The Haunted Mansion is a film based upon the Disney theme park ride. An interesting choice, but then again, Pirates of the Caribbean turned out to be a huge success. The same cannot be said for this film though. While it is nowhere near bad, it feels a bit tame and bland. It follows Jim Evers, a real estate agent, and shows off some of his more dubious tactics. When he gets a chance to sell a mansion, he jumps at it, even if it means spending less time on a holiday with his family. As they go to check out the mansion, they inadvertently are forced to stay and that is where all the fun starts. The mansion is shown to have otherworldly spirits that understandably freaks everyone out. It starts out by splitting the family and cutting between the three different perspectives (Jim, his wife, and their children). Over the course of the film, it slowly unravels the history behind the mansion and why Jim's family were invited to it. The mystery doesn't last long and it is revealed all to quickly. While there are some good scenes, a lot of it feels like it doesn't add to the story. There isn't really a strong journey to the solution, and for a film starring Eddie Murphy, it isn't terribly funny either. All in all, it is a serviceable film, it just lacks that Disney magic feeling.
