Film Review – Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween (2018)
You’re in for a fun scare when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment unleashes GOOSEBUMPS 2 on Digital on February 11 and on Blu-ray™and DVD February 18. Slappy, the devious ventriloquist dummy, returns to run amuck in this second instalment of the family-friendly franchise based on R.L. Stine’s beloved book series. Standing in Slappy’s way is a terrifyingly talented cast including Wendi McLendon-Covey (TV’s The Goldbergs), Madison Iseman (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), Jeremy Ray Taylor (It), Caleel Harris (Castle Rock), and Chris Parnell (Rick and Morty), with Ken Jeong (Crazy Rich Asians).
Synopsis
Be careful what you wish for. With their after-school junk business, best friends Sonny and Sam hope to find treasure in other people’s trash. But when cleaning out the old Stine house, they open a locked book that frees a supernatural nightmare – Slappy! Now, with the help of Sonny’s sister Sarah, they’re in a race against time to get the sinister dummy and all the creatures he’s brought to life back into the pages before he unleashes total pandemonium!
Review
Jack Black, one of the headline actors in the first film and who plays R.L. Stine, is uncredited in this movie and only appears at the end, even the voice of Slappy, the maleficent ventriloquist’s dummy is played by Mick Wingert.
The film starts as a stereotypical American teenage movie with mum (played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, who is just as funny in this film as she is in the hit TV series The Goldbergs), has to work late so it’s left to the older sister (Madison Iseman) to watch over her younger brother and his friend, who typically are being picked on by the school bully.
When the boys come across one of Stine’s book locked in a secret compartment of an abandoned house, they open it. This is where knowledge from the first film helps, as with the first film, whenever you open one of Stine’s locked books, the characters come to life. This book being no different brings Slappy to life.
This is an amusing film with quite a few laugh out loud moments. It’s not scary for younger viewers but is not ideal for those looking for a film to scare you or late teens who have seen it all before! This is not a horror, and judging by some of the reviews on IMDB, a few, I assume adults, have forgotten this.
This is a movie where you get the whole family round for a light-hearted evening of fun. Where good saves the day, the school bully is put in his place by the older sister and with lots of laughter along the way.
Based on the beloved Scholastic book series by R.L Stine, GOOSEBUMPS 2 was directed by Academy Award®-winner Ari Sandel (2005, Best Short Film-Live Action, West Bank Story) from a story by Rob Lieber and Darren Lemke and screenplay by Lieber. The film is produced by Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz and is executive produced by Timothy M. Bourne and Tania Landau. GOOSEBUMPS 2 is a Columbia Pictures, Scholastic Entertainment Inc./Silvertongue Films, Inc and Original Film production.
Rachael Jess
Adventure, Comedy | USA, 2018 | PG | 18th February 2019 (UK) | DVD. Blu-Ray, Digital Download | Sony Pictures HE | Dir.Ari Sandel | Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Ken Jeong
Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital* Bonus Materials Include:
• Deleted Scenes
• Gag Reel
• Thrills & Chills – The Making of Goosebumps 2
• Meet the Monsters
• Science with Slappy
• Slappy-Oke Sing-Alongs
• Slappy’s Audition
GOOSEBUMPS 2 has a run time of approximately 86 mins and is rated PG for scary creature action and images, some thematic elements, rude humour and language.
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