Haunted Mansion

 Christmas in July is a thing, so why aren't people open to Halloween in July? When Hocus Pocus underperformed thirty years ago, folks partially blamed its off-season release that aforementioned month. They'll likely do the same for Haunted Mansion, Disney's second attempt at making a theatrical movie based on its Disneyland attraction. Let's see how they did it this time.

Single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase Dillon) move into an old house in New Orleans. They immediately move out once they realize that it's occupied by ghosts. But the ghosts refuse to leave them alone until they move back in. So, they do. Everybody got that?

They're eventually forced to hire some outside help. Their ghostbusters are astrophysicist Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield), Father Kent (Owen Wilson), history professor Bruce Davis (Danny DeVito), and medium Harriet (Tiffany Haddish). Like them, they're also forced to stay at the mansion. Their investigation leads them to the ominous Hatbox Ghost (Jared Leto), who really wants them to stay. Permanently. Perhaps the ghost of Madame Leota (Jamie Lee Curtis) can help them send Hatbox back to the other side.

I admit that the original attraction was one I skipped when I went to Disneyland in 2016. So, all the references director Justin Simien (Dear White People) and writer Kate Dippold threw together mostly flew over me. That's not to say I wasn't impressed. Actually, this is a surprisingly visually inventive ghost movie. Production Designer Darren Gilford, cinematographer Jeffrey Waldron and the visual effects team conjured up a splendidly surreal mansion. We get such sights as a rotating hall, vanishing windows, a stretching room and a variety of ghosts. The climax with numerous ghosts flying around is spectacular. Leto is virtually unrecognizable under the CGI and modulated voice as Hatbox. His facial expressions and lip-synch were a bit off, but it's mostly marvelous.

The acting was mostly good. Gabbie and Travis are fine protagonists, but they're often overshadowed by the others. Stanfield's Ben gets the most compelling arc as he comes to terms with his wife, Alyssa's (Charity Jordan) sudden death. We feel it when he reminisces about her in front of the others. Bruce's joke afterwards makes for welcome levity, while a stray cat Ben keeps meeting is surprisingly relevant. Bruce and Madame Leota are entertaining, while Kent and Harriet get their best moments when they help rally the ghosts against Hatbox. A pair of tour guides’ (Winona Rider and Dan Levy) exposition about Hatbox’s human identity is even scarier than Hatbox himself. Meanwhile, JR Adduci doesn't get to do much as William Gracey, the ghost of the mansion's previous owner, which is unfortunate as his backstory is involving.

Haunted Mansion is a peculiar film. The visual effects are outstanding to the point they deserve an Oscar-nomination. But they're often prioritized over the film's human cast. The protagonists are often overshadowed by their colorful supporting players. It's still entertaining, though, and it runs at a quick-paced 122 minutes. It maybe off-season, but it's still a good diversion from the obnoxious heat. See it soon, for there's no telling if it will actually be on Disney Plus this Halloween. For all we know, it could be ... December!