Goosebumps

Goosebumps

Starring Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee

Directed by Rob Letterman

The Story:
After living in New York City, Gale (Amy Ryan) and her teenage son Zach (Dylan Minnette) move to a small town in Delaware where she gets a job as an assistant principal.  Zach doesn't like his new boring surroundings until he meets his neighbor's daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush), who is quickly whisked away by her overprotective father (Jack Black).

Determined to find out about his mysterious neighbor, Zach enlists the help of his new friend Champ (Ryan Lee) to find out what's going on.  After sneaking into the house, they find a shelf full of Goosebumps manuscripts that have been locked, and Zach accidentally unlocks one of the books, and the Abominable Snowman appears.

Hannah's father reveals himself to be the author of the Goosebumps series, R.L. Stine, and that the monsters in his books are actually alive and kept under lock and key.  Having escaped, the dummy Slappy takes control of the monsters in desire to get revenge on his master who locked them all away, and threatens the small town in the process.

The Synopsis:
When R.L. Stine first hit the scene, I was already in high school and too old for his Goosebumps series, but he also wrote a series of horror novels for high schoolers known as the Fear Street series, and I was hooked.  Back when I read books more than watched movies (yes, there was a time), I couldn't put the books down.

Sadly, I doubt there'll ever be a Fear Street movie, so I had to settle for a Goosebumps one.  What I appreciated most about the film is that it wasn't about just one of his stories, but about all of them coming to life for real.  It's something different when it comes to a movie based on a book series, and it was refreshing to see R.L. Stine on the big screen (he actually makes a cameo at the end).

Jack Black is the kind of comedic talent that either hits dizzying highs ("School of Rock," "Tropic Thunder") and massive lows ("Gulliver's Travels," "Year One").  "Goosebumps" hits somewhere near the middle, as he gives a great performance, but not as memorable as Dewey Finn or Hot LZ.  He encompassed Stine's legendary seclusion and standoffish personality and also brings some warmth and, of course, humor to the role.

When I first saw the trailer, I thought it wasn't going to be that good.  The effects looked cheesy, and that would've been a major negative to the movie.  Watching the film on the big screen, the effects didn't look half as bad as I thought they would, but it was filmed in very dark light to where I couldn't clearly see what was happening.  That was a disappointment especially regarding the giant praying mantis monster, which came out very dark.

Still, the story was an original one and it appealed to its target audiences - children - being able to mix terror with humor in a way that wouldn't cause nightmares in children...just give them goosebumps.  For adults, it's a nostalgic trip down imaginary lane, where monsters only resided in our imaginations and not in the real monsters the world offers.  It's a joy for both old and young alike, and easily takes your mind off the troubles of the world.

Plus, they made the smart move by making Slappy the main villain.  He's the most well-known of all of Stine's monsters, and he comes across as both silly and downright terrifying all in one.  Plus, fun fact, Jack Black also voices the dummy.

The Summary:
"Goosebumps" isn't an amazing film, but it's a great film to watch to re-ignite your imagination that was lost as a child, and perfect for children who want to be scared but not terrified.

The Score: A-