Movie Review - Hunted Mansion (2023)

I'm a big fan of the Hunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I always thought a good movie based on that would be really cool. I never thought we'd see the "good" part, though.

Haunted Mansion is a 2023 spooky comedy film based on the Disneyland attraction. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for teens and up.

Analysis

Story. The story is a pretty typical spooky tale and plays out about how you expect it to. It's not bad, but nothing special. The opening has two false starts that were completely necessary and boring. The filmmakers should have started with scene 3. It would have been much stronger. 

Spooky. This film was pretty spooky and even had a few genuine scary moments that probably pushed it as far as you can for a family film.

Comedy. The movie was so funny and so clever. I laughed several times from start to finish.

Pacing. The pacing was decent but did drag in a few spots.

Overall

Haunted Mansion is a 2023 spooky comedy film based on the DisneyLand attraction. The story is a pretty typical spooky tale and plays out about how you expect it to. It's not bad, but nothing special. The opening has two false starts that were completely necessary and boring. The filmmakers should have started with scene 3. It would have been much stronger. This film was pretty spooky and even had a few genuine scary moments that probably pushed it as far as you can for a family film. The movie was so funny and so clever. I laughed several times from start to finish. The pacing was decent but did drag in a few spots. Overall this was a very enjoyable movie, and I'm glad I saw it. I recommend this film and give it 4 out of 5 boxes of popcorn. 

   

Movie Review - Sound of Freedom

I wasn't sure if I could sit thru Sound of Freedom. The subject matter seemed pretty heavy and hard to watch. But after reading and watching so many positive reviews I decided to try it, and am I glad I did.

Sound of Freedom is a 2023 drama film based on a true story. It is rated PG-13 and is appropriate for teens and up.

Analysis

The story behind the movie is excellent, but the filmmakers didn't rest on their laurels. Every other aspect of this film was top notch. You could use this film as a semester in film school about how to make a movie.

Story. The story was solid. Everything was well explained and laid out, but nothing was over explained. One scene led to the next leaving me at the edge of my seat. The message was clearly and movingly presented.

Cinematography. This film was beautifully shot. Each and every frame was carefully thought out and designed.

Set & Costume Design. Just as much care was put into the set and costume design transporting you to the various locations and defining the various characters in the film without them needing to say a word.

Acting. Everyone brought their A game to this film. You believed you were watching a documentary being filmed and not a scripted show. What impressed me was how much of the film was silent. So much was conveyed thru facial expressions and actions.

Pacing. The film had a very deliberate pace that was just right. It delivered several powerful emotional punches but never felt slow or dragging.

Overall

I wasn't sure if I could sit thru Sound of Freedom. The subject matter seemed pretty heavy and hard to watch. But after reading and watching so many positive reviews I decided to try it, and am I glad I did. The story behind the movie is excellent, but the filmmakers didn't rest on their laurels. Every other aspect of this film was top notch. You could use this film as a semester in film school about how to make a movie. The story was solid. Everything was well explained and laid out, but nothing was over explained. One scene led to the next leaving me at the edge of my seat. The message was clearly and movingly presented. This film was beautifully shot. Each and every frame was carefully thought out and designed. Just as much care was put into the set and costume design transporting you to the various locations and defining the various characters in the film without them needing to say a word. Everyone brought their A game to this film. You believed you were watching a documentary being filmed and not a scripted show. What impressed me was how much of the film was silent. So much was conveyed thru facial expressions and actions. The film had a very deliberate pace that was just right. It delivered several powerful emotional punches but never felt slow or dragging. I highly recommend this film and give it 5 out of 5 boxes of popcorn.