Goosebumps [Review]

With over hundreds of million copies in print worldwide, Goosebumps by R.L. Stein is one of the biggest book franchises of all time. So, it wasn’t a surprise when someone decided that the bestselling series should be captured in a moving picture. Plus, you would instantly have a base of fans more than happy to see how some of their favourite characters are being brought to life. However, it would have been quite hard to capture all the Goosebumps books as we would be talking about almost 200 actual stories. So, Rob Letterman, the director, and Neal H. Moritz, the producer, had quite a challenge in front of them.

As a side note, starting with this review, I will also add a video blog (together with the trailer) for the films  I write about. This is for those of you who want a shorter and straight forward opinion. 

Eventually, a decision was taken and they decided to put a handful of Stine’s most famous creations into one film. Leading the way as the chief villain is Stine’s most lasting creation: Slappy the Dummy.  In the film, Slappy is Stine’s alter ego and the mastermind behind the evil plot. For all of you curious fans, I feel like mentioning who else has joined Slappy: The Ghouls from Attack of the Graveyard Ghouls, Snake Lady from Escape from the Carnival of Horrors, Bog Monster from You Can’t Scare Me!, Egyptian Princess from Return of the Mummy, Cronby the cave troll from Deep in the Jungle of Doom, The Evil Clown from When the Ghost Dog Howls, Vampires from Vampire Breath, The Witch Doctor from Deep in the Jungle of Doom, Madam Doom from Help! We Have Strange Powers!, The Executioner from A Night in Terror Tower, The Pirate from Creep from the Deep, The Creeps from Calling All Creeps, The Haunted Mask from The Girl with the Haunted Mask, Scarecrows from The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, Jack O’Lantern from Attack of the Jack O’Lanterns, The Mummy from Return of the Mummy, The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, The Werewolf from Werewolf of Fever Swamp, The Gnomes from Revenge of the Gnomes, The Blob from The Blob That Ate Everyone, Toy Robots from Toy-Terror: Batteries Included, Bug-Eyed Aliens from Invasion of the Body Squeezers, Vampire Poodle from Please Don’t Feed the Vampire! and the Praying Mantis from A Shocker on Shock Street. That is quite a gathering, don’t your reckon?

So what is the film actually about?

From left to right, Odeya Rush, Jack Black, Ryan Lee and Dylan Minnette star in Columbia Pictures' adaptation of R.L. Stine's "Goosebumps" children's horror-fiction series.

From left to right, Odeya Rush, Jack Black, Ryan Lee and Dylan Minnette star in Columbia Pictures’ adaptation of R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” children’s horror-fiction series.

Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) is a regular teenager made by his mother move across states, from a big city to a very small town. The reason behind this change isn’t clearly stated, however we are allowed to have a look into a very close past and we find out he has recently lost his dad. Hannah (Odeya Rush), is the first person he meets once he starts to get settled into his new home. However, Zach soon finds out that no matter how fun and cool she seems, she has an overprotective dad who seems to isolate her from the rest of the world.

R.L. Stine (Jack Black) home schools his daughter and becomes all crazy at the possibility of her making a friend that could mingle in their business. Sooner rather than later, paranoia hits, and Zach, believing Stine is torturing his own daughter, ends up breaking entry, together with his newest pal Champ (Ryan Lee) in order to save her from the claws of her own father.

“Champ: Where did you learn that? Europe?

Zach: No. Youtube.”

However, not everything goes according to plan and Stine’s creations are unintentionally released from their manuscripts, which is when Zach’s life takes a turn for the weird. Discovered and saved from The Abominable Snowman by Stine, Zach and the others soon realise it is up to them to get all of these figments of Stine’s imagination – including Slappy the Dummy, the girl with the haunted mask, the gnomes and many more – back in the books where they belong to save the town.

“Zach: Why couldn’t you have written about rainbows and unicorns?

Stine: Because that doesn’t sell 400 million copies!”

 Because I haven’t read the books, I do not know how the general story goes. However, the plot of the film isn’t a very surprising one. Stine mentions, towards the end of the movie, that a good story has three components: a beginning, a middle and a twist. The twist I think was what this screenplay lacked. It was funny and it was done in such a way that it would hook you from time to time, but it wasn’t necessarily very original.

When it came to visuals and bringing all these creatures to life, Letterman collaborated with creature designer Carlos Huante, a veteran illustrator and creature designer who has worked on such films as Men in Black, Mighty Joe Young, Hellboy, War of the Worlds, The Spiderwick Chronicles and Alice in Wonderland, as well as the “Ghostbusters” animated series. And what an amazing choice that was! From the very fluffy Abominable Snowman and puddle, to the live dummy and the gigantic and quite repellent mantis.

Jack Black stars in Columbia Pictures' "Goosebumps."

Jack Black stars in Columbia Pictures’ “Goosebumps.”

At the center of the film is Jack Black in the role of R.L. Stine. We get to witness a hilarious and proud Stine, but also a lonely soul. He is overprotective of Hannah and of his work. The role fits Jack Black like a glove, as he always has that funny vibe about him and because he can also pull a very mean face, but not in the hard-core type of way.

Teaming up with Jack Black in the film is a trio of young up-and-coming actors: Dylan Minnette as Zach, Odeya Rush as Hannah, and Ryan Lee as Champ (which is short for Champion. Yes, really!) Zach is a stubborn young man who holds his ground and goes for what he wants. Dylan seemed to do that naturally and with very little effort. Plus, he has an edge to his personality, he is a good guy, but with a few of bad boy characteristics.

Hannah, who we find out during the film is not who everyone might think, brings beauty to the team. And also a bit of neutral ground between Stine and Zach. Because of her they actually manage to unite their goals and fight for saying the town. I don’t think I have previously seen Odeya Rush in a film, but I enjoyed her interaction with the rest of the cast and I think Letterman might have been on to something when choosing her for this role.

All in all Goosebumps is a good fantasy film. It will probably bring you into Stine’s second world and make you smile from time to time. Goosebumps is the perfect chill Sunday afternoon film which you enjoy with family or friends. And sometimes, that is all we need.

 

Goosebumps will have its UK release on the 5th of February 2016.

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