NOTE: This is a review drafted on 10/19/2015 on a different blog that is no longer in use. I decided to transfer content from that website to this to maintain consistency.
Goosebumps Review
Rating: PG
Starring: Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee
**note** This is my first movie review (and first post on this page other than the introduction) so whoever reads this, feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
Blurb/Synopsis: Goosebumps is a movie about Zach (Dylan Minnette), a boy who moves into a new neighborhood and meets a girl next door, Hannah (Odeya Rush). Hannah's father, R. L. Stine (Jack Black) has his manuscripts of his old Goosebumps books that he wrote, but when Zach, Hannah, and Zach's friend, Champ (Ryan Lee) accidentally opens a book, chaos ensues.
Expectations/Background: I came into this movie, thinking that the movie wouldn't be very good. As a child, I remember reading through most of the original Goosebumps books, while not diving into the spinoffs that followed. At my elementary library, they would always occupy a stand to themselves, and I would always pick up a couple to read. I thoroughly enjoyed all of them, although some would creep me out as a 9 year old more than others (Stay out of the Basement cover, Werewolf of Fever Swamp ending, I'm looking at you). So when the news that a live action Goosebumps movie was announced, I was genuinely excited to see some of the creatures brought to life. However, the first sign of worry I felt was when Rob Letterman and Jack Black were announced as the director and the lead, respectively. I had never really seen anything from Letterman, and Black I didn't care much for as an actor, save for the Kung Fu Panda series, but the thing that made me start to sweat was Gulliver's Travels. The 2010 film was also directed by Letterman and starred Black, and as many know, was not the best iteration of the classic tale. So the skepticism started to build a little. Then I saw the trailer, and oh boy...that trailer. I saw it for the first time and thought to myself, 'They screwed up another beloved franchise, I just know it.' It looked so campy, cheesy, and cliche that my expectations lowered quite a bit more. So when I entered the theater to see it, I was a tad bit nervous, as you might expect.
The Movie: As indicated by my expectations, I had little hopes for this movie going in. But as the movie chugged along, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the film. The film follows the four protagonists trying to lock away the monsters as they have escaped their respective manuscripts, led by the infamous Slappy the Dummy. Sitting in the theater and watching the first 25 movies, the movie met my expectations: cliche, boring, slow, and uninteresting. Then, Jack Black's character, Ryan Lee's characters, and the monsters came out of the shadows, and the movie took off. It was like watching a car aimlessly roaming around a local street to all of a sudden zooming along the highway. The first 20 of 103 minutes dragged along as we were introduced to the subplots and characters. But the next 80 minutes was one of the most enjoyable theater experiences of the year. There really isn't a convoluted plot, so don't expect an Inception here. This is a PG movie after all. And honestly, there aren't many truly frightening moments in the movie. This is more of a family horror-comedy movie. And this is definitely a family movie. Anyone in the family will enjoy it because there are only a handful of scares, many, many laughs, and enjoyable characters and an enjoyable plot. There were only about two times where I jumped out of my seat with the jumpscares, but other than that, I had a really good time. The characters in the movie were great, but we'll delve more into that in the cast/characters section. This movie isn't a particularly deep movie, but believe it or not, there are a few scenes where you feel emotion. Some movies attempt to make you feel something for the characters, and many of them fall flat, but Letterman does a great job balancing the humor, horror, and the heart of the movie, which I really appreciated. However, this is not a perfect movie. This movie has a few problems, mainly with the beginning of it, as I've mentioned. The introduction to the characters, the introduction to the conflict, take a little bit to get on its feet. In the beginning, the characters don't have much chemistry, and they don't really make you want to care about them. Another negative I would have to give to Goosebumps would be that it raises a few questions that it leaves behind in the dust. There are minor plot holes that make you stop in the middle of the fast-paced sections of the film and wonder, 'Wait, what?' However, the good thing is that the face-paced nature of the film makes you forget the questions that you have about the plot, and sweeps you along in the ride, which is just so entertaining. I'm going to leave the non-spoiler part of the movie with one more positive: the score. Danny Elfman's score completely takes the film up another notch. It reminds me of the music that would play in older horror movies, mostly kid's horror/Halloween movie type music, but it completely works with the movie and the material given. It gives the movie another aspect that makes it that much better.
