“Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” is one of those sequels where the first movie gets retold in a new way, but bigger and crazier than before. Except for the “bigger and crazier” part.
That first “Goosebumps” movie still feels like an instant cult classic, with earnest characters and an imaginative storyline that never skimps on the scares. “Goosebumps 2” plays like a somewhat ambitious straight-to-video retread. The script is more contrived than ever, the characters are largely underwritten, and the monsters look cheap and get very little to do.
That’s not to say that “Goosebumps 2” is entirely without its charms. As directed by Ari Sendal (“The Duff”), the film keeps its low-key, harmless energy at a steady simmer. Every once in a while a joke is funnier than you might expect, or a monster looks surprisingly spooky, but overall this is a safe, by the numbers Halloween family film. Imagine “Hocus Pocus,” without the interesting parts.
“Goosebumps 2” kicks off with Sarah (Madison Iseman, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”), a teenager writing her college essay about a time when she overcame her fears. She can’t think of an example yet. You might want to start taking notes, because that part’ll be important later.
Meanwhile, Sarah’s younger brother Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor, “It”) and his best friend Sam (Caleel Harris, “Castle Rock”) have started their own junk-removal business. They forgot to ask for money, but who cares! They get to keep all the neat junk they find, like a mysterious book written by R.L. Stine and a ventriloquist’s doll named Slappy (voiced by Jack Black).
Slappy comes to life, pulls their bully’s pants down, and develops a disturbing fixation on Sarah and Sonny’s mother, Kathy (Wendi McLendon-Covey). It’s kind of like “The Stepfather,” if Terry O’Quinn was an evil doll who wanted to be the little brother instead of the dad (which is admittedly still super-mega-creepy).
The rest of the plot finds Slappy using his magical powers to bring classic “Goosebumps” monsters to life. He also uses an old dilapidated Nikola Tesla lightning tower to animate the city’s Halloween decorations so they can… futz around, apparently? They’re kinda scary, but they have no plan, and they don’t seem to be seriously hurting anybody. (And yes, you read that right: “Goosebumps 2” is technically “Teslapunk.”)
There’s a lot that’s perfectly adequate about “Goosebumps 2,” but there’s so much that doesn’t work, like distracting logical gaps and a frustrating lack of tension. Sometimes those two problems collide, like when our young heroes discover that R.L. Stine’s book, as in the previous film, can suck monsters safely back into their fictional world. So nothing should be a threat to them ever again. But everyone forgets to use the book for a while, and for no particular reason, and 60 seconds after they remember, they lose it again. What a thrill.
“Goosebumps 2” doesn’t have the epic scale that the first film played with, even though it’s also about a town overrun with monsters. Some of the creatures are inventive — like a giant spider made out of balloons — but most of them are familiar, the mayhem is ho-hum, and the visual effects are sometimes subpar. At least two or three shots of Slappy look like they may not have even been completely finished, because the computer-generated creation definitely doesn’t look like he belongs in the same physical reality as the human characters.
Iseman, Taylor and Harris do the best they can with their underdeveloped roles, but not enough can be said of how much McLendon-Covey brings to “Goosebumps 2.” She seems to understand that at the center of these fantastical stories about adolescent kids having secret adventures, there’s always a parent who’s missing out on the most wonderful time in their lives. The “Goldbergs” star demonstrates at every turn that although Kathy is funny, she’s also perpetually she’s driven by difficult responsibilities and not having actual fun. Moreso than any other performer in “Goosebumps 2,” McLendon-Covey overcomes the screenplay’s generic archetypes and makes the character feel genuine and intriguing.
But aside from her performance and a handful of unexpectedly eerie shots, “Goosebumps 2” is a major step down for this burgeoning franchise. Perhaps the first film raised the bar a little too high, and maybe any sequel would have trouble reaching it. But even so, one would hope they’d try a little harder. R.L. Stine wrote 62 beloved books of children’s horror fiction in the “Goosebumps” series alone. How did Hollywood run out of ideas over the course of only two films?
We may never know the answer, so for now we have to take what we’ve got: a mediocre, mostly harmless kids flick that will entertain audiences with modest expectations, but which probably won’t linger in anyone’s memory like the original “Goosebumps” movie. Or the books. Or the TV series. Or “Mostly Ghostly.” Or “Fear Street.” Or “The Nightmare Room.” Or…
37 Fall Movies to Obsess Over, From 'Halloween' to 'Mary Poppins Returns' (Photos)
Coming in hot -- and in arguably much higher volume than this past summer -- are a slew of autumn movies to be psyched about. From Halloween-time horror to Oscar hopefuls, browse through for TheWrap's list of the most anticipated new 35 fall movies worth obsessing over.
Sept. 7: "The Nun"
"The Conjuring" is one of the most popular horror movie franchises out there, and "The Nun" spinoff is only looking to elevate the series.
