Spooky movie based on Disneyland ride has scares, innuendo.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Language
some
Characters say "damn," "hell," "big-ass termites," and "a scary albino." "Crap" muttered by a 10-year-old. "Aw, Christ" and "oh my God." A woman is repeatedly referred to as a "gypsy." Sexual innuendo includes "getting jiggy," "whacking it" (about killing a spider), and "look at the size of those knockers" (about a door).
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Scary and spooky, with creepy and grisly images. Talk of the mother of the family in the haunted house having died via suicide in a past life. Quick shots of an adult hanging from a noose. Poisoning. Lots of chases and peril involving ghosts and skeletons, including skeletons chasing children. Kids are put into a chest by a ghost. Frequent demonic noises.
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Characters kiss -- once chastely and later more passionately. A kid has a swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated; cover briefly shown. Sexual innuendo includes "getting jiggy," "whacking it" (about killing a spider), and "look at the size of those knockers" (about a door).
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Jim prioritizes making money, neglecting his marriage and fatherhood, but he eventually learns his lesson. His son learns to be brave. His daughter acts sullenly, but she's curious and clever. Wife Sara puts up with her husband but needs to be saved, having very little agency throughout the film.
Diverse Representations
a little
Though written and directed by White male filmmakers, The Haunted Mansion stars Eddie Murphy and centers around a Black family. But the inclusion is skin-deep, as there aren't any references to race. Female characters like Sara are portrayed as smart, but they're also damsels in distress who need to be saved. Outdated language includes a man jokingly called "a scary albino," while another character is repeatedly referred to as a "gypsy."
Parents need to know that The Haunted Mansion is a spooky comedy (based on the iconic Disneyland ride) that stars Eddie Murphy as a dad who ends up trapped in an old estate filled with ghosts, demons, and zombies. There are many chase scenes involving peril to young kids, plus creepy crypt scenes and references to death via suicide and poisonings (along with brief images of an adult hanging from a noose). A ghost is dragged into a fiery pit. Strong language includes "hell," "ass," "Christ" (as an exclamation), "damn," and "crap," plus repeated references to a "gypsy." Sexual innuendo includes "getting jiggy," "whacking it," and "look at the size of those knockers." Characters kiss, and a swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated is briefly visible. Though written and directed by White male filmmakers, the movie centers around a Black family. A different movie inspired by the same ride was released in 2023. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
I watched this with my 7 and 9 year old daughters and they were scared of all the skeletons. This movie should not be PG, it should be PG13. There were talks of suicide, they showed a man hanging by a rope who hung himself, very scary skeletons who come to life, a “devils curse”, and the word “ass” was said twice. This is not appropriate for younger children at all, I’m disappointed in Disney.
Although swearing is rare, a swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated shows up in a 10-year-old's bedroom and there is alcohol use. A suicide by hanging; repeated poisonings; swordplay and a man going through the second-floor window all "add up" on the list of possible parental concerns.
What's the Story?
During a family trip with his wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason), and two kids, workaholic realtor Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) decides to check out a tip he'd gotten from a mysterious caller about THE HAUNTED MANSION outside of town. After the Evers family arrives, a storm rolls in to the bayou, forcing the family to stay as overnight guests in the spooky household of Edward Gracey (Nathaniel Parker) and his butler, Ramsley (Terence Stamp). Once the doors slam shut, the family must solve the mystery of the spooky mansion before they can leave.
Inspired by Disneyland's iconic ride, this spooky family comedy is about as original as you might expect (which is to say, not very). Director Rob Minkoff doesn't pull off the surprising treat that was Pirates of the Caribbean. But he does turn a six-minute ride into a 90-minute picture with a plot as thin as a spiderweb and as predictable as a Scooby-Doo episode.
The Haunted Mansion drags, despite the near-constant rushing of Jim and his children between clues. Though Jim's spiel is a lighthearted patter, jokes about "knockers" and "whacking it" feel smarmy. Madame Leota (Jennifer Tilly) and the barbershop quartet add a little life, but you have to wonder at a movie where disembodied heads deliver the movie's most interesting performances. Thomason shows little acting range, while Stamp's effortless performance appears to tap the actor's immense desire to be out of the movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about priorities and how different characters in The Haunted Mansion seem to prioritize different things. Does this happen in your own life? How do you balance your own needs with those of loved ones?
How does this movie compare with other haunted house movies? Were the scary moments too scary for younger kids?
In what ways is this movie similar to the 2023 Disney film Haunted Mansion? What areas are different? Does this movie feel outdated in comparison, or does it hold up well over time?
MPAA explanation:
frightening images, thematic elements and language
Last updated:
July 1, 2024
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