The Haunted Mansion

What’s the Story?

During a family trip with his wife Sara (Marsha Thomason) and two kids, workaholic realtor Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) decides to check into things when a mysterious caller requests that Sara be the agent for a mansion outside of town. After the Evers clan arrives at the mansion a storm rolls into the bayou, forcing the family to stay overnight as guests in the atmospheric household of Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker) and his spooky butler Ramsley (Terence Stamp). Once the doors slam shut, the family must solve the mystery of the spooky mansion before they can leave together again.

Is It Any Good?

Inspired by Disneyland's Haunted Mansion ride, the movie of the same name is about as original as you might expect. Director Rob Minkoff doesn't pull off the surprising treat that was Pirates of the Caribbean. But he does turn a six-minute ride into a 90-minute picture with a plot as thin as spider webs and as predictable as a Scooby-Doo episode.

The movie drags despite the near constant rushing of Jim and his children between clues. While Jim's spiel is a lighthearted patter complemented by his kids' matter-of-fact acceptance of their surroundings, the resulting dialogue feels smarmy. Madame Leota (Jennifer Tilly) and the barbershop quartet add a little life, but you have to wonder at a movie where disembodied heads turn in the movie's most interesting performances. Thomason shows little acting range, while Terence Stamp's effortless performance appears to tap the actor's immense desire to be out of the movie.