New Line
Sept. 14: "The Predator"
Though it was always billed as a reboot, director Shane Black has stressed that his movie “The Predator” is closer to a sequel, actually expanding on the backstory of the Predator aliens seen in the first two Arnold Schwarzenegger films. And while it includes the likes of Boyd Holbrook ("Narcos") Trevante Rhodes (“Moonlight”) and Thomas Jane, early looks at ComicCon highlighted Black’s sense of humor as well, with Keegan Michael-Key and Olivia Munn doing some heavy lifting.
Fox
Sept. 14: "Lizzie"
The new take on the Lizzie Borden murders, starring Kristen Stewart and Chloe Sevigny, captivated fans at the Sundance Film Festival.
Roadside Attractions
Sept. 21: "Maniac"
Jonah Hill and Emma Stone reunite after 2008's "Superbad" for Netflix's "Maniac," about two people who are persuaded to participate in a pharmaceutical trial that will change their lives forever.
Netflix
Sept. 21: "Fahrenheit 11/9"
Alluding to his 2004 documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11," Michael Moore's upcoming documentary takes aim at Donald Trump in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.
Getty Images
Sept. 21: "Colette"
Keira Knightley plays the real-life French writer who publishes her works under her husband's name -- and then defies early 20th century norms with gender-bending affairs. "Colette" was all the rage at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.
Bleecker Street
Sept. 21: "Assassination Nation"
Another movie that made waves at Sundance, this film sold to the Russo brothers and Neon for a whopping $10 million, and follows a small town that absolutely loses its mind. Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Suki Waterhouse, Bill Skarsgard and Bella Thorne star.
Neon
Oct. 5: "Venom"
Tom Hardy steps into the role of Venom, one of the most popular characters from Spider-Man's rogues gallery. Thanks to incredible effects, Venom looks like he literally stepped out of the pages of the Marvel comics. Sony rebranded all its Spider-Man characters into "Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters" with Venom leading the charge.
Sony
Oct. 5: "A Star Is Born"
Bradley Cooper! Lady Gaga! Bradley Cooper SINGING (and directing for the first time)! We get it all in this movie.
Warner Bros.
Oct. 12: "First Man"
Damien Chazelle's follow-up to "La La Land" reteams him with Ryan Gosling, who plays the moonwalking astronaut Neil Armstrong.
Universal
Oct. 12: "Bad Times at the El Royale"
Drew Goddard directs this ensemble cast of, well, beautiful people. Chris Hemsworth, Jon Hamm and Dakota Johnson star in the thriller about seven strangers meeting in a rundown hotel.
Fox
Oct. 12: "Beautiful Boy"
Timothée Chalamet captured everyone's hearts with last year's "Call Me by Your Name," and early critics have been raving about the movie that looks at the experience of struggling with addiction over many years. Steve Carell also stars as his dad.
Amazon
Oct. 19: "Halloween"
A reboot of John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic of the same name? Count us in! David Gordon Green directs, with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode.
Universal
Oct. 19: "The Hate U Give"
“The Hate U Give” may end up being one of the timeliest movies of the year. This adaptation of Angie Thomas’s young adult novel of the same name follows an African American teen turned activist after she witnesses her friend shot and killed by a white police officer. Amandla Stenberg plays Starr Carter opposite a great cast including Regina Hall, Anthony Mackie, Issa Rae, Common and Russell Hornsby.
Fox
Nov. 2: "Bohemian Rhapsody"
The film has been in the news a lot, for good and bad -- director Bryan Singer was fired and replaced by Dexter Fletcher, for one. But the movie amped up anticipation again with the first trailers in which star Rami Malek looks identical to Freddie Mercury. The casting couldn't have been better.
Fox
Nov. 2: "Suspiria"
To be honest, Luca Guadagnino's upcoming remake of Dario Argento's creepy horror movie "Suspiria" has been haunting us for months with stills, teasers and most recently, its first trailer. Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton star.
Amazon
Nov. 2: "Boy Erased"
Joel Edgerton returns to direct "Boy Erased," which stars Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Edgerton himself. It follows Jared (Hedges), a teen sent by his conservative religious parents to a gay conversion therapy program.
Focus
Nov. 9: "The Girl in the Spider's Web"
Claire Foy is stepping into the role of goth hacker Lisbeth Salander, previously played by Rooney Mara, in this highly anticipated sequel to "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."
Sony
Nov. 9: "Overlord"
Although J.J. Abrams said "Overlord" will not be part of the "Cloverfield" franchise, we're still excited -- the film follows American soldiers who discover secret Nazi experiments.
Paramount
Nov. 16: "Widows"
Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Erivo play women who kick ass after their late husbands leave them deeply in debt to crime lords.
Fox
Nov. 16: "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald"
Given the huge fan base of the "Harry Potter" franchise, anticipation for the second film in the prequel series is high. This time, we'll see Jude Law taking on the role of young Dumbledore alongside Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander.
