By sagnika sinha
Want to know about the enigma of the Disney film, ‘Haunted Mansion’? Well, it is not something positive! Given its dud performance at the box office. It heavily underperformed concerning ticket sales and publicity.
Read the article to learn more about the expectations set by the trailer, the plot, and the cast. I will also discuss how Jared Leto’s appearance seemed like a silver lining, yet, the ongoing Hollywood actor strike was a significant hurdle.
However, the director Justin Simien is still unraveling. He expects the film to steadily catch up on some friction, especially when it is also available on an OTT platform. I will discuss all that and more related to the film so that you can experience some spooky fun!
Unveiling The Enigma In “Haunted Mansion”: Trailer, Plot, & What To Look For!
There is potential here! You can see it in the way the film has intricacy in the film-making. However, there are certain issues that I have identified. Why don’t we evaluate them and relate them to the factors that will contribute to their success?
The theme of the film ‘Haunted Mansion’ is based on the theme park ride across the haunted mansion! The film’s writer, Kati Dippold, is talented with her humor and appropriate sense of perception, and the film falls flat.
Most of the dialogue delivery feels forced, even with all the punchlines! Even though all characters have a fair sense of humor and sarcasm, Owen Wilson and Tiffany Haddish try to carry the film on their shoulders.
What does the trailer reveal?
The trailer opens to introduce the main characters of the movie, Gabbie, Ken, Ben, and Harriet, who are exploring a haunted mansion. The trailer starts with the theme, “change the course of your entire life,” which is exactly the perception you will get from the movie.
Kent, the character played by Owen Wilson, uses the word unhinged to describe the mansion, which is exactly what you see in the trailer! A collection of unhinged plots coming together to form a single line of spookiness.
The background is crawling with ghosts, and it is made clear by the way the living is haunted that the ghosts have no plans of leaving! The trailer does give the vibe of the Haunted Mansion theme park where it says, “Take a ride to the other side”!
I noticed that the characters have their punchlines. However, it is the visuals that inspire me more! Before discussing the plot, we can concur from the trailer that the film can become great. However, considerable challenges are leading to unimaginative box office performance.
Where To Watch The Film ‘Haunted Mansion’?
The Haunted Mansion movie was released on July 28, 2023, so you can catch the movie in the theater. However, based on the reports, the film could be doing better in the theaters, and there are several reasons due to which the film has faced challenges.
The opening week results are in, and there is little to say about its success! Even when it is based on the renowned Disneyland attraction, the horror movie with a tinge of humor has significantly under-performed.
Publicity is one of the reasons for the bad performance of the film as there were no interviews in any magazines or newspapers. There were also no red-carpet appearances, unlike Oppenheimer or Barbie. Apart from the intense competition between the two films, there was also the issue of reception.
Hence the large budget film of approximately $150 million in production and another $150 million in marketing still needs to make $50 million! It isn’t very reassuring!
So there is hope! If you have yet to catch up on the movie and it is too late to watch it in the theaters, you must wait for 45 days only! As Disney has produced the film, you will find it streaming on Disney+ after 45 days of the release of the film.
What is the plot?
The film is based on the original theme park, which was established in Anaheim, California, in 1969. Other versions of the park have been installed in Tokyo Disneyland and Florida. The Disneyland Haunted Mansion is the inspiration for the film!
The plot is based on astrophysicist Ben who is grieving and visits the mansion to solve the problem of the ghosts! He is the one who is the most affected. A doctor, Gabbie, and her son venture into the mansion, which was surprisingly affordable at first. Later they realize why! Because it is haunted!
A priest, a haunted house expert, and a medium are trying to help the mother and the son resolve the ghosts’ problems so they can live happily. Another issue that they face is once they enter the mansion, no one can leave.
It is later you realize that the big baddie, Hatbox Ghost has to add ghosts up to 1000 so that he can be free and release evil into this world. He is keeping everyone in so and trying to exploit them and break their spirits to possess one of them.
If one dies and becomes a ghost, the ultimate is finally achieved! It is an entertaining action film, yet you will crave more!
Cast
An all-star Haunted Mansion cast includes Rosario Dawson, Winona Ryder, LaKeith Standfield, Jared Leto, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny Devito, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Rosario Dawson is a single mother, Gabbie and her 9-year-old son, Travis, played by Chase Dillon, visit the haunted mansion.
They move into the house, an antique property with antique furnishing. However, they become very aware of the spirits in the house. At night, the house comes alive, and this is when the mother enlists the help of an astrophysicist, Ben, played by LaKeith Stanfield.
She also asks a priest, Father Kent, played by Owen Wilson, and a haunted house expert, Professor Bruce Davis, played by Danny DeVito. Father Kent also asks a medium, Harriet, played by Tiffany Haddish.
