Disney's Haunted Mansion Gives Audiences A Surprisingly Enjoyable Reboot That Channels The Iconic Theme Park Ride

      It seems that when Hollywood makes attempts at turning popular iconic Disney theme park rides into full-length feature films, the results mostly end up being tremendous misfires. Outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, other ride adaptations such as Eddie Murphy's disastrous 2003 Haunted Mansion adaptation along with 2021's Jungle Cruise came nowhere close to achieving the same kind of box office nor critical stature as the first Pirates film. Fast-forward twenty years later, Disney makes a second attempt at bringing the popular theme park attraction to the big screen with the much anticipated reboot. With an all-star cast which includes Lakeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Rosario Dawson, Danny Devito, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Jared Leto, Disney's latest theme park turned film adaptation provides enough nostalgia for the actual ride and thrills to make it a worthwhile experience for fans. 

      Haunted Mansion's plot has a woman and her son enlisting help from a crew of so-called spiritual experts in an effort to rid their mansion of the ghosts currently inhabiting it. Whereas Mansion's story doesn't do anything groundbreaking nor reinvents the wheel with the whole scenario involving ghosts occupying a mansion and spooking the guests, it works just well enough to create a reasonably enjoyable experience that's largely attributed to the charm of its main ensemble. Though it certainly is held back by the familiarity of its plot structure and its reliance on old generic tropes, Mansion's talented cast as well as its fun-spiritedness and fan-focused devotion towards honoring the classic ride make it operate as being a reasonably decent reimagining. 

       Much of the reason why Mansion works is because of the high-level of energy and charming performances put forth by its charismatic cast, who clearly appear to be having a ball with the material. LaKeith Stanfield nails it as astrophysicist turned paranormal tour guide, Ben Matthias. His performance elevates the film with him doing a convincing job of playing a character struggling in dealing with his wife's death while trying to rid the mansion of its spiritual inhabitants. Rosario Dawson is terrific as Gabbie, a widowed doctor from New York who moved to New Orleans with her son to open up a bread and breakfast. Dawson is a delight to watch with both her and Stanfield's chemistry being spot-on. Owen Wilson has a total blast playing Father Kent, who's later revealed to be a conman posing as a priest and trained exorcist. The rest of the cast gives fine work with Danny Devito leaving the audience in stitches as college historian and professor, Bruce Davis, with Jamie Lee Curtis being solid as the psychic Madame Leota, whose responsible for unleashing the ghosts and ultimately being reduced to a head in a glass shell, Chase W. Dillon impressing as Gabbie's son, Travis, Tiffany Haddish as psychic, Harriet, who possessed genuine powers, and Jared Leto in an unrecognizable performance as the Hatbox ghost, Alistair Crump.

      As for directing, Dear White People's Justin Simien does well with providing the film with supernatural style violence that's exciting and well-balanced for families, while providing numerous Easter eggs for fans of the ride such as the possessed chair scene and notable ride rooms. He does a fine job of balancing both the supernatural and comedic aspects of the story with the latter almost always following the spooky moments immediately after. Throughout the films 122 minute running time, Simien bathes the story in light horror with the scary moments mostly just startling audiences rather than actually terrify them with the sound effects enhancing their shock value. The films spooky and skeletal ghost effects are solid and give the film an overall look and tone that's similar to that of Goosebumps, Hocus Pocus, and Coraline with stunning imagery including dark hallways and graveyards. As far as directing goes, Simien demonstrates that he has a complete understanding of what the rides fans want to see and delivers numerous nods to it while crafting a family-friendly supernatural tale, that creates the right balance between comedy and spookiness.

      What's most interesting about the newest Haunted Mansion is how mature its story comes across with themes such as pain, grief, the loss of loved ones, and teamwork being heavily prevalent throughout the story despite it being family- oriented. The story is very much one that promotes overcoming pain and coping with loss through the power of working with others who also share a common goal. Stanfield's character arc is the heart of the story with him losing the love of his life and choosing to put his past life on hold in order to run her ghost tour. The film's opening does a noteworthy job of establishing this key subplot while giving audiences an anchor to weave through the story. It helps that the script is full of colorful characters who each contribute to the films level of fun, and is given just enough development to shine.Whereas the films themes can be heavy at times, they ultimately land with strong messages pertaining to carrying on with ones life. 

