‘Goosebumps’ makesfunny bones tingle
Movie: Goosebumps
Rating: 7/10
Cast: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee, Amy Ryan and Jillian Bell
Synopsis: After moving into their new house in a new state, Ryan (Minnette) soon finds out his neighbor is famous author R.L Stine (Black).
One night Stine gets into an ugly argument with his daughter, Hannah (Rush) and Ryan breaks into their house to try and save her. After entering the house and searching for Hannah, he comes across an original “Goosebumps” manuscript and decides to open it, releasing the monster trapped inside the story. It’s now up to Ryan, Hannah, Stine & Champ (Lee) to save the city from all of Stine’s creations before they destroy their creator.
What worked: We thought Black did an awesome job. He really surprised us and we appreciate that he didn’t go too over the top with his character. Minnette did a fine job as well. He was able to balance the seriousness of the lead with enough levity to ensure he was endearing to both kids and adults.
There wasn’t a single bad actor in this film and the writing was surprisingly well done. We even enjoyed the twists thrown in this movie.
What didn’t work: We know some people will complain about the CGI monsters, but the director made a good point on why they look a little fake. If the monsters looked 100 percent real, then this movie would’ve scared all the kids; it wouldn’t have made a great family flick.
The only part we can really criticize about this movie was how Slappy was summoned. You are supposed to open the book with a key, but “Night of the Living Dummy” just magically opens. That is basically nitpicking, because overall we enjoyed the whole movie.
We were expecting something much worse, so it was a real treat to find how well done this movie was. Going in you know essentially what you are getting into, so it was great to find they did the “Goosebumps” books justice.
“Goosebumps” is a great movie to enjoy as a family in theaters or at home. We give this flick a 7 out of 10. Just beware you’re in for a scare.
Nate Gomes and Dylan McMullen are friends and co-workers who have worked as local television videographers, producers and editors for more than seven years. If you have any questions or comments about their movie reviews, you can contact them through email at watchmenmoviereviews@gmail.com.
Goosebumps
Movie rating: 7 out of 10
Cast: Jack Black as R.L Stine/Slappy/Invisible Boy; Dylan Minnette as Ryan; Odeya Rush as Hannah; Ryan Lee as Champ; Amy Ryan as Gale; and Jillian Bell as Lorraine
This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 2:52 PM with the headline "‘Goosebumps’ makesfunny bones tingle."