[Film Review] Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
Alongside their original stories, Muppet movies have a fine tradition of remaking existing works and giving them a unique twist. Classics like The Wizard of Oz and Treasure Island have been given the Jim Henson treatment, and the canon includes the greatest Dickens adaptation of all time: A Muppet Christmas Carol.
It's Halloween night, and while most of the Muppets are at Kermit and Miss Piggy's party, Gonzo has been invited by legendary magician, The Great MacGuffin, to a unique event: a challenge to spend the whole night in a haunted house. Pepe the king prawn has tagged along, convinced that the event will be a glamorous, star-studded party. (Pepe's first mistake, obviously, is thinking that there could possibly be any party more glamorous than one attended by Miss Piggy). On their arrival at the mansion, there's the first hint of spooky business afoot, as their chauffeur (Yvette Nicole Brown) mentions that although she often drops guests off in the evening, they've never reappeared to be collected the next day.
Gonzo and Pepe meet some spooks in the graveyard and are then welcomed to the mansion by their host (Will Arnett). Throughout the night, they attend a ball for the undead and navigate the impossible corridors of the haunted house; Gonzo faces the fears he never knew he had, and Pepe narrowly avoids a marriage to a demonic bride, (Taraji P Henson), who has a suspiciously large tally of late husbands.
Being a Muppets movie, there are naturally some superb song and dance numbers, gripes from the characters about the quality of the show, and a host of cameos from the likes of Danny Trejo, Craig Robinson, Darren Criss and Alfonso Ribeiro. Fans of the Disneyland attraction will enjoy the nods to the original - elongated portraits, ghostly dances and floating candelabra. Like any family-friendly Halloween film, there are some genuine scares among the laughs: I can see Gonzo’s mirror scene and The Bride’s glowing red eyes popping up on “Scenes That Terrified Me As A Kid!” lists in 15 years’ time.
At 53 minutes, Muppets Haunted Mansion doesn’t drag or overstay its welcome. It’s the perfect option for a Halloween night watch with younger viewers, or as a palate-cleanser if you’ve just watched something on the intense end of the horror scale. So play the music, and light the lights - you won’t regret taking a trip on this delightfully spooky ride with the Muppet Show tonight.
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