 

      Like the ride the inspired it, Mansion's tone can often revert back and forth in an awkward fashion with the film wanting to be scary one minute and hilarious the next and surprisingly emotional. Given the films shifting in tone, it manages to carry a fairly solid mixture of humor and tragedy with the spookiness aspect of it being more on the playful side rather than actually attempting to be scary. As an adaptation of its theme park attraction, Haunted Mansion remains faithful to popular Disneyland ride with numerous nods given. It's immersive production values along with the charisma of its main cast and willingness to get serious with its themes makes it a faithful adaptation that's worth watching, and will leave fans more satisfied in comparison to its 2003 counterpart.

Final Verdict: Worth watching for fans of the popular Disney ride. 

Images Courtesy Of Walt Disney Studio's

DC's Blue Beetle Provides Its Uneven Universe With A Much-Desired Win

       If there's any franchise that's in desperate need of a hit that'll rejuvenate audiences interest both critically as well as financially, it's that of the DC cinematic universe (Or the DCU as it's referred to). That can especially be said regarding this year's massive failures with both Shazam! Fury Of The Gods and The Flash failing to connect with audiences. With Blue Beetle, Warner Brothers Discovery hopes to reverse the universe's current misfortune by producing hit which can not only rejuvenate fan interest, but also serve as being a legitimate representation of Latino culture masked as a comic book origin story.

      Blue Beetle's plot has young college graduate Jaime Reyes being chosen by an alien scarab to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the teenager with a suit of armor that's capable of extraordinary abilities and forever altering his destiny. It can definitely be said that Beetle's plot essentially borrows the same formulaic structure for a superhero origin story that's similar to that of Spider-Man's. There isn't anything shown that's innovative or groundbreaking outside of the new hero introduced, but the story takes what's already done and reapplies the same formula in a way that's exciting, funny, heartfelt, and ultimately meaningful with it's message regarding the importance of family. 

      A big part of what makes Blue Beetle genuinely fun to watch is the terrific performances given by its talented cast, who add tremendous energy and heart to the story. Xolo Mariduena totally impressed here with his star-making performance as recent college graduate, Jaime Reyes, who gains the superpowers of the Scarab. Mariduena completely convinces at being shocked and confused with his characters newfound abilities, while also accepting his destiny and wanting to defend his family as well as his neighborhood. Bruna Marquezine shines as Jaime's love interest and daughter of Ted Kord, Jenny Kord, who successfully manages to keep the Scarab away from her corrupt aunt. Susan Sarandon proves effective as the films main antagonist, Victoria Kord, sister of Ted Kord whose hellbent on obtaining the Scarab. George Lopez completely steals the show as Jaime's uncle, Rudy Reyes, with his character generating the most laughs from the audience, especially with his "Batman's a fascist" line. The rest of Beetle's supporting cast give strong performances with Raoul Max Trujillo as Victoria's bodyguard, Ignacio Carapax, Adriana Barraza, Damian Alcazar, and Elpidoa Carillo as Jaime's grandmother, father, and mother. When it comes to performances, the cast proves charismatic along with showcasing total devotion to the story at hand. 

      When it comes to Beetle's directing, Angel Manuel Soto delivers serviceable work with bringing the comic book character to life on the big screen while surrounding him with the richness of Latino culture. Considering that the film is PG-13, the violence is presented as being fairly standard comic book style violence in which people are non-fatally beaten and involved in a series of explosions with brief glimpses of blood shown. A few moments of edginess regarding the violence include the use of child soldiers presented in a series of flashbacks. In terms of CGI, Beetle's suit looks solid given the fact that the film carries a smaller budget in comparison to many of today's standard superhero flicks. At 127 mins, Blue Beetle is fast-paced and never lets up once the Jaime discovers the Scarab. The soundtrack proves hugely effective in complimenting the stories action, as well as the films representation of Latinx culture. Although the directorial work may come across as feeling unremarkable and average at best, Manuel deserves commending for crafting a well-paced and slick comic book origin story that never feels like it overstays its welcome while boasting CGI that looks more convincing than that of Marvel's Phase 4.

