The latest addition to this smoking obsession of the little mouse with big ears is therefore this Haunted Mansion, the second film inspired by the famous Disney park attraction (yes, you probably forgot, and that's normal, the first adaptation with Eddie Murphy…). The pitch is simple: Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), a single mother, enlists a team of paranormal specialists to chase away ghosts from her new real estate acquisition.
A movie for the family
The history of cinema is punctuated by aborted projects. We can always dream of the film that Guillermo del Toro would have made of this haunted Manor. The Mexican director was once approached for the film (with Ryan Goslin at the head of the cast), but it was finally Justin Simien who went for it, not without having thrown away del Toro's script, which was deemed too dark.
In view of the final result, we want to believe it! The 2023 version of The Haunted Manor is a family-friendly film that seems to constantly respect the strict specifications of the Disney house and that goes through all the imponderables of the attraction.
The beautiful Ghost
The fact remains that it comes out of it with flying colors, since it's ultimately a pretty good teenage entertainment that parents can watch from afar, accompanying their offspring (if they still go to the movies with it ). It's not really scary, not really bursting with laughter and probably won't turn cinema history upside down. But, it remains pleasant to watch as long as we have kept its child's soul. Basically, we come out of the film like the attraction that gave it its name, thinking that it's nice, but more for the little ones. While wondering inwardly if the little ones won't be a little too fussy?
In any case, the actors seem to be having fun scaring each other like kids and it's quite contagious! The special effects are on the whole successful, without being exceptional. But, that's not the point of the movie.
In the end, the director's good idea was to get Dani de Vitto, Jamie Lee Curtis and Winona Ryder to play his supporting roles, which gives his film a very pleasant little meta side that we don't hadn't anticipated. That's probably the only thing, by the way… Cinema release this Wednesday, July 26.
