Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)

Directed by: Ari Sandel | 90 minutes | adventure, comedy | Actors: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Ken Jeong, Chris Parnell, Bryce Cass, Peyton Wich, Shari Headley, Christian Finlayson, Matthew J. Vasquez, Sydney Bullock, Deja Dee, Hallie Jackson, RL stine

‘Readers beware… You’re in for a scare!’. Anyone growing up in the 1990s will undoubtedly remember the book series ‘Goosebumps’ – translated into Dutch as ‘Goosebumps’ – by the American writer RL Stine, or else the youth series of the same name that was made from it and ran for four seasons. Horror for children, that’s what the genre that made Stine famous is also called. The protagonists in his stories are almost always teenagers who end up in uncomfortable and sometimes even downright terrifying situations. The supernatural often plays a major role in the stories. Memorable is the opening shot of the series: a mysterious man dressed in black walks up a hill with a suitcase. The name ‘RL Stine’ is engraved in the case. The strong wind blows open the suitcase and the stories fly out. One of those stories is told in that episode. Although the series ran until 1998, writer Stine writes – who produces about five or six books a year if he can do it! – still ‘Goosebumps’ adventures.

A film has also been talked about since the late 1990s. Initially none other than Tim Burton was in the picture to film Stine’s work. However, that film never got off the ground. Ten years later, the idea was shelved again, but it would take until 2015 before a ‘Goosebumps’ movie would actually come out. Jack Black took on the role of RL Stine, who sees his frightening characters literally crawl off the pages and, with the help of his daughter and the teenage Zach, must stop the monsters from taking over the world. In 2018, the sequel, ‘Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween’, was released after Stine’s book of the same name. With Ari Sandel in the director’s chair instead of Rob Letterman (screenwriter Darren Lemke did return, but this time with Rob Lieber by his side), and with the exception of Black after a completely new cast, the (modest) success was attempted. repeating the first part.

But ‘Goosebumps 2’ is less than its predecessor in every way. Friends Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) while cleaning out a dilapidated house in their hometown of Wardenclyffe (NY) stumble upon a mysterious chest containing a book. When Sonny opens the book and reads a mysterious text, a ventriloquist doll suddenly appears. This Slappy appears to have been revived by the spell. Sonny and Sam take him home and initially he seems to have the best intentions for the boys. He helps them scare off their teaser Tommy (Peyton Wich), completes their homework in no time and helps Sonny with his physics project about scientist Nikola Tesla. But it turns out Slappy has his own agenda and it shows a day later when he brings the Halloween costumes and dolls to life and shows his true nature. It’s up to Sam, Sonny and his sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) to stop the evil living doll in time.

‘Goosebumps 2’ falls short in originality and entertainment value, unlike the first film, which turned out surprisingly well. The scenario comes across as easy going; as if Lieber and Lemke wanted to get home quickly with long strokes. The role of Jack Black as RL Stine in this film is unfortunately minimal. There were reportedly two versions of the script; in the other variant Black’s character would not appear at all. Perhaps that would have worked even better, because Black has hardly anything to add and literally states at the end of the film that ‘the children managed without him too’. Black is by far the most famous actor in the film, so perhaps it was purely because of his ‘star power’ that he shows up for a while. The young actors in the lead roles bear little blame, especially Madison Iseman – previously seen alongside Black in ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017) – is a promising appearance. Another somewhat familiar name is Ken Jeong, who in a minor part plays a neighbor of the children who is a big fan of Stine’s work and goes out of his way to decorate his house and garden in Halloween atmosphere. Incidentally, ‘Goosebumps 2’ is technically well made, there is little to argue with. The special effects could have been better, but by no means disturbing. The big flaw really lies in the mediocre script, the uninspired direction and the fact that you can’t help but feel that this film was made purely for cash.