Plot Details: This opinion reveals no details about the movie''s plot.  
As the parent of a 5 year old who had just returned from a one week vacation at Walt Disney World, the inescapable fact was that we WERE going to see this movie (unless it was X-rated due to full-frontal nudity, etc.) whether we adults liked it or not. After reading some of the critics reviews on the web, I had resigned myself that this would be an evening of altruistic self-sacrifice for the benefit of my child. Boy, was I wrong.  
 
The atmosphere of the movie was very similar to the Haunted Mansion ride at W.D.W., yet the sets were even more elaborate. The casting was more than adequate. Eddie Murphy has found a new niche in the role of the well-intentioned, somewhat misguided father, similar to that he portrayed in Daddy Day Care. The rest of the cast was credible, with the most noteworthy performance from Terence Stamp as the creepy butler. Despite rumors to the contrary, there actually was a decent plot. The special effects were flawless and sometimes subtle. This is not the usual in-your-face CGI tour-de-force Hollywood product. It was a little scarier than I expected, but it was not too scary for my 5 year old. There was some mild swearing, but nothing that a kid doesn't hear on T.V. these days. Our whole family enjoyed it, and we all want to see it again.  
 
I think that many of the unfavorable reviews this movie has received have come from those who have had inappropriate expectations and have prejudged the type of movie they expect it to be. This movie is not a comedy just because it has Eddie Murphy in it, and it is not a horror movie just because of the subject matter. One could say that it suffers from typecasting. I personally don't want to take my five year old to a "real" Eddie Murphy comedy or a "real" horror movie. If you are looking for what passes today for "wholesome family entertainment", a movie that will entertain your youngster without teaching him a new vocabulary, as well as not boring you to tears, then this is the movie for you.  
 
