The original, somewhat beloved 2003 version and the updated remake of Disney’s Haunted Mansion (which can be delineated by a single word – the 2003 version is called The Haunted Mansion while the 2023 version is simply Haunted Mansion) both have poor reviews from critics and audiences alike. Both are considered a cash grab in a long line of Disney ride-inspired films, but the institution is too strong to pass up for a story adaptation. If you only want to watch one version of Haunted Mansion (trust us, watching both through to the end is an endeavor even for Disney fans), here’s our recommendation.
Plot Difference in Haunted Mansion
Viewers of Rob Minkoff’s The Haunted Mansion might remember Eddie Murphy as the head of a family trapped in an elegant gothic mansion filled with ghosts. In 2023, Justin Simien’s new take on the iconic Disney ride takes a different trajectory. Here, the mansion’s residents are a mother, played by Rosario Dawson, and her son, who ask a priest, a medium, a scientist, and a “ghost lens” creator to rid the house of evil spirits.
Which Film Has the Spooky Factor?
With a lesser (but still sizeable) budget than the same year’s Pirates of the Caribbean film, The Haunted Mansion did not muster the scares to charm anyone over 10 years old. It does have its creepy moments, but Murphy and his character’s family constantly diffused the scariness with corny dialogue, and Minkoff and Elf screenwriter David Berenbaum never allowed the danger to last more than a few seconds.
2023’s Haunted Mansion, on the other hand, gets right to the thrill ride and stays there until the end. Simien’s camera angles and the impressive cast’s horrified reactions, sometimes using slow-burning intensity rather than a jump scare, translate to a slightly more chill-inducing experience overall. We emphasize the word “slightly,” since this new Haunted Mansion‘s gambles also do not always pay off, but this version still wins the category.
Stanfield, Wilson, Haddish, and DeVito Win in Their Haunted Mansion Roles
Dawson and her paranormal helpers tone down Murphy’s over-the-top ham routine for a more enjoyable experience for adults as well. The scares of the new version suffice, but these actors, with additional appearances from Jared Leto and Jamie Lee Curtis, make the small amount of emotional material and large amount of eye-rolling moments entertaining. The new dialogue, while improved somewhat from the original, is nevertheless as trite as most live-action Disney films, but it wins over the 2003 film in the end.
Rosario Dawson, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield, and Owen Wilson in ‘Haunted Mansion’
Plotholes and Contrivances Still Abound in Haunted Mansion
Despite the complete overhaul of how the characters interact with the haunted mansion, the new Haunted Mansion ultimately falls victim to unoriginality. Adult viewers who loathed the first version might feel drawn by the new plot, but a second look at the structure reveals a tale identical to almost all haunted house movies, perhaps even more clichéd than Berenbaum’s story. The Heat screenwriter Katie Dippold is equally laudable and condemnable for her work on this new adaptation, with the cast of recognizable and lovable actors making her efforts feel minorly genuine.
The Winner of the Haunted Mansion Contest?
While few would call it a great film, Haunted Mansion still wins the battle of the better adaptation, making a slightly more bearable experience of another Disney ride. Beating The Curse of the Black Pearl is out of the question, but potential viewers avoiding nostalgia for The Haunted Mansion film will choose the updated version with only slight hesitation.
Haunted Mansion and The Haunted Mansion are streaming now on Disney+.