A HAUNTED HOUSE

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
FEBRUARY 26, 2013

“A Haunted House” is on the borderline. While it is mostly not funny or creative, it is better than the upcoming sequel to the “Scary Movie” franchise, which almost comes off rated PG. Suffice it to say, “A Haunted House” at least embraces its “R” rating. However, this film is just not funny. It serves caricatures and stereotypes of every denomination, from racist rednecks, to homosexuals, to angry black thugs.

The film struggles for laughs. To put it plainly, I only laughed once. When Marlon Wayans and Essence Atkins attempt to ignore the ghost as it acts like a child starved for attention. That sequence of events, I will admit, was hilarious, but to put up with 86 minutes of the film for a one-minute portion that is relatively funny, doesn’t scream efficiency. I also wonder where Essence Atkins came from and why she was the choice for leading actress in this film, with no star quality and feeble screen presence. Chances are we will not be seeing her around except for spoof movies, and we can only pray that there isn’t enough left to spoof to bring on a sequel.