Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween

Starring: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Ken Jeong, Chris Parnell, Bryce Cass, Jack Black (uncredited)
Directed by: Ari Sandel
Rating: PG
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Horror
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A family gets caught in unbelievable events after a book unleashes Slappy the Ventriloquist Dummy, who has a deadly plot he plans to unleash upon the world.

Review:

Tim: I walked away from the original Goosebumps movie surprised that it was fairly decent. It didn't do enough to completely win me over, but it was better than expected. So, I went into the sequel with cautious optimism. Unfortunately, the sequel took a different route. I can only describe it as "Hey, the first movie did much better than expected! Let's not bring back the original cast and replace them with even more forgettable actors and give them a less effective script to work with!" That all being said, this movie still outperformed those limitations on it. It's clearly a step down from the first film, but it probably should have been much worse than it actually was.

I do have to discuss one minor irritant. The DVD and all the advertising I saw had this listed as Goosebumps 2. Makes sense. Then, when I logged into iMDb, I see that the title is actually Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween. I went back and forth on what to label this entry in The Movie Files, but I ultimately decided to include the subtitle, even though it is unbelievably stupid. First off, Goosebumps 2 is all you need to know about this film. The subtitle adds nothing to our understanding. Sure, it takes place during Halloween, but the events of the film would have been the same whether it took place in October or over Memorial Day. It's completely unnecessary and makes the whole thing less clean and clear. But, whatever. I'm just going to drop the subtitle as I refer to this film.

It's important to note that this movie is geared towards younger audiences and that also means we get a watered down, simplified film. It was possible to make this a movie that would appeal to preteens, teens, and even adults, but that would be too difficult. That does hurt the film, but I guess I understand targeting your demographic.

Part of the appeal of the first movie was nostalgia for the books incorporated into a big visual effects but safe horror movie for kids. That same approach is used here, once again fairly effectively. Younger viewers get to see some safe frights and chills, but it's also an adventure with comedic elements thrown in. We don't get enough PG horror films, so this movie gets some credit for that. The visual effects are fine. They sometimes get to be a bit much, but kids will probably enjoy scenes like the gummy bear one and some of the craziness that takes place throughout the town. Adults will be fairly bored, unfortunately.

The cast as a whole felt quite disappointing. It really felt like they purposely chose C-level talent to save on budget. I'm not sure what the casting director was thinking, but the cast felt instantly forgettable. Jeremy Ray Taylor might have had a few solid moments, but there wasn't a ton to get excited about. I'm trying to remember something specific to say about Madison Iseman's performance but I've got nothing. I felt bad for Ken Jeong, who feels stuck and neutered in a worthless performance. I was surprised that Jack Black was relegated to a pointless uncredited performance. He was instrumental to the original film working, so it was bizarre to have him show up at the end and do next to nothing. As a whole, this cast wasn't good.

Overall, Goosebumps 2 is okay. If you liked the first movie, this film might appeal to you. However, the flaws of the original are exasperated here. This is clearly a big step backwards and it puts the future of the franchise in jeopardy. This movie made just over half the domestic box office of the original, so viewers sensed a disappointment, too. I sincerely hope this doesn't become a trilogy, because I have so little hope that the third film would turn things around.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Goosebumps