The Cast/Characters: Every single character brought something to the movie, which made me really happy. Although most of the main characters are teen, they don't act like normal movie teenagers, who whine their way through the movie. They act very level-headed, and they all work very well. Dylan Minnette's Zach is a very good main character, and you root for him the entire time, where he goes through the struggles of movies and being sucked into the plot. Odessa Rush's Hannah is also equally likable, although I think that Zach takes a little more of the spotlight, and deservedly so. Then there's Ryan Lee's Champ, who plays the dorky friend of Zach. He essentially provides 80 percent of the laughs in the movie, and every single joke landed. He made everyone in the theater laugh at every dorky comment that he made, and although he didn't necessarily steal the show, he worked so well with the cast. Then there was Jack Black's R. L. Stine. Jack Black previously had not had the best track record, but he completely disappeared into the role. After I watched the movie, someone asked me who the person who played R. L. Stine, to which I replied Jack Black. This person's look of surprise was a testament to his great performance. He played the sort of hermit, protective father to Hannah, although there is a certain creep factor to him. The real payoff is when all these characters are on screen, because all of them have amazing chemistry together, which pushes the movie forward, and makes the movie great. Throughout the movie, there are also a few other characters who take what scenes they have and perform very well.
The Villain(s): One of the main selling points of this film was seeing all the characters that many people loved reading about, such as the Werewolf of Fever Swamp, the Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, and the Mantis from Shocker on Shock Street. However, the main villain of the movie is fan favorite, the infamous Slappy the Dummy, who is essentially the ringleader of the entire gang of monsters. Slappy is the over-the-top child's movie villain that would normally have exasperated the adult audience, but miraculously, it works. Every single line he says is basically a pun, but his almost maniacal personality fits his character, and although he may not make a Darth Vader level villain, he works for the movie and the plot. He and Jack Black's R.L Stine's character have an interesting dynamic, which I won't ruin for you, but will discuss in the spoiler review. The other monsters were also realized very, very well, and you feel a real threat, which is very welcome in a movie with such a campy ringleader in Slappy the Dummy. The villains in the movie aren't the most memorable, but for kids who come into the movie fresh, and for people who have read the books, seeing these monsters on the big screen will make you happy.
The Villain(s): One of the main selling points of this film was seeing all the characters that many people loved reading about, such as the Werewolf of Fever Swamp, the Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, and the Mantis from Shocker on Shock Street. However, the main villain of the movie is fan favorite, the infamous Slappy the Dummy, who is essentially the ringleader of the entire gang of monsters. Slappy is the over-the-top child's movie villain that would normally have exasperated the adult audience, but miraculously, it works. Every single line he says is basically a pun, but his almost maniacal personality fits his character, and although he may not make a Darth Vader level villain, he works for the movie and the plot. He and Jack Black's R.L Stine's character have an interesting dynamic, which I won't ruin for you, but will discuss in the spoiler review. The other monsters were also realized very, very well, and you feel a real threat, which is very welcome in a movie with such a campy ringleader in Slappy the Dummy. The villains in the movie aren't the most memorable, but for kids who come into the movie fresh, and for people who have read the books, seeing these monsters on the big screen will make you happy.
The Verdict: This movie was, after a little slow and dragging introduction, a completely enjoyable theater experience. This film wasn't particularly deep nor was it a complete horror film, but the comedy, cast, plot, and score, make it such a great Halloween film, and I wouldn't be surprised if this film becomes something that is watched in numerous households every Halloween, including my own. I would completely recommend that you watch this film, especially during the Halloween season, and after you watch the movie, be sure to read my spoiler review, which will come out shortly after this. Letter Grade: B+ Number Score: 8.8 **please note: the letter grade and the number score may not match 100 percent, although they mostly will**
No comments:
Post a Comment