Film Review: Goosebumps

Release date: 5^th February 2016

Director: Rob Letterman

Starring: Jack Black, Amy Ryan, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush

Runtime: 103 minutes

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Comedy

Watched in: 2D

Rating: 4/5 stars

Goosebumps is based on the Goosebumps books by R. L. Stine in which Jack Black plays the author. After a new neighbour, Zach, visits the house the monsters trapped inside the Goosebumps books are released into the town causing chaos. It’s up to Stine, Zach, Stine’s daughter and their friend to trap the monsters back inside the books. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously and plays on a lot of clichés and tropes. It’s one of those films you go to see just for a bit of fun.

There are a lot of different monsters released from the books including the Abominable Snowman, a werewolf, and a giant stick insect thing. The main villain is Sappy, but I’m not going to say too much about that as they don’t give it away in the trailers, but he was a really creepy villain (also played by Jack Black).

The acting wasn’t spectacular though not exactly bad, but this isn’t the kind of film you watch for amazing acting, it’s the kind of film you watch to be entertained and I was entertained. It was funny to see Jack Black play a serious character whose humour comes from his seriousness.

There was plenty of action and a few twists that worked well and although the beginning was a little cliché and predictable, later on the twists managed to surprise me.

Overall it was an entertaining film. Would highly recommend if you want to watch something that’s just a bit of fun.