Haunted Lighthouse (2003)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

"Haunted Lighthouse" is a 22-minute live action short film from almost 15 years ago that takes place for the most part in the location in the title. The kids may not have received first billing in the credits, that went to the more famous actors, but they are the stars here. The director and writer have both worked on quite a few films that may be several decades old, but also are still very well-known today. Sadly, this cannot be said about their collaboration here. It is a bit of drama, a bit of comedy, a bit of family, a bit of kids film and a bit of mystery horror, but it fails to deliver convincingly in any of these many areas. The film definitely would have needed a bit more focus I guess to result in a rewarding viewing experience. I think it is not bad by any means and one can watch it (once) without getting too bored, but I personally fail to see any really memorable aspects in here. Thumbs down and I don't recommend it.

This is a TERRIBLE film. Joe Dante should be ashamed of himself. The lighting is awful and the acting is bad. The story is also very disappointing. Any one of the old R.L. Stine TV show scripts from the 80's/90's would have been better than this. Also, Rachel Hunter is listed in the credits, but she does not appear in any version of this film that I have seen. The 3-D effects are very poorly executed, and are very predictable. Also, this movie, at about half an hour, is much too long for a theme park presentation. Did anyone mention to the film-makers that one of the most important things about a 3-D movie is to make sure to use maximum light in your image?

I was really looking forward to seeing R.L. Stein's Haunted Lighthouse because Busch Gardens Williamsburg had run the 4D show Pirates for the last five seasons. I enjoyed the show, but it was sort of a let-down because it was so similar to Pirates. In fact, there's one scene where Christopher Lloyd is looking through a telescope (and the telescope appears to be coming straight at you) that was identical to a scene in Pirates. Still, the show was good and had some moments that surprised and starteled me. Haunted Lighthouse was a fun, 20 minute 4D movie that was a fun and relaxing way to beat some of the heat during the day. It was worth seeing once. However, if you're going to be visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg and only want to do one 4D show, I recommend Cork Screw Hill in the park's Ireland section. I've done Cork Screw Hill about 10 times now in the two years since Ireland opened and I enjoy it every time! It's a much more involved 4D experience.

I have seen this on a recent trip to Sea World in San Diego, CA. and thought it was a neat little movie. The story was cute, and the 4th dimension made it fun. There are a couple of scenes which will have you jumping out of your seat. Of course, I probably wouldn't go back to see it again, but it made for a good rest stop in the park. Just a warning if you end up seeing this movie. Try not to bring any babies to it. They can get a little upset with the 4th dimension.