I had a pretty good time watching The Haunted Mansion, the new movie based on the Disneyland attraction of the same name. I liked that the special effects blended so seamlessly with reality. I liked that the film started slow and gave you the chance to get to know the people before zombies began chasing them. I liked that Eddie Murphy played a reasonably intelligent person and didn't turn into Mantan Moreland when the ghosts began flying. Come to think of it, I liked that the subtle racial aspects of the plot were never even mentioned.
I especially liked that there was a plot — a fairly solid one, given that the film was based on just about nothing, and that films that are heavy in visual effects often skip over that teensy aspect of moviemaking. (Quick summary: Murphy and his wife, played by Marsha Thomason, are realtors who get the chance to broker a huge, mega-commission mansion. They and their kids get trapped inside for a night along with a spooky butler, the master of the house who thinks Murphy's wife is his long lost love, and a mess of ghosts, one of whom is Wallace Shawn. If I tell you any more than that, I'll kill it for you.)
Let's see…what else did I like? I liked the fact that in the end credits, long after everyone had left and the ushers were sweeping up popcorn boxes around me, I saw the filmmakers make special recognition of the late Paul Frees and the still-with-us Thurl Ravenscroft. Paul, of course, was the narrator of the Disneyland ride, and the opening lines of the film are uttered by Corey Burton, flawlessly imitating Paul. Thurl Ravenscroft is one of Hollywood's great vocalists, best known for providing the voice of Tony the Tiger, and for singing "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch," in the Chuck Jones animation of How the Grinch Stole You-Know-What. Thurl, who will be honored with a special trophy at the Annie Awards in February, was the bass voice on hundreds of records and film soundtracks during his career. This website chronicles a small percentage of his amazing body of work.
Thurl is heard all over Disneyland — on the Disneyland Railroad, in the Pirates of the Carribean, everywhere. In the Haunted Mansion, Thurl is heard as the main voice in the song, "Grim, Grinning Ghosts," and his face is seen on one of the singing busts. (The busts are in the movie, by the way. In fact, they provide a couple of the best moments.)
I don't have a lot more to say about the film because, like I said, you'll enjoy it more if you go in, not knowing what to expect. But it's been a while since I saw a movie so filled with special effects that made me forget I was looking at special effects.