Haunted Lighthouse (2003)

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?

While this isn't terrible, I think the main problem is it's too short. There could've been a whole lot more backstory built into every one these characters, and the end result would've been more satisfying. Even another 15 minutes would help. There are a couple of loose ends I'd like to see tied up--how does Bobby Edner's character cast a shadow on the beach, anyway? Not only backstory, but in the "present day" there should've been more for each character to do. Every performer seems only to be barely scratching the surface of his/her role, and the whole thing could've been a whole lot more fun. Maybe this long version could've even been protracted to 2 installments (there's an idea--keep people coming back!) Not only that, but with Christopher Lloyd & Leah Thompson (who share more screen time here than they did in the entire BTTF trilogy), I kept expecting a McFly, Tannen or DeLorean to show up at any second!

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.

Please understand that this movie was created mainly for kids. Sometimes, kids appreciate fantasy movies more than adults do. Perhaps the adult has lost part of that imagination he/she used to possessed as a kid. I liked this movie and I am sure a lot of kids would like it too. I recommend it if you are going to Sea World or Disneyland where they show it in 4-D.