Right in time for Halloween, the family-friendly horror-comedy Goosebumps recently crept into theaters.
The film revolves around a teenage boy Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) who has recently, and begrudgingly, moved to a small town in Delaware with his mother.
During his first week in the new house, he befriends his mysterious neighbor, Hannah (Odeya Rush). As he gets to know Hannah more, he soon discovers that there’s more to her and her father (Jack Black) than he anticipated.
After sneaking into their house one night, Zach and his goofy friend Champ (Ryan Lee) stumble upon all of the original Goosebumps manuscripts, written by R.L. Stine.
Unbeknownst to the boys, Hannah’s father is actually the writer R.L. Stine, and unlocking any of his books actually releases the monsters within from the pages.
So, of course, one mistake leads to another and soon a plethora of noteworthy monsters from the beloved childhood classics are released upon the unsuspecting small town. It soon becomes a race to trap the monsters once and for all before they destroy R.L. Stine and the whole town with him.
One of the strongest parts of the movie was the effective targeting of nostalgia. As the movie progresses and more and more monsters start popping up, it becomes reminiscent of many of the books and TV adaptations of the Goosebumps series. For anyone who grew up reading Goosebumps, this film will be a delight to watch. From Slappy the Dummy to The Werewolf of Fever Swamp to Fifi the Vampire Poodle, glimpses of a surplus of familiar monsters are featured throughout the movie.
Though the script of the movie is a children’s film and can be a little cheesy at times, it still throws in some jokes that appeal to an older generation. The characters are quick with quips and pop culture references throughout. Yes, it may not be an Oscar worthy production, but if you love Goosebumps, the script is not going to disappoint.
In the end, the movie wasn’t necessarily perfect. The plot could be a little rushed and underdeveloped. The acting could grow to be a tad bit cringe worthy at times.
Overall, Goosebumps is able to maintain the nostalgic charm that has drawn audiences to it for years. Even if you’ve never really been a fan of the series, I still think this film is a fun watch for all. Sure, it probably won’t win any awards, but I think it’s an intentionally campy breath of fresh air that I would encourage anyone to go see.
