The Haunted Mansion

It plays better than it reviews — the watch lands harder than the write-ups suggest.

• “A fright show artfully designed for the whole family, a comedy that all but the most impressionable children will likely get a kick out of.”

  Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times · 80

• “This Mansion should satisfy, at least until the disappointing climax.”

  Luke Y. Thompson, Dallas Observer · 70

• “The result is like near-beer: The taste is familiar, but the spirit is missing.”

  David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer · 63

• “What I got was a fairly intriguing story and an actual plot that is actually resolved. That doesn't make the movie good enough to recommend, but it makes it better than the ads suggest.”

  Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times · 63

• “It's notoriously difficult to balance lighthearted humor with the spookiness a good ghost story requires, but director Rob Minkoff is surprisingly successful, delivering a satisfying mix of laughs and mild scares aimed at a young audience.”

  Angel Cohn, TV Guide Magazine · 60