"Goosebumps" Is Spooky Fun for the Whole Family

     It's October which means most people will be breaking out their favorite scary movies to watch in anticipation for Halloween. It also means there will be some new spooky flicks to see during the month as well. This week's Crimson Peak and Goosebumps kicks things off with Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, The Last Witch Hunter (which probably isn't a horror movie, but there are witches in it so it counts), and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (yes, that's a real movie coming out) waiting in the shadows. There are a few choices in there that will more than likely wet your whistle this Halloween season, both family-friendly and not. Goosebumps will definitely serve as a welcomed appetizer to a month of scary flicks.

   Based on the beloved children's horror books by author R. L. Stine, Goosebumps is a wholesome, spooky, fun film that the entire family will enjoy. The movie follows high school student Zach (Dylan Minnette) and his vice principle mother Gale (Amy Ryan) as they move to the East Coast. Zach learns his new neighbors are the infamous R.L. Stine himself as well as his daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush). When the writer's imaginary monsters are accidentally set loose on the town, it's up to Zach, Hannah, Stine, and quirky side-kick Champ (Ryan Lee) to try and return the monsters to the manuscripts they sprung out of. It's a wonderfully paced movie with lots of laughs and spooky moments that, again, the whole family will enjoy.

   Jack Black plays Stine and he's always a hoot. The acting overall in the movie isn't bad. They do a pretty good job at not over-doing it, which could easily be done with a premise such as this. Even the sidekick Champ (short for Champion. Yes, his parents named him Champion), who is a sissified idiot doesn't come off as annoying or too silly. Most of the monsters are CGI, and they don't look all that bad. As a fan of the books growing up, it was fun to see these characters come to life. The story is fairly straight-forward and moves along at a decent pace. It can be predictable at times, but that's okay. There's a charm about Goosebumps that makes it fun and safe.

   Like I mentioned early, I grew up reading these books. I owned a lot of them. R.L. Stine has sold more books than most writers ever have, and he's been pumping out Goosebumps books for over 20 years and kids today still read them. I couldn't help but smile as the kids sitting behind me in the theater, who couldn't have been older than 8 or 9, were able to name the monsters before the movie let you know who they were. During the end credits there's a montage of images made up of classic Goosebumps cover art and those same kids were rattling off the titles of the books as the creepy, iconic images passed by. R. L. Stine has resonated with children for years, and it was his books that--looking back now--has served as my first real sources of inspiration as an aspiring writer. This movie is a wonderful homage to those classic stories with unforgettable characters. It will delight fans both young and old as well as anyone who hasn't read a Goosebumps book at all. It's a family film that does what it needs to, and that is entertain. I highly recommend this movie.

  And for the love of all that is good in this world, avoid Pan if you haven't seen it yet and go see Goosebumps instead. Trust me.