“Welcome, Foolish Muppets”
Muppets Haunted Mansion - Movie Review
On October 8, 2021, Disney released Muppets Haunted Mansion, the newest adaptation of a storyline loosely connected to the Haunted Mansion attraction found (in some version or another) at nearly every Disney theme park. The term “newest” is significant because The Haunted Mansion, Disney’s original foray into a film based on the attraction, was released in 2003 starring Eddie Murphy. And we cannot ignore that there is a “future” version on the way, with a reboot of the 2003 film currently in the works. Regardless of related past or future films, Muppets Haunted Mansion shows the Disney franchise clearly recognizing the huge draw and fandom associated with the Haunted Mansion attractions (and their derivatives), and banks on the Muppets being able to deliver a hit in their first-ever Halloween special.
Risky? Perhaps. Successful? Absolutely!
Muppets Haunted Manson follows the Great Gonzo and Pepe the King Prawn as they choose to abandon the rest of the crew on Halloween in response to an invitation to visit the old mansion of one of Gonzo’s heroes, the Great MacGuffin, a magician who disappeared 100 years ago to the day. There, they are challenged by the “Ghost Host” (Will Arnett) to stay in the mansion and survive the night, or otherwise be doomed to remain in the mansion forever. The duo’s night is filled of what one might expect from a Muppet Halloween special: cameos, music, ridiculousness and the tongue-in-cheek/4th wall breaking antics that tend to accompany the troupe. Gonzo, who proclaims to be afraid of nothing, and Pepe, who finds himself afraid of almost everything, encounter Muppet versions of characters we know from the attractions (such as Miss Piggy reprising Madame Leota as “Madame Pigota” and Fozzie Bear’s embodiment of the Hatbox Ghost, “Gauzey the Hatbox Bear”), as well as numerous celebrities (including Will Arnett, Yvette Nicole Brown, John Stamos, Taraji P. Henson, Pat Sajak and even Ed Asner, in one of his last performances). The result is a silly, but nowhere close to stupid, story that surprises with its quick wit, spooky ambiance and delightful familiarity.
Leisure Mouse isn’t one for spoilers, so just know that this film is a gift to Haunted Mansion attraction fans, who will love the seemingly endless Easter eggs throughout, referencing the ride directly and indirectly. Whether it is the Muppet interpretations of the portrait gallery, the familiar red-eyed raven perched on the chair in Madame Pigota’s room or a Muppet filled “Doom Buggy”, you can’t help but to feel you have been on this ride before. Throw in the inclusion of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” on the soundtrack, and you come away from this film with the same silly smile you have when you leave the attraction.
However, this isn’t just a treat for Haunted Mansion fans! For all you Muppets fans, Muppets Haunted Mansion harkens back to the Muppets of yore, a clear contrast to the updated version of the Muppets we have seen more recently (think last year’s Muppets NOW). The gags land more like those from the original Muppet Show, and there are several more direct references to the Muppets’ origins, like dancing in arcade style balconies or Fozzie being heckled by Waldorf and Statler. The film even includes a play on the old “At the Dance” sketch from the original series. That familiarity continues in the storytelling, where there is an almost “Muppet Treasure Island-feeling” to the film, which makes sense with Kirk Thatcher, the writer for Muppet Treasure Island, directing this venture.
As with any good Muppet flick, there are a few original musical numbers as well, including “Rest in Peace”, “Life Hereafter” and “Tie the Knot Tango”. Each of these songs samples other Disney lyrics, themes and even melodies, continuing to stoke that recognizable undercurrent to even the truly novel parts of the experience. In spite of the number of new songs introduced in a relatively short film, the program doesn’t feel like the music takes over and, in fact, could probably fit one more song in somewhere without making it musically crowded.
In short, this Halloween special was just that…special. If you are someone that doesn’t like your Halloween fare too scary, this was harmless (though they did get one good jump scare in there). With several “LOL” moments and lots of hidden treats (including a hilarious screaming goat), this is well worth the 50-ish minute commitment. It is spooky without being scary, funny without being contrived, artistically and texturally beautiful, and most of all, fun. The real magic is that it is memorable, and enough so that we are already looking forward to revisiting it next Halloween.
