Goosebumps Review

Preface

• So this review is a couple days late, but seeing as I did see Goosebumps on Halloween.
• But seeing as this is the only late post I’ve done this year, I’d say I have a pretty good track record…

Premise

• So Goosebumps is a movie based on the Goosebumps books and TV show from the ‘90s and early 2000s.
• And in this movie, there’s this kid who looks EXACTLY like one of my friends.
• And this kid who looks EXACTLY like one of my friends moves to a new town and he ‘befriends’ the girl who lives next door. And there’s kind of a relationship thing going on…
• The only problem is that the girl’s dad is R.L. Stine, the writer of the Goosebumps books and the monsters from his books start accidentally getting out…
• And now we have our movie!
• Our surprisingly entertaining movie…?

Cast and Characters

• So our main character who looks EXACTLY like this friend of mine is called Zach.
• And Zach was good in the movie.
• For a movie that has a target audience of 7-12 year olds, this kid will definitely be a serviceable hero.
• There was nothing particularly heroic about him, but I thought he was a likable dude.
• And even more so than that, his chemistry with R.L. Stine’s daughter is even better.
• L. Stine’s daughter, Hannah Stine if you will, was a neat character and she had cute chemistry with Zach.
• The two were a good pair.
• Then we have Jack Black as R.L. Stine, and he’s been marketed as the main character of this movie, but he truly is not.
• He’s a supporting character but he steals the show as a supporting character.
• Was he overacting? Yes. Was it insanely hilarious? YES.
• The first shot of Jack Black as R.L. Stine on screen is when he’s telling his daughter to get away from the fence or window or something and come back inside.
• And in doing so, he shoves his face through the fence or window (whichever it was) and the whole screen in just Jack Black’s ridiculous mug.
  • I couldn’t even hear what he said anytime his face was on screen because that one close-up was absurd!
• But his overacting was good, this movie was a comedy and he was great in that regard.
• There was this other side character too named “Champ.”
• That kid was really funny too, but there were a couple scenes where one or two of his lines were a little annoying…
• Solid performances overall though.
• The monsters that came to life from the stories were a little mixed.
• Like the CGI was either great or horrible.
  • Not as bad as the trailer, but there were some pretty bad CGI moments…
• It was cool seeing your favorite Goosebumps characters on screen though and, despite the iffy CGI, their presences were felt. (My favorite growing up was the Werewolf of Fever Swamp, but I also like the buuuuuggggg!)

Writing/Directing

• The writing and directing were a little mixed because, like I said, the CGI was off, but the writing was pretty decent.
• It was pretty straightforward, but it was definitely an adventure that kids will really love and parents might have a fun time on too.
• The movie was also really funny and it had a couple of twists in there.
• Like there were a lot of really solid jokes throughout the movie, but there were also some surprises and also a couple moments where your heartstrings are pulled on a little bit.
• Good job, director of Gulliver’s Travels!
• They totally set it up for a sequel though…
• And I would like to see a sequel, but I always hate it when a movie blatantly sets up the sequel. (Unless it’s Back to the Future.)

In Conclusion

• In Conclusion Guys, Goosebumps was a pretty solid, straightforward adventure with a lot of jokes, a couple twists and turns, and some fun characters.
• Kids will love it, but there isn’t a TON that will make people of ages love it.
  • Granted, this movie didn’t need to appeal to all ages, it just would’ve been nice to have a few more sweet or dramatic moments in there.
• And I had a pretty fun time with it! Fun way to spend my Halloween…
• So I’d say Goosebumps is a Good Time and Definitely Worth Checking Out.

***

So guys, those are my thoughts on Goosebumps! What are your thoughts on this movie if you’ve seen it, and what’s your favorite Goosebumps monster? Let me know in the comments down below, and as always, thanks for reading guys.