      Although the story revolves around the origins of a young hero, it's also one that's a coming-of-age tale along with showing pride towards the working-class family. Themes including life journeys, love, sacrifice, loss, sexism, doing something for the greater good, and legacy are all at play here with Jamie's character coming to terms with the abilities he has and the responsibility that comes with having them. Legacy is defined through Jamie's family's heritage with dialogue being spurted out, that gives insight to his families struggles with trying to make it as everyday American citizens, as well as the realization that their main purpose is to guide him towards his destiny. Hints of sexism are shown with Victoria's character still being bitter regarding the fact that her brother chose another male to run the company over her, which plays into her sinister plot. The films side characters are developed enough to where the audience becomes connected with them, particularly Jaime's family tree as well as his romance with Jenny. Jamie is shown as being completely devoted to his family with him returning the love and support they gave him in the past. Jenny is shown as desiring to put people over profits as she battles her aunt for control of her dad's company. Nana is shown as being a loving grandmother and cook, but also a force to be reckoned with. 

      At its heart, the script emphasizes the value of a strong, supportive, and loving family while playing off basic formulaic conventions within the superhero genre. While it's true that the films formulaic structure feels repetitive and bear strong similarities to both Spider-Man as well as Iron Man's, Blue Beetle compensates with charismatic performances from its main cast, fast-paced action, and a heartfelt tribute to Latino culture that makes it a refreshing experience for audiences given that this superhero story doesn't rely on multiverses or time travel but old-fashioned superhero tropes that are effectively reapplied to a new face. Contrary to the view that audiences hold towards the DCU, the uneven cinematic universes latest effort is worth seeing and is packed with Latino infusion. 

Final Verdict: A must watch for comic book fans and a win for DC.

Images courtesy of Warner Brothers Discovery

Oppenheimer Is An Immensely Gripping and Stunningly Well-Acted Biopic

      It's always a thrilling event when a film comes along and shatters the conventional thinking of what type of style or genre a movie should be. What's originally perceived as being a traditional summer blockbuster or biographical drama can turn out to be a mixture of both, ultimately making for a profound moviegoing experience that's equally entertaining as it is thought-provoking. That appears to be the winning combination that Universal Pictures has with Christopher Nolan's newest cinematic feature, Oppenheimer. Placing longtime collaborator, Cillian Murphy in the leading role for the first time, the filmmaking duo set out to craft an engrossing biographical drama, which ultimately ranks among being their finest work.

      Based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, the film covers the career of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer from his early studies to his direction of the Manhattan Project during World War ll, the Trinity test, and his eventual fall from grace due to his 1954 security hearing. For both Nolan and Murphy, Oppenheimer represents the ideal opportunity for both men to put their full creative talents on display while churning out what's arguably their most mature work to date. Though it's strictly dialogue- driven, Oppenheimer presents a complicated portrait of a controversial American figure whose guidance altered the course of human history.

      When it comes to the performances, Nolan generates full excitement and dedication from his star-studded cast. Cillian Murphy is pitch perfect as J. Robert Oppenheimer with him flawlessly portraying different layers of his character from his uneasy balance of juggling his work and personal life to his supervising of the Manhattan Project, and his realization of what he unearthed with the Trinity test. Robert Downey Jr. delivers a stunning performance as AEC chairman, Lewis Strauss, who enlists then ends up deeply resenting Oppenheimer for publicly humiliating him. Downey's performance is compelling with him completely disappearing into character and making the audience despise him the further the story unfolds. Emily Blunt is terrific as Oppenheimer's wife and ex-communist Kitty, whose hurt by revelations regarding her husband's infidelity yet still remains loyal to him. Florence Pugh also impresses as Jean Tatlock, a member of the Communist Party USA, whom Oppenheimer has an intermittent affair with. The rest of Oppenheimer's cast is filled with high quality actors who all deliver strong and dedicated work including Matt Damon as Gen. Leslie Groves who assists Oppenheimer in developing the atomic bomb, Josh Hartnett as Robert's colleague Ernest Lawrence, with other noteworthy additions such as Rami Malek, Jason Clarke, Tony Goldwyn, James Remar, Kenneth Branagh, Matthew Modine, and Alden Ehrenreich.

