Goosebumps

Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) is experiencing social angst as only a teenager can. He’s moved to a new town, must go to a new school where his mom (Amy Ryan) just got hired as assistant principal, and his only acquaintance is another friendless student (Ryan Lee). So naturally, he’s intrigued by his cute next door neighbor Hannah (Oedya Rush), whom he thinks is being abused by her strange, reclusive father (Jack Black). Based on the popular scary book seriesby R.L. Stine, Goosebumps is ready to reveal everyone’s secrets, and you can be sure monsters arenot far behind.

ClearPlay In Action!

There is some swearing and religious exclamations in Goosebumps. These are cut byClearPlay, as are some bodily functions and gross behavior. There are also plenty of frightening scenes that may scare younger viewers, involving garden trolls, a werewolf, a giant mantis, a ventriloquist’s dummy, and scads of other creepers. Most of it is benign and done with a sense of humor, and is okay for older pre-teens.

Will Goosebumps make my hair stand on end?...

The thrills in the movie probably won’t keep you awake at night (though it might do that to small-fries), but I found the story and characters more than a little funny. A witty, clever script, and some nice performances, kept me entertained, and sometimes that’s enough.

Marty Nabhan, ClearPlay Cinemaniac

Rated PG for scary and intense creature action and images, and for some rude humor; 103 mins; Directed by Rob Letterman