"Goosebumps" is more of a tribute to a book series than a scary movie. While the books may have been a scary read as a child, the movie is more of a fun-filled, Jumanji-style ride down memory lane.
Fortunately, that’s why the movie works as well as it does. Growing up in the 1990s or 2000s, chances are pretty high that you read the “Goosebumps” series, or maybe you just read a few of the books.
The movie captures most of the main creatures and monsters from the series and dumps them into the movie. The more popular characters get a larger screen presence, while lesser ones are present as cameos.
Watching Slappy, the ventriloquist dummy, command his army of creatures or seeing the abominable snowman of Pasadena wreck a house are a couple, out of many, highlights in the film. There are a lot of fun action sequences throughout the movie that utilize different creatures effectively.
Unfortunately, the movie loses itself in the midst of the sheer chaos of trying to fit so much into one film. The third act is one action scene after the other. The movie doesn’t get a chance to stop and breathe until it’s over. Despite the third act falling apart, the rest of the movie remains strong.
Jack Black plays “Goosebumps” writer R.L. Stine. Though Black’s acting comes across as over-the-top at first, it actually works within the movie itself. His charisma and on-screen presence carry the movie through some of the weaker action sequences and quiet moments.
Joining Black are Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush and Ryan Lee. None of the names are particularly familiar to most people, but the three of them stand up well enough against Black on screen. Lee has several slapstick moments in the film that work surprisingly well.
And that’s the thing. For a movie based on a horror book franchise — albeit for children — the movie isn’t scary. There are some tense moments and dangerous situations, but because the movie is playing it safe, the characters never feel like they’re in actual danger.
By far, this is director Rob Letterman’s best work. It’s no surprise he got such a great performance out of Black considering they had previously worked together on "Shark Tale" and "Gulliver’s Travels."
If you’re looking for a movie to watch this Halloween, “Goosebumps” won’t scare you, but it will be a surprisingly pleasant watch. It’s got action, comedy and even some great regulars from your favorite "Goosebumps" series. Hopefully, the next "Goosebumps" movie won't hesitate to add in the scares from the book.