Let’s start with the obvious. No one is ever going to mistake Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” movie for “Gone With the Wind.”
That said … I personally thought that this Rob Minkoff movie always looked great. John Myhre designed some just flat-out amazing sets for the film. And Rick Baker’s make-ups for the “Haunted Mansion”‘s numerous ghost and ghouls were great too. And — as for the film’s visual effects — Jay Redd, Lynda Thompson did absolutely killer work.
But sadly, it’s not really enough that a movie just look good. In order for a film to really win over an audience, its script has to be solid. And the lead performer of the piece has to be someone that you’ll really enjoy spending the next 90 minutes with.
And — in these two departments — I’m afraid Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” came up short. David Berenbaum’s script just lacked the wit and the thrills that the original theme park attraction had. (And I’m not just saying that because — once upon a time — I also wrote a screenplay for a “Haunted Mansion” movie.) I’m saying that because Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio — with their excellent “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” script — proved that it’s actually possible to create a movie that’s based on a theme park attraction that’s just as entertaining — or more so — than the original ride …
And as for Eddie Murphy … I don’t know what to tell you, folks. I’ve loved Eddie’s work elsewhere. But — in Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” — Murphy just seemed to be going through the motions.
So I guess what I’m saying is that Disc 1 of Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” 2-disc set is worth watching … once. But as for Disc 2 … this is the one that I guarantee that Disneyana fans are going to get hours of entertainment out of.
First up is a great “History of the Haunted Mansion” documentary. With Imagineers like Tony Baxter, Bruce Gordon and Blaine Gibson walking the viewer through how this amazing attraction came to be.
And — speaking of walking — the Haunted Mansion virtual tour offers you the chance to actually tour the sets that the film was shot on. With Emma (Dina Walters) and Ezra (Wallace Shawn) offering commentary throughout your tour, you’ll have the chance to discover hidden rooms as well as interact with props along the way.
But the “Haunted Mansion” DVD feature that I guarantee you that all you tech heads are really going to enjoy is the “Ghostly Effects Studio.” This DVD-ROM feature will actually allow you to take a digital photo and — by massaging this image using the tools in the disc’s effects studio — you can turn that image into a hitchhiking ghost, a zombie or a singing bust.
Now what’s truly cool about this is that you can then take the ghostly image that you just created and A) make it your new avatar, B) send it via e-mail to family and friends or C) actually insert your own image into the Haunted Mansion virtual tour.
It’s these additional features — not the movie itself — that make owning your very own copy of the 2-disc version of Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” worthwhile. Particularly if you can pick up this flick for a failrly low price.
And speaking of fairly low prices …
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… Amazon.com is currently offering the “Haunted Mansion” DVD for 30% off. So if you’d like to pick up your own copy, why not click the link to your right? Your cost will (unfortunately) remain the same but if you go to Amazon through us, you help support JimHillMedia.com. So — if you’d like to help keep Jim Hill behind a computer where he belongs — order your copy of the “Haunted Mansion” DVD through the link on the right. |
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