      With Oppenheimer's directing, Nolan delivers a visually striking biographical drama that looks and feels epic with him once again utilizing large-format IMAX cameras to give audiences the maximum experience of witnessing the story on the big screen, along with capturing the facial expressions of actors during key pivotal moments. An example is the films signature moment involving the Trinity test. What begins as a quiet and eerie moment stunningly captures the reactions of everyone involved, while showcasing impressive non-CGI visuals before delivering a hugely effective sound effect. As for the cinematography, Oppenheimer's use of both color and black-and-white scenes are presented to represent the shifting perspectives on the story with the latter moments meant to be objective. The score by Ludwig Goransson heavily features the use of a violin as it's stylistic centerpiece, while carrying a brilliant mixture of hair-raising tension along with some well-composed emotional bits that tonally represent the main character. With a running time boasting three hours, Oppenheimer's pacing always keeps things moving without ever truly feeling like its actual length. 

      In terms of writing, Oppenheimer stands as being one of Nolan's strongest scripts with him making each of the films key characters intriguing while showing one man's realization and devastation of what he ultimately unleashed upon the world and living with the consequences of it. The script specifically focuses on Oppenheimer's studies as a young anxiety-driven physicist while covering the part of his career that led to him being enlisted to direct The Manhattan Project, and his reaction to the creation of the world's first atomic bomb and its eventual usage. Much like Nolan's previous films including Memento, The Prestige, and Interstellar, he once again tells the story from a non-linear perspective with the script not only being written from a first-person perspective but shifts back-and-forth from Oppenheimer being questioned during his 1954 security hearing to Downey Jr.'s character Strauss being interviewed. The script tackle's themes pertaining to power, responsibility, legacy, and ultimately the consequences of one's actions with Oppenheimer grasping the full weight of his creation and delivering powerful quotes such as him proclaiming: "Now I have become death, the destroyer of worlds." Another hard-hitting moment includes his character visiting the White House and admitting to then President Harry S. Truman that he has "blood on his hands," representing the direct contrast between Truman's excitement over the usage of the atomic bombs and Oppenheimer's guilt for doing so is heavily politically driven with Oppenheimer ultimately losing his security clearance due to his association with known members of the communist party. The conflict between Oppenheimer and Strauss is also played out here with the latter shown resenting Oppenheimer for being publicly humiliated and believing that his character was denigrated with Oppenheimer privately speaking to Einstein during a key flashback sequence, that reveals the main characters regret for building the atomic bomb as well as the realization that he must live with his decision.

      What could've easily ended up being a bland history channel special is made into something more intriguing, and ultimately compelling largely thanks to Nolan's remarkable directing talent and Murphy's tour-de-force performance. For true cinema lovers, Oppenheimer is a unique cinematic experience that's not to be missed and should be viewed on the best format available.  

Final Verdict: A Must See for Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy fans and cinema lovers.

Images Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Barbie Delivers Surprise Laughs, Pure Nostalgia, And Clever Satire That's Well-Blended.

      Imagine a film that nobody thought they would ever see finally make its way to the big screen. Now picture that same film being surprisingly well-executed both in terms of storytelling and presentation. In addition, that exact same film becomes such a cultural and box office phenomenon that it becomes targeted by conservative pundits for its sly handling of topics including gender roles, prescribed roles, patriarchy, and female empowerment with some going as far as accusing the film of being "woke". The result ends up being a rare cinematic occurrence of lightning in a bottle that both Warner Brothers and  Academy Award nominated director, Greta Gerwig  manage to pull off with the long-awaited toy-based Mattel feature, Barbie, starting Margot Robbie as the films main titular character. 

