9/2/2023 0 Comments Ghost buster movie cast![]() ![]() The movie’s first few paranormal illusions are fairly effective, as Simien takes his cues from the Disneyland ride. Father Kent enlists Ben in using his scientific background to identify the spirit haunting Gracey Manor, a big old Louisiana house with a very complicated history. The film opens on a meet-cute between a skeptical astrophysicist, Ben ( LaKeith Stanfield), and a woman who puts much more faith in all things supernatural (played by Charity Jordan), then skips forward a few years, after tragedy has cut their marriage short.īen has become a surly alcoholic, rescued from his downward spiral by a visit from Father Kent (Owen Wilson), an eccentric priest who looks like someone’s dime-store Halloween-costume version of a character from “The Exorcist.” Ben needs something to believe in, and the movie will give him that, not so much in the form of ghosts - though the phantoms are undeniably real to its characters - as through his connection to single mom Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her 9-year-old son, Travis (Chase Dillon), who’s still mourning the loss of his dad. While the visual effects are surprisingly weak for a film of this scale, the script (from “Ghostbusters” writer Katie Dippold) proves far better than anyone might expect, establishing an emotional foundation for what might otherwise be a gimmick-driven haunted house movie. “Haunted Mansion” benefits from the example of “Pirates,” taking what parkgoers love about the ride (clever sight gags and imaginative ghosts, in this case) and treating those as Easter eggs in a fairly compelling stand-alone story. You know the fairytale/animated feature/ride, now see the movie - or so goes the pitch, as the studio counts on audiences to make the connections between each film and whatever inspired it. These days, practically every Disney movie seems to be haunted by the specters of what came before, as the company keeps exploring ways to tap into its existing IP. The result is certainly a lot less frightening than the prospect of having to revisit the 2003 Eddie Murphy version, which paled in comparison with that year’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” on all fronts (but didn’t seem half as desperate as 2002’s “Country Bears”). Director Justin Simien (“Dear White People”) leans more on comedy than horror, bringing together a handful of funny stars to deal with Gracey Manor’s ghost problem. Truth be told, the PG-13-rated feature - which marks the studio’s second big-screen adaptation of its spooky theme park attraction - isn’t really that scary. The youngsters of that time are now parents, and some are surely asking themselves how far they can trust Disney not to traumatize another generation when a movie like “ Haunted Mansion” comes along. For a few years there back in the early ’80s, Disney took a turn to the dark side, releasing live-action movies like “The Watcher in the Woods” (featuring a creepy late-career Bette Davis) and “Something Wicked This Way Comes” (from the mind of Ray Bradbury) that were intense enough to inspire nightmares - in kids, at least. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |