Goosebumps

Dir: Rob Letterman

2015

***

I was too old for the Goosebumps series of books when they first came out but I think I would probably have read them had I been of age. They seem to be a fairly unoriginal collection of stories dealing with ghostly characters that can be found elsewhere and dare I say, in better places. It's fine though, it is for kids and young horror fans have got to start somewhere. The franchise has been very successful, so a movie version has been on the cards for some time, since 1998 in fact. They could have concentrated on one book and tried to make a series of adaptations but it would always be a risk as to which one to start with. A different approach was decided upon and for my money I think they got it right. With the likes of Werewolves, Zombies, Abominable Snowmen etc. being main characters, it is fair to say there is very little original about the books, so why should the film be any different? Goosebumps sees a fictional version of author R. L. Stine (played by Jack Black) keep his original manuscripts under lock and key as the contents somehow have the ability to spill out when the books are unlocked. It comes as no surprise when after a series of comedy events, one of the books is accidentally opened. It is basically Jumanji. Before long, all of the books are opened and each of the super-fan's favourite character makes an appearance. At this point Jumanji suddenly becomes a child-friendly version of The Cabin in the Woods for kids. Not original but still very well done. The script is actually rather good and it doesn't suffer the usual clichés you'd expect from such a film. The special effects are fantastic and the various features monsters are all a lot of fun. I liked it a lot as an adult but I think I would have gone nuts for it if I were a kid. It felt like a 80s movie in many ways, a bit like The Burbs in fact. It's no masterpiece but it is lots of fun, a very easy watch and the perfect way to get your kids into horror.