This is yet ANOTHER misfire from Disney. Although the story was bland, that still could have worked if it weren't for some key problems. Let me start with what I think was the movie's biggest problem: LaKeith Stanfield. The man has ZERO comedic talent, and a movie like this requires an actor with a huge sense of comedy. Don't get me wrong, he's a good dramatic actor, but he was completely miscast in this role. Had this movie been a serious adult horror movie, he would have been a fine choice, but that wasn't the case here. I also didn't feel any chemistry between him and Rosario Dawson, who by the way, didn't give her best performance here. Owen Wilson was okay, but this wasn't his best performance either, so the best performances were from Chase Dillon and the ever reliable Danny DeVito. The other major problem is actually not exclusive to this movie, but rather a current Hollywood trend: the overly dark image. I beg you Hollywood, please try to understand, the audience in order to watch the movie, must also be able to SEE it, so please, PLEASE, stop making movies with a bleak picture. I watched this on Disney+ in Dolby Vision and most of the scenes were too dark to see. It's very hard to enjoy these films on TV, even in a properly calibrated TV at night. During the day is impossible. Is this darkness closer to reality? Possibly. Is it pleasant or even comfortable to watch? Hell, no. It's very disturbing, which reduces the capacity of enjoying the film.
Review of Haunted Mansion
