Goosebumps

If you know you’ll get a new Jumanji, i.e. unpretentious entertainment for the whole family, instead of black comedy-horror like An American Werewolf in London, you’ll be satisfied. With the exception of the opening minutes, where it just piles cliché upon cliché, this is a very nicely directed and acted (the annoying guy with an overbite has some of the best moments) fantasy that delivers diverse and visually compelling monsters and a pleasant teen romance at a decent pace, so that in the end the exaggerated attempt at cool entertainment and the predictable plot without any major twists and turns fits in somehow naturally. I think the two and even one star ratings are very exaggerated and unfair. For me, a decent 3*. (08/04/2016)

At first glance, the film version of Goosebumps is a complete mess, but not so for someone who knows those legendary R.L. Stine books. Regarding this, you need to know that "Goosebumps" is for younger kids, while "Fear Street" is for teens, and that R. L. Stine is truly a generational concept. All those stories like "Monster Blood," "Say Cheese and Die!", "Haunted Mask" or "One Day at Horrorland" are accessible to anyone who hasn't forgotten how much fun it is to be a kid with a ghost under the bed. I was a little afraid of Jack Black in the film, but he played Stine with a great deal of humility and helped the project become a tribute to a phenomenon that will never be forgotten. Plus we also get the bombshell cameo here by the real Stine, who plays... teacher Black. (01/04/2022)

Goosebumps is an unpretentious family film that is brisk, moves along nicely, features some purposefully funny scenes and has nice visuals that don't hurt your eyes. The cast is mostly likeable, although I am not a big fan of Jack Black, the role of the geeky writer suited him quite well. Besides that, the film has one intelligently delivered story twist, which pleasantly surprised me personally. All in all, a decent horror fantasy flick with a (in a sense) charismatic main antagonist, perfect for a free evening to unwind. (03/02/2016)

A very enjoyable comedy spectacle, light as a feather, quite imaginative, with nice effects, a passable Jack Black (he and director Letterman have definitely improved since Gulliver's Travels) and an excellent score by Danny Elfman. Yes, of course, the comparison with Jumanji also occurred to me, but unlike the others, I do not think that Goosebumps lost significantly in the "duel". For a number of scenes, I thought that at least it had the atmosphere that the new Ghostbusters should have. (17/08/2016)

This film is missing a lot to perfection, and the two young male heroes annoyed me so much that I was hoping they would die, which of course is not possible considering the genre. But Jack Black was excellent here, exactly what the role needed, and the overall concept was absolutely outstanding. I hope to finally read something from Stine in the future. (13/12/2015)