Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome back to my movie review in Halloween Special.
From three years ago, i talked about Goosebumps the movie, which the horror children stories is considered famous for some scary story and some bizarre one. When they adapted to the movie, it was pretty original and i liked it.
Looking back, i find it rather not bad, its rather above average that despite originality concept, but would've been better for some characters and a quality effects. Ever since it was successful, its no surprising that they're gonna make a sequel Mr. Stine has to dealing cursed books again.
"Goosebumps 2 Haunted Halloween" is a 2018 horror comedy film directed by Ari Sandel, produced by Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz, and written by Rob Lieber and Darren Lemke (for story).
Like i said, i wasn't grew up with these books as a kid, but i remembered saw these from my old school that i picked a random books of Goosebumps for my curiosity read. And after three years, Columbia came in to taking over for a sequel after Village Roadshow Pictures made a first one.
So, with all that said, will this movie will make a fun spooky sequel, or is it deserves to be banished to the book?
Well, lets find out.
The Story
It started with a girl named Sarah who's on attempting to going into Columbia University for her short story, while her young brother Sonny was doing a science project about Nicolas Tesla's tower. But one day, Sonny and his best friend Sam going on for a treasure hunting from the abandoned house after their phone call, once they're picking up trash in their box, Sam founds a chest that it only has a book, once he and Sonny opened the book, they unexpectedly notice a dummy name "Slappy" is out of the book secretly comes alive and his goal is to bring Halloween to alive for rampaging the village, its up to Sonny, Sam and Sarah to stop Slappy with a book once and for all.
Although its a not bad story for Halloween, but the biggest problem is that the story is recycled from the first movie for the same story, but slightly different. In the first film, its about the creatures from the book comes alive, here its Halloween theme. From before, we expected that the sequel should be even more original like maybe about a another new story for the book, but nope, they ended up being unoriginal by suing the same story element from before. But it may home some subplots, like where our heroes has to save Sarah and Sonny's mother from Slappy or even calling R.L. Stine for help.
Though the subplot are slightly good, but it just that the story is just unoriginal, it feels like the first film, but with Halloween theme.
The Production
For the presentation itself of the movie, its like you borrowed the same work from the first film with of course, Halloween.
Obvious aside, at least its rather nice looking. The location is like before with village, small town and forest briefly. Not only them, but also an abandoned tower from Nicolas Tesla, not bad, even though its like a typical mad scientist castle, but more modern. And like before, it takes place in a very long night, even though its a one in a half hour film.
As for the monsters, though Slappy was done in traditional puppet, which is pretty cool and the design looks always great like the previous film or even the book. While the rest was all done in CGI by Sony Pictures Animation. some of monster designs looks pretty cool like living jack-o-lantern, a witch or Walter which im pretty he was done in motion capture. And some are over the top, like a giant spider made out of balloons. And the quality that some times are nice looking, but others feels rather video game-ish. But hey, at least their CG effect is a lot better than Hotel Transylvanian 3.
The production of this film is like before, but with some are creative design, but other wasn't as good looking.
The Characters
However, this movie didn't brought back some previous cast, it goes with new casts, but they're probably cliche.
First is Sonny (played by Jeremy Ray Taylor) is even though a main hero, but he's more like a nerd for a science project based on Tesla's story. But to be fair, i find that he's rather interesting than the previous main hero who's rather lame.
Next there's Sam (played by Caleel Harris), he's simply Sonny's best friend, but i felt that he's an under-developed sidekick. Though Caleel seems to be older to playing as a kid, but i did a not a bad job of his acting.
Then we have Sarah, Sonny's older sister (played by Madison Iseman), i find her to be rather ok, she started a typical sister who didn't care much, before she gets better, since she's getting started for her own story. Even though i find that despite nice development, but also a flawed character.
And finally, we have a main antagonist, Slappy the dummy (voiced by Mick Wingert). I find him a pretty cool character, he's like Goosebumps version of Chucky with supernatural power and plan to taking over with monsters. Sadly, Jack Black didn't reprise his voice of Slappy, instead it was Mick Wingert, which i find his role isn't that great than Jack.
Speaking of Jack, fictional R.L. Stine (played by Jack Black) returns in the movie, but sadly, he's a throw away character who appeared from second to third act, i mean he's rather a pretty cool fictional character based on real life R.L. Stine, but instead, he barely show up until he comes for a help, damn shame.
And the rest aren't much else to say, because most of them are pretty cliche, like Sarah and Sonny's mother Kathy (played by Wendi McLendon-Covey) who's a mother that she didn't know or care anything whats going on (typical mothers in various films...), Tommy (played by Peyton Wich) who's a generic bully that he has no purpose of the plot (sorta), Mr. Chu (played by Ken Jeong) is not only a typical neighbor, but he's also decorative (to be honest, i think he's rather a cool character, despite of lame name) and Walter (played by Chris Parnell) who's a love interest of Kathy, but being victimized to become an enemy.
