When I first heard that Eddie Murphy was going to star in The Haunted Mansion, I was initially disappointed. As a former intern at Disney World and as a Haunted Mansion fan, I wanted a more serious, scary look at the stories that surround this awesome attraction. But then I thought that there's been so many "haunted house" movies recently that have bombed (The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill), a lighter, more comedic approach to The Haunted Mansion may be better.
And I think that is the case here. It's not necessarily the scariest movie out there or the funniest, but there's a good mix of both to make this a good, unique movie for families. Honestly, I can't think of any other movie out there that combines a horror-type genre with the family genre. When I saw this in the theater, packed full of families, people laughed, gasped, and clapped at the end.
The tie-ins to the ride were nice too. From the beginning of the film, I enjoyed the ominous organ music that whisked me back to the ride. The singing busts were awesome, and Jennifer Tilly did a great job as Madame Leota. And I don't really need to mention that the special effects were mighty impressive.
Nevertheless, this movie isn't a perfect one. The story wasn't the most intriguing as I found myself bored at times, and the acting was kind of stiff and rigid (unintentionally by the Evers family).
All in all, though, this is a good family movie that's unlike any other movie out there.
My IMDB Rating: 7/10. My Yahoo! Grade: B (Good)