The gang of people focuses on clearing the house of the supernatural presence who is not only haunting the place but also torturing the people in it. At a certain point, the ghosts become tormentors as they constantly haunt the motley crew members of the mansion.
The Legend Of The Hatbox Ghost
Let’s surprise you, shall we? The supernatural presence of the Hatbox ghost has a real-life connection with the Haunted Mansion, the iconic attraction of Disneyland. The Hatbox ghost was one of the ride’s original ghosts, created as an animatronics creation.
It has a unique physical appearance where it would remove its head from its shoulders and put it in the hat! The scare was removed after a few months because of the natural light that fell on it from nearby sources ruining the effect.
However, over time, it has slowly gained popularity and has become infamously known due to its mysterious removal. It adds a certain material and an underlying perception to the movie and the Haunted Mansion characters.
The character was then reinstalled on the 60th anniversary of Dreamland in 2015 through renovations of the Haunted Mansion ride. The illusion of disappearance and reappearance of the head of the Hatbox ghost is now performed through animation.
The Hatbox Ghost In The Movie
The film’s primary antagonist, Hatbox Ghost, highlights the supernatural world created in the Haunted Mansion, so much so that the other haunted mansion ghosts are all scared of him!
As a monstrous entity, there are other ghosts, such as the Bride, yet the Hatbox ghosts steal the cake! Do you want to know why? Let me get into the story. In the film, the medium Harriet sends Ben to a supernatural realm from where he gets the antagonist’s background!
He is an evil force who also orders others around, terrorizing other ghosts. He was a wealthy man once, Alistair Crump, who was into dark magic and murdered people for his entertainment! His cruel streak was there when he was alive, so it multiplied when he died!
The servants who he terrorized murdered him and beheaded him, creating the urban legend. Now, he was back as a ghost, stronger than ever but could not escape the mansion. He needed to trap 1000 souls to break loose, thus, menacing the living people!
When watching the film, you can see that this is an all-out menacing character, and nothing is comedic about him. Even with all the hints of fun and comedic interactions throughout the film, the Hatbox ghost is the only one who steals all the limelight.
He is the true form of malice, and not just his hatred elevates his stature in the ghost world but also his creepiness that portrays his dark side! It is the way his character is built that creates a probability of a sequel or a prequel!
Look Out For Jared Leto!
Take advantage of Winona Ryder playing Lydia Deetz at the end of the film, playing the tour guide in the movie. But the main attraction is Jared Leto! He plays the character of the Hatbox Ghost, the consistent threat in the Haunted Mansion, and creates challenges for the people.
It is one of the most significant supernatural beings that play hard to break the spirit of the main characters in the film, namely Ben, Gabbie, Kent, and Harriet. Its presence is felt throughout the trailer, and the movie tries to grab the eyeballs.
Response
The expectation from the film is that it is not only a spooky jump-scare film but also can be an amiable and funny family entertainment! And yet, it seems the piece is too convoluted to be enjoyed!
The lines are funny, but it only serves the film for one scene giving a clunky feel to its viewers. The film was one of the first big-budget films to come out during the ongoing actor strike, currently in its third week.
It has prevented the members from participating in the marketing and promotional activities for the film. The appearances by the cast members on TV, promotional tours across different cities worldwide, and potential social media promotion were scrapped due to the strike.
Tony Chambers, the executive vice president of theatrical distribution of Disney, accepted that the unavailability of the cast for promotional events influenced the sales of the film. However, there have been positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes from almost 85% of the ticket buyers.
Future Prospects
The movie is enjoyable and will completely thrill kids worldwide; however, as an adult, I felt I craved something more! It was more than just a collection of creepy bedtime stories you can share sitting across a campfire!
I wanted it to be surprising, but I found it more jarring and the constant urge to return for more! It is on the cringy side. However, it is not completely unpalatable. It could be redeeming itself if you watch it long enough.
The dollops of energy the star casts contribute make you laugh with their punchy lines! At a certain point, you also might find yourself crying with the people on the screen as they give you a feeling of a broken family!
The term unhinged is perfect for the film as the collection of characters barrels across the screen, putting you on the edge of your seat! It cannot be completely highlighted as a Halloween classic, but there is nostalgia.
What Did We Learn?
So, people! Are we going to the theaters or waiting for ‘Haunted Mansion’ to come to Disney+? I do not know for sure! It isn’t very clear, especially with my mixed feelings about the film.
It loves the old spooky movies, yet there is a modern touch to it! A little crazy and a lot weird, the comedy feels like a sour point. The ensemble of the cast might have been a little overused, but you can give it a go, especially because of the cast!
Comment below and let us know what you will do; watch it in the theaters or in the comforts of your home.
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