The “Haunted Mansion” movie poster. Photo via Walt Disney Studios.
Disney brings to theaters another remake of the “Haunted Mansion.” The new movie, based on the iconic attraction at both Disneyland and Disney World, hit screens across America on July 28. As Disney fans headed to theaters to watch the spooky spectacle, they awaited an experience that brought a fan favorite attraction to life on the big screen.
In the movie, a mother (Rosario Dawson) and her son (Chase Dillon) purchase a historic home only to find out that they aren’t alone. So, they recruit a group of individuals to aid them in ridding their home of their unwanted guests. They first seek help from a self proclaimed priest (Owen Wilson) to exorcise the ghostly beings. When that fails, they seek out a man (LaKeith Stanfield) who built a device with the ability to capture images of the supernatural. As the movie progresses, the group also enlists a medium (Tiffany Haddish) and a professor (Danny Devito) to assist them on their quest.
As a whole, the movie presents overarching themes surrounding grief, love and sacrifice. Each character has his or her own background, implemented throughout the 2 hour movie, and each character has some sort of development regarding the major themes, as the story progresses. Not only are major themes such as friendship and relationship present, comedic legend Danny Devito always provides comedic relief as he portrays the wise-cracking professor.
The first Haunted Mansion movie Disney released back in 2003, starring Eddie Murphy, had some noticeable similarities to the beloved attraction, but the recent release incorporates many more aspects of what fans see throughout the ride. The recent release not only brings to the screen the ghostly figures present throughout the attraction, but it also does so using the music and scenery. The music present throughout the recent release, is probably one of the greatest similarities to the attraction. Arguably, the soundtrack is what makes the attraction really come to life. From the simple spooky sounds to the narrator, it truly does make one feel like they are riding on a doombuggy at Disney while watching the characters on the screen.
Now, while the remake was great, the question fans have considered frequently in recent years can be asked yet again. Has Disney lost the creativity it once had? At this point, it seems to many that Disney won’t create much of anything new. Remakes are great, but has Disney surpassed the limit?
