Dawson plays a mom named Gabbie who wants to make the rundown Gracey Mansion in New Orleans into a bed and breakfast as well as a home for her and her young son Travis. Unfortunately, this mansion is overrun by countless ghosts and weird happenings. So Gabbie gives the okay to a special brave group of volunteers and hopes its members will find out how to exorcize the place.
Of course, a goal like that cannot be easy. It could be downright frightening!
How many ghosts does Mansion need?
A thousand for this Disney lead.
In HAUNTED MANSION they are there.
But it’s a trick more than a scare.
Once in the Mansion then step out.
Those spirits follow you no doubt.
What can you do to stop all this?
A group of four try not to miss.
A paranormal ghost tour guy
lacking energy but will try.
An eager priest too on the job
where he meets more than just one blob.
A psychic and historian
join in -- but no librarian.
Will they succeed in this wild quest?
Give it a look – or have you guessed?
The live actors deserve praise for convincing us they are real people. Amid all the spirits and shenanigans, that’s not easy. Dawson, as the mom, does what she always does -- make us watch her (remember Men in Black II?) Stanfield (Selma) delivers the goods playing a paranormal tour guide with belief problems. Wilson (Marry Me) almost steals the show as an eager priest. DeVito (Throw Momma on the Train) as the historian gets his usual laughs, and Haddish (Girls Trip) seems perfect casting as Harriet the psychic.
Special effects seeme a bit jumbled in places but a couple of set pieces stand out. Watch for the hallways and the head in a hatbox.
Directed by Justin Simien (Dear White People) from a screenplay by Katie Dippold (The Ghostbusters), this version of Haunted Mansion offers some excitement and fun during the Halloween season. It’s now available on Disney+.
(Released by Disney and rated “PG-13” by MPAA.)
Ron