Based on the best-selling series of books by U.S. author R.L. Stine, and following the eponymous TV series aired in the ‘90s, Goosebumps, directed by Rob Letterman (Gulliver’s Travels), is an entertaining 103 minutes geared towards tweens but it’s probably a tad scary for younger ones. Although it references characters from classic horror movies, which are fun to look for, it lacks the punch needed to make older kids and adults squirm in the dark.

Set in Georgia, USA, a teenage boy, Zach (Dylan Minnette), is trying to come to terms with a family move after the death of his father. Things pick up when he meets his pretty young neighbour, Hannah (Odeya Rush). The problem is her father happens to be R.L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of a series of books that give the reader… well, goosebumps! It turns out that Stine is a bit of a control freak (and he’s got good reasons to be one) and he warns Zach to keep well away from his daughter, or else.

When Zach breaks into his neighbour’s house, he inadvertently opens one of the author’s books and thus unleashes a paranormal realm which has been kept under lock and key by Stine in an attempt to protect the world from the monsters within. The writer is in fact a prisoner of his own imagination and now the trio, plus a new-found geek friend from school called Champ (Ryan Lee), must set out to capture the rampaging monsters, which include a particularly evil ventriloquists’ doll named Slappy (also Jack Black) and a rather weird bunch of aggressive gnomes, and return them to their imprisoning pages.

Goosebumps is not Oscar material but it delivers what it sets out to do… sort of. While there is enough mayhem and spookiness to pique one’s interest, it is not earth shatteringly good, even though Black gives a terrific performance as the madcap author and is ably supported by the trio of young, up-and-coming performers. There are a few other notable features of the film, namely Javier Aguirresarobe’s cinematography (Blue Jasmine / The Others), Danny Elfman’s musical score – Elfman is Tim Burton’s preferred composer and the creator of The Simpsons theme – and the SFX and visual effects.

Look out, too, for an appearance by R.L. Stine himself as a teacher named, what else but Mr. Black! It’s also interesting to note that this is the third collaboration between Rob Letterman and Jack Black, as they previously joined forces on Shark Tale and Gulliver’s Travels. If this movie achieves success at the box office, and based on the sales of the books it will, one can safely assume that there are more Goosebumps movies waiting in the wings.

// SALT

Previewed at Moonlight Open-Air Cinema, Centennial Park, Sydney, on 10 January 2016