Warner Bros
Nov. 21: "Green Book"
Peter Farrelly, of “There’s Something About Mary” fame, may seem like an odd choice for a biopic resembling “Driving Miss Daisy” and two Oscar nominees. But “Green Book” plays on the humor and true story drama between pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his driver Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a surly, Italian American former bouncer. Set during a tour of the South in the ‘60s, “Green Book” probes themes of race as well as friendship.
Universal
Nov. 21: "Creed II"
2015's "Creed" made a huge dent, both critically and commercially, and even scored Sylvester Stallone a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Academy. We can't wait to see what Michael B. Jordan and new director Steven Caple Jr. cook up in the sequel.
Warner Bros./MGM
Nov. 21: "Ralph Breaks the Internet"
Six years after "Wreck-It Ralph," John C. Reilly reprises his role in the animated feature. Gal Gadot, Kristen Bell, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lunch, Taraji P. Henson and Mandy Moore are also lending their voices to the movie.
Disney
Nov. 23: "The Favourite"
"Maniac" isn't the only film Emma Stone will star in this fall -- she will also play a servant in Yorgos Lanthimos' follow-up to "The Killing of a Sacred Deer." Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Nicholas Hoult also star in this period drama about a royal love triangle.
Fox Searchlight
Nov. 23: "Shoplifters"
Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s thoughtful and often heartwarming family dramas have long been a staple of Cannes and the art-house circuit, but his latest, “Shoplifters,” finally won him the Palme D’Or at Cannes last May. It tells of a family of small-time thieves who find a missing child on the street and welcome her into their home, only to have their shoplifting habits come under the microscope.
Gaga Corporation
Nov. 30: "If Beale Street Could Talk"
All eyes are on Barry Jenkins after the Best Picture-winning success of his 2016 film “Moonlight.” His follow-up, which he writes and directs, is an adaptation of a 1974 novel by James Baldwin in which a Harlem woman named Tish (newcomer KiKi Layne) tries to prove that her imprisoned fiancé is innocent while pregnant with their child.
Annapurna
Dec. 7: "Mary Queen of Scots"
Early photos of Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie as royal cousins amped up anticipation for the historical drama scripted by Beau Willimon ("House of Cards").
Focus
Dec. 14: "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse"
"Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" will introduce audiences to Miles Morales, who took over as Spider-Man after the death of Peter Parker -- in an animated film from producers Christopher Miller and Phil Lord as well as director Bob Persichetti. Miles Morales is voiced by Shameik Moore.
Sony
Dec. 19: "Mary Poppins Returns"
After Julie Andrews played the famous nanny in the 1964 classic, Emily Blunt will step into the magical shoes, opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Julie Walters.
Disney
Dec. 21: "Aquaman"
Jason Momoa is back in a standalone film about the DC Comics hero. Prolific director James Wan, who is the mastermind behind the "Conjuring" and "Saw" franchises, is directing.
Warner Bros.
Dec. 21: "Bumblebee"
“Bumblebee” isn’t just the first “Transformers” spinoff but also the first in the franchise to be directed by someone other than Michael Bay. This prequel, set in the 1980s, has a lot to prove. Travis Knight, a veteran of the stop-motion animated films like “Kubo and the Two Strings," makes his live-action debut.
Paramount
Dec. 21: "Cold War"
Pawel Pawlikowski's follow-up to his 2013 Best Foreign Language Oscar winner "Ida" is a searing love story that plays out over 10 years amid the, well, Cold War in 1950s Poland and Paris. Ten different chapters offer glimpses at the rough love between a conductor (Tomasz Kot) and his ingénue (Joanna Kulig). An unforgiving, stylish and cynical lens make Pawlikowski's cursed lovers all the more watchable.
Cannes
Dec. 21: "Alita: Battle Angel"
Robert Rodriguez directs this adaptation of a beloved Japanese manga about a kickass cyborg (played by Rosa Salazar in motion-capture) who doesn't remember her origins.
Dec. 25: "On the Basis of Sex"
In the midst of the #MeToo movement, Focus is releasing a biopic starring Felicity Jones as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who authored majority opinions such as "United States v. Virginia," which struck down any law that would allow only men to be admitted into schools.
Focus
Dec. 21: "Welcome to Marwen"
Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of the remarkable 2010 documentary "Marwencol" follows Steve Carell as a man who suffers a brutal attack and then spends his days re-creating a WWII-era village.
Universal
Dec. 25: "Destroyer"
The first image for Karyn Kusama's "Destroyer" was recently released, amping up anticipation for the director's follow up to "The Invitation."
Annapurna
1 of 38
The season starts with ”The Nun“ and ends with Nicole Kidman’s ”Destroyer“
Coming in hot -- and in arguably much higher volume than this past summer -- are a slew of autumn movies to be psyched about. From Halloween-time horror to Oscar hopefuls, browse through for TheWrap's list of the most anticipated new 35 fall movies worth obsessing over.