The characters are slightly better than before, but they could've make a better development to avoiding cliche.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" is a bellow average film, with recycled story, a nice presentation and rather a bellow average characters. This movie feels like they running out of ideas by using the same story then adding Halloween theme as an extra ingredient in order to make money. Though some of monsters and some characters are nice to see or rooting for, but i have like no other ways to say for positive note. I don't really recommend to watch this movie, but i'd say stick to the first movie or maybe stick to the book series. But if you're a fan of Goosebumps or even a fun Halloween film, i'd say its for you with pre teens.
I give this movie a 4.5/10. I don't recommend it, but at least this isn't a film that it made me wanna pull my hairs out.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
But tune it next time, we're reaching at the final part of my Halloween Special, involving a man in sanitarium who seeks revenge over a former babysitter who happens to be a lost sister...
Til next time.
Although its a not bad story for Halloween, but the biggest problem is that the story is recycled from the first movie for the same story, but slightly different. In the first film, its about the creatures from the book comes alive, here its Halloween theme. From before, we expected that the sequel should be even more original like maybe about a another new story for the book, but nope, they ended up being unoriginal by suing the same story element from before. But it may home some subplots, like where our heroes has to save Sarah and Sonny's mother from Slappy or even calling R.L. Stine for help.
Though the subplot are slightly good, but it just that the story is just unoriginal, it feels like the first film, but with Halloween theme.
The Production
For the presentation itself of the movie, its like you borrowed the same work from the first film with of course, Halloween.
Obvious aside, at least its rather nice looking. The location is like before with village, small town and forest briefly. Not only them, but also an abandoned tower from Nicolas Tesla, not bad, even though its like a typical mad scientist castle, but more modern. And like before, it takes place in a very long night, even though its a one in a half hour film.
As for the monsters, though Slappy was done in traditional puppet, which is pretty cool and the design looks always great like the previous film or even the book. While the rest was all done in CGI by Sony Pictures Animation. some of monster designs looks pretty cool like living jack-o-lantern, a witch or Walter which im pretty he was done in motion capture. And some are over the top, like a giant spider made out of balloons. And the quality that some times are nice looking, but others feels rather video game-ish. But hey, at least their CG effect is a lot better than Hotel Transylvanian 3.
The production of this film is like before, but with some are creative design, but other wasn't as good looking.
The Characters
However, this movie didn't brought back some previous cast, it goes with new casts, but they're probably cliche.
First is Sonny (played by Jeremy Ray Taylor) is even though a main hero, but he's more like a nerd for a science project based on Tesla's story. But to be fair, i find that he's rather interesting than the previous main hero who's rather lame.
Next there's Sam (played by Caleel Harris), he's simply Sonny's best friend, but i felt that he's an under-developed sidekick. Though Caleel seems to be older to playing as a kid, but i did a not a bad job of his acting.
Then we have Sarah, Sonny's older sister (played by Madison Iseman), i find her to be rather ok, she started a typical sister who didn't care much, before she gets better, since she's getting started for her own story. Even though i find that despite nice development, but also a flawed character.
And finally, we have a main antagonist, Slappy the dummy (voiced by Mick Wingert). I find him a pretty cool character, he's like Goosebumps version of Chucky with supernatural power and plan to taking over with monsters. Sadly, Jack Black didn't reprise his voice of Slappy, instead it was Mick Wingert, which i find his role isn't that great than Jack.
Speaking of Jack, fictional R.L. Stine (played by Jack Black) returns in the movie, but sadly, he's a throw away character who appeared from second to third act, i mean he's rather a pretty cool fictional character based on real life R.L. Stine, but instead, he barely show up until he comes for a help, damn shame.
And the rest aren't much else to say, because most of them are pretty cliche, like Sarah and Sonny's mother Kathy (played by Wendi McLendon-Covey) who's a mother that she didn't know or care anything whats going on (typical mothers in various films...), Tommy (played by Peyton Wich) who's a generic bully that he has no purpose of the plot (sorta), Mr. Chu (played by Ken Jeong) is not only a typical neighbor, but he's also decorative (to be honest, i think he's rather a cool character, despite of lame name) and Walter (played by Chris Parnell) who's a love interest of Kathy, but being victimized to become an enemy.
The characters are slightly better than before, but they could've make a better development to avoiding cliche.
And now for my final opinion of this film.
Overall, "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" is a bellow average film, with recycled story, a nice presentation and rather a bellow average characters. This movie feels like they running out of ideas by using the same story then adding Halloween theme as an extra ingredient in order to make money. Though some of monsters and some characters are nice to see or rooting for, but i have like no other ways to say for positive note. I don't really recommend to watch this movie, but i'd say stick to the first movie or maybe stick to the book series. But if you're a fan of Goosebumps or even a fun Halloween film, i'd say its for you with pre teens.
I give this movie a 4.5/10. I don't recommend it, but at least this isn't a film that it made me wanna pull my hairs out.
So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on KO-FI.com/blackevil.
But tune it next time, we're reaching at the final part of my Halloween Special, involving a man in sanitarium who seeks revenge over a former babysitter who happens to be a lost sister...
Til next time.
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