Directed by:
Rob LettermanScreenplay:
Darren LemkeCinematography:
Javier AguirresarobeComposer:
Danny ElfmanCast:
Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee, Amy Ryan, Jillian Bell, Halston Sage, Steven Krueger, Amanda Lund, Karan Soni, Jeremy Ambler, Ella Wahlestedt (more)VOD (6)
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After moving to a small town, Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets next door neighbour Hannah (Odeya Rush), the daughter of bestselling Goosebumps series author R.L. Stine (Jack Black). Stine is very mysterious and a prisoner of his own imagination – the monsters that his books made famous are real, and he protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their manuscripts. When the monsters are accidentally unleashed and begin to terrorize the town, it’s up to Stine, Zach and Hannah to get them back in their books where they belong. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (7)
A very enjoyable comedy spectacle, light as a feather, quite imaginative, with nice effects, a passable Jack Black (he and director Letterman have definitely improved since Gulliver's Travels) and an excellent score by Danny Elfman. Yes, of course, the comparison with Jumanji also occurred to me, but unlike the others, I do not think that Goosebumps lost significantly in the "duel". For a number of scenes, I thought that at least it had the atmosphere that the new Ghostbusters should have.
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If you know you’ll get a new Jumanji, i.e. unpretentious entertainment for the whole family, instead of black comedy-horror like An American Werewolf in London, you’ll be satisfied. With the exception of the opening minutes, where it just piles cliché upon cliché, this is a very nicely directed and acted (the annoying guy with an overbite has some of the best moments) fantasy that delivers diverse and visually compelling monsters and a pleasant teen romance at a decent pace, so that in the end the exaggerated attempt at cool entertainment and the predictable plot without any major twists and turns fits in somehow naturally. I think the two and even one star ratings are very exaggerated and unfair. For me, a decent 3*.
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Goosebumps is an unpretentious family film that is brisk, moves along nicely, features some purposefully funny scenes and has nice visuals that don't hurt your eyes. The cast is mostly likeable, although I am not a big fan of Jack Black, the role of the geeky writer suited him quite well. Besides that, the film has one intelligently delivered story twist, which pleasantly surprised me personally. All in all, a decent horror fantasy flick with a (in a sense) charismatic main antagonist, perfect for a free evening to unwind.
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At first glance, the film version of Goosebumps is a complete mess, but not so for someone who knows those legendary R.L. Stine books. Regarding this, you need to know that "Goosebumps" is for younger kids, while "Fear Street" is for teens, and that R. L. Stine is truly a generational concept. All those stories like "Monster Blood," "Say Cheese and Die!", "Haunted Mask" or "One Day at Horrorland" are accessible to anyone who hasn't forgotten how much fun it is to be a kid with a ghost under the bed. I was a little afraid of Jack Black in the film, but he played Stine with a great deal of humility and helped the project become a tribute to a phenomenon that will never be forgotten. Plus we also get the bombshell cameo here by the real Stine, who plays... teacher Black.
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This film is far from perfect, and the two young male heroes annoyed me so much that I hoped they would die, which of course, given the genre, wasn't possible. But Jack Black was fantastic here, exactly what the role needed, and the overall concept was absolutely excellent. I hope to finally read something by Stine in the future.
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Gallery (54)
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