“The Haunted Mansion” wants to be a spooky comedy for families, and it mostly fails to be either. Eddie Murphy leads a cast full of ghosts in this Disney adaptation of the classic ride, and the result is a film that never settles on what kind of movie it wants to be.
The setup is simple enough. Jim Evers, a workaholic real estate agent, gets a call from Edward Gracey, the owner of a haunted mansion. Gracey wants to sell the house, and Jim agrees to handle the deal. When a storm strands the Evers family at the mansion, they find themselves trapped inside with Gracey, his butler Ramsley, and a host of other ghosts.
Trailer, via Will C.
Jim Evers and the Family Unit
Eddie Murphy plays Jim Evers as a man who is constantly rushing, always late for family gatherings but trying to make up for it. His wife Sara, played by Marsha Thomason, is the disapproving partner who pushes back against his obsession with work. Their children, Megan and Michael, round out the family unit.
The film spends its early runtime establishing Jim’s problem. He misses his and Sara’s wedding anniversary to chase a lead, and he tries to make amends by planning a vacation to the nearby lake. That plan falls apart when the storm hits, and the family ends up stuck at Gracey Manor for the night.
Gracey Manor and Its Residents
Edward Gracey, played by Nathaniel Parker, is the owner of the mansion. He is a ghost who longs for his lost love, Elizabeth Henshaw, who died after her apparent suicide. His butler Ramsley, played by Terence Stamp, serves as a father figure to Master Gracey, though he is later revealed to be responsible for Elizabeth’s death.
The other ghosts include Madame Leota, the Romani woman whose head is encased in her crystal ball, played by Jennifer Tilly; Ezra, the bumbling footman who worries about getting into trouble, played by Wallace Shawn; and Emma, the nervous maid who seems terrified of Ramsley, played by Dina Spybey. The Dapper Dans provide the voices of the Singing Busts, while Deep Roy, Jeremy Howard and Clay Martinez play the Hitchhiking Ghosts.
The Plot Stalls
The film drags in its middle stretch. Jim gets trapped in a secret passage in the library, and Gracey gives Sara a tour of the mansion while discussing his past and the death of his “grandfather.” The children follow a spectral orb to the attic and find a painting of a woman who resembles Sara, who is identified as the late Elizabeth Henshaw.
Madame Leota reveals that the mansion’s inhabitants are ghosts cursed a century ago by Elizabeth and Gracey’s untimely deaths. They can only enter the afterlife when the couple is reunited, and Sara is believed to be Elizabeth’s reincarnation. Leota sends the Evers to the mansion’s cemetery to find a key that will reveal the truth about Elizabeth’s death.
The plot is thin, and the pacing suffers because of it. The film spends too much time on setup and not enough on payoff.
The Humor Misses
The comedy is aimed at families, but it rarely lands. Eddie Murphy’s brand of physical humor is present, but it feels forced rather than funny. The ghosts are supposed to be eerie and amusing, but the film leans on jokes that are more annoying than clever.
The tone shifts frequently, and the film never commits to being truly scary. Instead, it settles for being mildly spooky with a few jump scares thrown in. That approach leaves the audience feeling neither scared nor amused.
The Cult Following
Despite its poor reception, the film has developed a cult following over the years. That is not a compliment to its quality, but it is worth noting. Another film adaptation, directed by Justin Simien, was released in 2023, which suggests the property continues to hold some appeal.
The film’s production details are worth noting. It was released in the United States on November 26, 2003, by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. Its budget was $90 million, and it grossed $182.3 million worldwide.
| Release Date | Distribution | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| November 26, 2003 | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution | $90 million |
The film’s reception was mixed. It received negative reviews from critics but performed well at the box office. That combination is not unusual for a Disney family film, but it speaks to the film’s failure to satisfy anyone.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The film has a few strong elements, even if they are scattered. The voice of the Ghost Host, Corey Burton, was cast as a tribute to Paul Frees, the original portrayer of the role in the source material. That attention to detail is a small win.
The performances from the supporting cast are solid. Terence Stamp as Ramsley brings a menacing presence to the role, and Jennifer Tilly as Madame Leota delivers a memorable turn. The young actors playing Megan and Michael also hold their own in their limited screen time.
The film’s biggest strengths are its visuals and its premise. The mansion itself is a striking set piece, and the scenes of the ghosts moving through the halls are genuinely atmospheric. The idea of a family trapped in a haunted house is a good one, but the execution drags it down.
Ranking the Elements
Here is how the film’s major elements stack up:
- The premise — promising but poorly executed.
- The visuals — atmospheric and effective.
- The performances — solid across the board.
- The humor — largely misses the mark.
- The pacing — slow and unfocused.
The film’s problems are structural. It never finds a rhythm, and the plot stalls at key moments. The comedy is aimed at families but fails to land, and the horror elements are half-hearted.
The film’s legacy is curious. It is remembered as a failure, but it has found a following anyway. That is a strange fate for a movie that never figured out what it wanted to be.
The film’s final score is 3.4 out of 10. That is a low mark, but it is accurate. The film is not terrible, but it is not good either. It is a middling attempt at a family comedy-horror hybrid that fails to deliver on either front.
The Haunted Mansion (2003) is a film that is best forgotten. It is a missed opportunity, a movie that had a great idea and wasted it. The mansion is a great set piece, and the ghosts are fun to look at, but the film around them is a mess. It is a film that deserves to be left behind, not celebrated.
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