Goosebumps

Every nineties kid remembers the Goosebumps book series by R.L. Stine, so to finally see these stories come to life on the big screen is a dream come true for many I’m sure, and thankfully it recreates what we all imagined very nicely.

The way the stories are brought together is in the vain of Jumanji, with magic books summoning the monsters from the stories whenever they are opened. This was a great way to bring these non-connected stories together into one.

The three main protagonists in the film Zach (Dylan Minnette), Hannah (Odeya Rush) and Champ (Ryan Lee) play off each other really well, with Champ providing a perfect amount of comedy relief. Jack Black is effective in his role as R.L. Stine, but at times the voice he uses for the character can become grating.

This is a film for the entire family mixing comedy, scares and a touch of drama. It’s not overly scary for the young ones but also not too corny for the parents to enjoy. (JA)

***1/2