The Haunted Mansion

Like one of last summer's better blockbusters, 'The Pirates of the Caribbean', 'The Haunted Mansion' is also based on an amusement ride at a theme park. But that's about where the similarities end, for Eddie Murphy is at his gurning worst in this lifeless family-comedy-horror which shows about as much zest as narcoleptic sloth. Retaining his Jennifer Lopez-esque eye for a bad script, Murphy turns up as smart mouthed real estate agent, Jim Evers, who runs a family business alongside his wife, Sara (Thomason). She's asked to act as the selling agent for Gracey Mansion, a ramshackle old house which is owned by Edward Gracey (Parker). Bearing a striking resemblance to a long dead relative, Gracey seems to have more than a professional interest in Sara, which doesn't exactly endear him to Jim. But then again when Jim loses his missus, his kids and the house comes alive, he's got more than his fair share of worries to contend with.

About the kindest thing that can be said for 'The Haunted Mansion' lies with its production values, which manages to make a few scenes almost bearable. Although the script doesn't exactly give him much option, Murphy mugs the entire movie, playing up the most annoying aspects of his on camera personality, while going through a stock range of emotions which merely highlights the film's third hand premise. Avoid if at all possible.