As Halloween inches closer, there is no better movie to watch than Goosebumps. This adaptation of the best selling books of the ‘90s is a witty movie, crammed with spooky monsters from the mind of R.L. Stine. Goosebumps is surprisingly entertaining, unlike most film adaptations of popular novels. It is true to the spirit of the books, and doesn’t try to deceive you into watching something that you didn’t want to. Goosebumps promised to bring Stine’s monsters to life, and so it did.
Assuming that Goosebumps is meant to be a horror film for adults is a surefire way to view this movie as just another boring adaptation. Similar to the books, it was always meant to be a movie to entertain a very specific audience—children and folks who grew up reading Goosebumps—and it does so superbly.
Goosebumps revolves around the main character, Zach (Dylan Minnette), who moves to a new town after the death of his father. It turns out that his next-door neighbour is the author R.L. Stine (Jack Black), who lives a reclusive life with his daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush). Zach enlists the help of his geeky friend, Champ (Ryan Scott Lee), when he suspects Hannah has gone missing. They accidently open one of Stine’s Goosebumps manuscripts, unleashing its monsters into the real world. As the night unfolds, more monsters are let loose upon the town. It’s up to Zach and his friends to capture the monsters and save the town from total destruction.
To say Goosebumps flows like a waterfall would be an understatement. The movie unleashes a flurry of monsters, and never ceases to bombard viewers with one terrifying creation after another. There isn’t a dull moment in Goosebumps. Whether our heroes are running from ghouls in a graveyard, or trying to shake off a werewolf in a supermarket, the story is punctuated with witty jokes and commendable visual comedy.
Although Goosebumps stars Jack Black, it is the other actors who steal the show. Both Minnette and Rush not only had great performances in this movie, but also showed believable on-screen chemistry. Lee plays the character of Champ to perfection, providing much needed comic relief and contrast to the gallantry of Zach. Unexpectedly, Black’s performance left a lot to be desired. Despite the script blending humour into his dialogue at the right moments, Black’s portrayal of Stine was completely overacted. He decided to portray the author as a sort of super-villain, with a strange, half-baked British accent. It is surprising to note that Amy Ryan was also in this movie, but was sadly relegated to an inconsequential role as Zach’s mother.
Most of Goosebumps is set at night, and contains a lot of dark set pieces and shots. It provides an interesting contrast between our protagonists and the main antagonist, Slappy the Dummy. Slappy always appears in well-lit places, and is highlighted by fire or lights, which form a sort of halo around him. Although, it doesn’t feature any groundbreaking visual imagery, the movie is careful to allow you to enjoy what you came for – the monsters. The focus is rightly kept on these CGI creations, which begets the question as to why the CGI in Goosebumps was so sub-par. Some of the monsters in this movie certainly felt out of place, and looked like they belonged in a cartoon rather than a live action movie.
The film does suffer from some storytelling issues. Slappy, the main antagonist, is the only monster who seems to have a purpose. Stine’s other creations do not seem to have any real motivation for their actions. They chase the heroes around town, leaving a trail of destruction for no reason. If all they wanted was revenge, their plan of action would have been rather straightforward. Goosebumps also never offers a meaningful explanation as to how the monsters came to life, which will leave some viewers a bit unsatisfied.
Ultimately, Goosebumps is the perfect movie for October. It’s fun to watch, adequately humourous, and takes you on a spooky Halloween adventure. It isn’t too scary for kids, but also has enough humour and inside jokes to keep adults entertained. It isn’t poised to win awards any time soon, and does seem like a mashup of Night at the Museum and Jumanji, however, Goosebumps is a movie that is definitely enjoyable and certainly delivers what it promises.