Haunted Mansion

The 2nd was the Best

I was able to secure early access tickets for this one and I was in high anticipation for it. Rest assured, it very much delivered. While I wasn't expecting it to take much for it to top The Haunted Mansion (2003).

The film was better than I expected. Movies such as Barbie (2023), The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and now Haunted Mansion (2023), have displayed a newish category of film. All these have a certain element in common; they would take pieces of their original IP and place it as easter eggs throughout the film. I feel like this trend in films creates a small interactive element with the audience and also creates a type of connection to the viewers.

One of the best parts of this film is the writing. They created some meaningful character connections in a short amount of time which I find to be an impressive feat. There were a few small details that were some emotional editions to the film. A few things I would've done differently. I would've put their PG-13 rating to a little more use. I also would've added a few symbolic details near the end.

A wonderful casting all around, but LaKeith Stanfield stole the show with his acting, displaying great range throughout the film. I love what they did with his character and how they introduced him. Danny Devito was a great addition to the cast creating an outlet for some well done humor. I do wish Jamie Lee Curtis was utilized a little more than she was.

The transitions between comedy and thriller jumped a little too quick for enough suspense to set in, causing it to loose its Haunted edge. The humor, however, was phenomenal throughout the film. I do think some of the jokes, while funny, were done at the expense of the story. Other jokes were just rather bad, maybe a few puns that weren't needed.

Overall, I think they could've leaned more into the Haunted-ness of the movie to make it more of the thriller, but the acting and he writing were wonderful. The characters were extremely well written and so was the comedy. It was quite enjoyable to see all the connections between the ride and the film and how they were utilized as story elements.