn't that simple, though, and they enlist the help of priest "Fr. Kent" (Owen Wilson) who in turn finds "Ben" (LaKeith Stanfield) who has developed a camera that can photograph visitors from the spirit world! Stuck in this increasingly perilous house, they all have to work together to get to bottom of the source of the haunting before they all get their comeuppance. There are a couple of fun, over-the-top, contributions from Danny DeVito and an engagingly attitudinal Tiffany Haddish as "Harriet" (the medium) but otherwise this is all just a pretty straightforward rehash of the 2003 version - only I did think this was slightly better without Eddie Murphy. The visual effects are pretty standard, it's bit over-scored and though much credited, I am not sure it mattered at all that Jared Leto was the Top-hat ghoul. It's still enjoyable enough fayre for Christmas telly, but is unremarkable as a piece of not remotely scary cinema that I expect you will forget quite quickly.

**Haunted Mansion (2023) isn’t trying to bring some new franchise launching edge to the Disney ride’s story. Instead, it captures all the goofy pun-filled fun of the ride by allowing its excellent cast to have a blast!** Haunted Mansion (2023) is a fun family adventure that gives each of its comedic talents their own time to shine and bring the laughs. My expectations were very low (especially after seeing the 2003 version). Still, I never should have bet against Owen Wilson’s lovable charm, but his endearing goofy antics were couched in a cast of characters that each had me laughing out loud. I struggle to choose a favorite character because they were all so ridiculously entertaining and delightful. But even amid all the wackiness, LaKeith Stanfield does excellent work delivering some genuinely moving and emotional moments. Many of the poor reviews on Haunted Mansion possibly expected something other than what it was: a fun family adventure full of clever quips, puns, and classic Disney charm. I felt a little nostalgic while enjoying the film and being impressed by its scarier moments. Haunted Mansion isn’t trying to be Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s just here to delight and make you jump a time or two. And I’m here for it!