GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN (2018) Reviews and overview

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Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is a 2018 American comedy horror film directed by Ari Sandel from a screenplay by Rob Lieber, based on the Goosebumps books by R.L. Stine, and produced by Deborah Forte and Neal H. Moritz. It is obviously a sequel to Goosebumps (2015).

The movie stars Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Caleel Harris, Chris Parnell and Ken Jeong. Jack Black makes a cameo appearance as R.L. Stine.

Plot:

In the small town of Wardenclyffe on Halloween Night, two boys named Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) find a manuscript in an abandoned house that was previously owned by R. L. Stine called “Haunted Halloween.”

When they open it, they release Slappy (Avery Lee Jones) who plans to create the Halloween Apocalypse with the help of his Halloween monster allies. Now, Sonny and Sam, alongside Sonny’s sister, Sarah (Madison Iseman), must work to thwart Slappy’s plot before all is lost….

Reviews:

“The horror sequences, such as they are, are mostly timid, but could prove to be a tad unnerving for the little ones. I’ll admit there is one sequence, set inside a department store, that even creeped me out slightly. (It involves Chris Parnell!) You don’t come to a movie like this for jolts, however, you come for carefree Halloween mayhem, and on that front you can’t be disappointed.” Eric Walkuski, Arrow in the Head

” …quite good fun, and for the first hour in particular, it works. The efforts of its cast, the lean running time and the energetic pacing stand it in good stead. Furthermore, it never gets bogged down a la The House with a Clock in Its Walls. It’s light enough to speed forward, even when there doesn’t appear to be much story fuel to help it.” Simon Bew, Den of Geek!

“Yielding fewer jolts and giggles than its predecessor, the results play more like functionally programmed babysitting software than any work of the imagination. Not for the first time in recent years, accompanying adults of a certain age may find themselves pining for the heyday of Joe Dante.” Mike McCahill, The Guardian

“It’s not as clever or engaging as the first Goosebumps, and nowhere near Halloween classics like Monster House, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or ParaNorman. But striking the right balance of silly and scary makes it trick or treat-worthy, the cinematic equivalent of a fun-size candy bar.” Nell Minow, RogerEbert.com

Cast and characters:

  • Wendi McLendon-Covey … Kathy Quinn
  • Madison Iseman … Sarah Quinn
  • Jeremy Ray Taylor … Sonny Quinn – IT
  • Caleel Harris … Sam Carter
  • Chris Parnell … Walter
  • Ken Jeong … Mr. Chu
  • Avery Lee Jones … the voice of Slappy the Dummy
  • Jack Black … R.L. Stine

Release:

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween was released in North America on October 12 , 2018

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