Comedy and fantasy movie - mysterious castle, scary altar and stone griffins

[wositelec]

I'm looking for a comedy movie (between 1980 - 2000 max). A marriage (they aren't too young) with their friend on vacation, perhaps some island or small sleepy town with a castle. The woman is appalled that her husband doesn't remember their wedding anniversary, so she leaves the hotel on her own and explores the town or an island. Then, a strange guy notices her (he is an elderly man with long gray hair) and he offers her a walk and buys her a red dress. I remember he tells her he lives in a castle and invites her there. He gets her drunk or gives her something and carries her to some sacrificial altar, at this her husband rushes in and on some tower, he fights an evil man. Then, he brings to life the stone griffins (or dragons) that decorate the tower. Everything ends well and the final scene as how all three of the wife, husband and their friend sit outside the hotel and ride away on donkeys is how the film ends.

One from actors could be similar to Danny DeVito.

[wositelec]

Refresh - do you have any idea? Every help will be appreciated.

[claws]

From AI:

High Spirits, released in 1988.

It is a supernatural comedy that fits almost every specific detail mentioned, though with a few "ghostly" twists:

Why it matches your description:

The Setting: A married couple (played by Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo) and their friend (played by Peter Gallagher) go on vacation to a remote Irish castle turned into a hotel.

The Anniversary & The Walk: The wife is upset with her husband and goes for a walk around the grounds. She meets a mysterious, handsome man (played by Liam Neeson) who is actually a ghost from the castle's past.

The Red Dress: In a famous sequence, the ghost uses his powers to gift her a beautiful red dress.

The Altar & The "Evil Man": The climax involves a rescue mission within the castle to save the wife from a ghostly reenactment of a murder.

The Stone Creatures: During the final confrontation on the castle towers, the stone griffins/gargoyles come to life to assist in the fight.

The Ending: The film famously ends with the main trio—the husband, the wife, and their friend—leaving the hotel while riding on donkeys.

The Danny DeVito Lookalike: The hotel owner is played by Peter O'Toole, but the cast also features several character actors (like Connie Booth or Donal McCann) who capture that frantic, 80s comedy energy.

It's a classic "sleepy town with a castle" flick that perfectly bridges the gap between a standard romantic comedy and a fantasy adventure.