Goosebumps: Movie Review
With 130+ books and more than 350 million sold worldwide, saying that R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” has a built-in audience is an understatement. Even if the movie turned out to be a huge smelly turd, there is no way that it wouldn’t have turned a nice profit. I am surprised it has taken this long for a feature film to be made from the popular book series. Thankfully, “Goosebumps” is not a turd. Actually, I think it’s one of the best family films to be released in some time, with a very old school style. If you grew up in the 80’s you are sure to find a lot to love with this film. Even those who have never read a single “Goosebumps” book (like me), will find plenty to enjoy.
Because there are so many different “Goosebumps” books out there, it would have been impossible to just start at book one and keep going. So the filmmakers decided to go in a different direction. They made author R.L. Stine into a main character (played by Jack Black) and figured out a way to include monsters from many different titles in one film. The end result is a fast, fun and heartfelt young adult monster movie that shows a lot of respect for the source material.
Zach (Dylan Minnette) and his mother Gale (Amy Ryan) have just moved to the small town of Greendale, Maryland. It doesn’t take Zach long to realize that he will be living next to a beautiful young girl named Hannah (Odeya Rush) and her overprotective father (Jack Black), who warns Zach right away to stay clear of his property and his daughter. Despite the warning, Zach and Hannah hit it off instantly. Being a teenager in a new town also means Zach must go to a new high school. To makes things more tougher, his mother is the vice principal of that school. Making new friends isn’t easy, but thankfully Zach makes one quickly with the socially awkward Champ (Ryan Lee).
There isn’t a whole lot of excitement in Greendale but that all changes when Zach, Champ, and Hannah accidentally release all the monsters within the Goosebumps manuscripts that were written by Hannah’s father, R.L. Stein. Each monster (werewolf, gnomes, giant mantis, phantom car, and more) are being controlled by Slappy, the dummy (voiced by Black), who wants to cause total destruction. It is up to the teenagers and Stein to put a stop to Slappy’s revenge.
“Goosebumps” is a whole lot of fun and reminded me of films like “The Monster Squad” which was a staple for me growing up. Sure the film is filled with the latest in digital effects but the heart of the classics is firmly in place. Kids and adults should be able to sit back and enjoy this one.
By: Marc Ferman