      Barbie's plot has the iconic doll experiencing an existential crisis in which she must travel to the human world in order to understand herself and realize her true purpose. What makes the plot for Barbie such a cleverly written one, is how the story switches from the main character being brought out of her matriarchal society, Barbieland, where she's viewed as being the most popular of all the Barbies, and ends up in the real world which allows for numerous opportunities including satire and camp to influence the overall narrative. Barbie's story is one that feels self-aware in what it is and aims to capitalize on that awareness while driving home some noble messages that its audience (Largely female) can take away from the film, such as the belief that one's worth is ultimately enough. It not only surprises as being an extremely faithful representation of the popular Mattel fashion doll, but also as being a clever comedy/satire that turns out to be one of the years most pleasant surprises.

      As far as the acting goes, Barbie's cast is well-assembled with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling making for the ideal Barbie and Ken. Robbie owns the part of Barbie with her nailing her characters increasing worries regarding mortality. Her performance is funny, charming, and heartfelt with the actress embodying all the mannerisms that audiences associate with this character. Ryan Gosling absolutely kills it with his hilarious spot-on performance as Ken, Barbie's lover who discovers patriarchy and brings it back to Barbieland in hopes of implementing it. Both Robbie and Gosling are on top form here with each giving flawless performances along with sporting solid chemistry. The supporting cast is strong with impressive work coming from America Ferrera in a scene-stealing performance as Mattel employee, Gloria, who aides Barbie in the real world along with Ariana Greenblatt as Gloria's daughter, Sasha, Michael Cera as Allan, Rhea Perlman as the spirit of Ruth Handler, the co-founder of Mattel, and Will Farrell as the CEO of Mattel. Other noteworthy performances include the different variations of Barbie and Ken including Kate McKinnon in a hilarious performance as weird Barbie, Emma Mackey as physicist Barbie, Simu Liu as Tourist Ken, and Helen Mirren as the films narrator.

When it comes to directing, Gerwig brings her A game here and does a remarkable job of bringing the world of Barbieland to life. She crafts a visually dazzling experience that's sugarcoated in candy-bright pink with everything from the films stunning cinematography down to its surreal costume and set design, which often revert back-and-forth between a 2-D and 3-D feel, adding to the nostalgic feel that one gets when opening up a Barbie toy set. The film carries the perfect look for ringing the Barbieworld to the big screen with it looking exactly the way that audiences would picture a live-action film to look. At 114 minutes, Barbie moves at a quick yet steady pace for a comedy with it never overstaying its welcome. The soundtrack does a fine job of supplying the film with various artists in top form that deliver a joyous, cheerful, and surprisingly touching compilation of hits including Ryan Gosling performing "I'm Just Ken" in a Surprisingly hilarious turn. 

      What's most impressive about Barbie's writing is how it explores it's numerous themes and delivers messages in a fashion that makes it brilliantly written, heartfelt, and ultimately meaningful. The real thrill that's generated from the story is audiences witnessing Barbie and Ken's reactions to reality as they both struggle to adapt, especially Ken's male fragility being put on hilarious display. The side characters surrounding them are appealing ones who only add to the sheer level of excitement and laughs the story brings. The films moments of seriousness are tastefully handled, including one sequence in which Mattel employee, Gloria vents on her own frustration in regards to being a woman given the standards set upon women in general. Her character is written as being the audiences anchor to Barbie with her representing the nostalgia and childhood memories that audiences feel with the latter. The film also carries a strong satirical approach in making fun of corporate ambitions, such as Barbie's toy company, Mattel, that's run by Will Farrell in a brilliant casting decision. The script also pokes fun at Robbie's character being viewed as being the "stereotypical" Barbie with Gloria's daughter, Sasha, lambasting the popular doll because of all the negative messages she beliefs and falsehoods she gave women with Barbie's character being genuinely stunned given that she believed she was empowering women. Barbie's script works so well because it finds a way to entertain while presenting characters and themes that resonate strongly with audiences.

      Despite its dazzling imagery and brains, the one element that makes the film shine is it's heart. Gerwig manages to completely subvert expectations by assembling a story that's not only charming and quite often hilarious but connects audiences to it with her down-to-earth style of filmmaking. Barbie is a film that's familiar with the old traditional Hollywood formula regarding transformation and utilizes it well, largely thanks to the sheer talent of its remarkable cast and director. It's an unusual cinematic experience that'll entertain as well as surprise audiences with its quality.

Final Verdict: A must see.

Images Courtesy Of Warner Brothers