By Melissa Antoinette Garza
As a teen, I loved Fear Street books. I owned them all. I still own a few and read them on occasion for fun. I’d also get the Goosebumps books, but FS was just a tad edgier. The Goosebumps show, however was right up my alley and I enjoyed it immensely. It was silly,but daring enough to pull off some decent pre-teen scares.
When the first flick was released, I didn’t have too much interest in it. The special effects from the trailer turned me off. I fully admit that I was wrong and that flick was killer. I loved it. Jack Black is a cool dude. He’s forgiven for SHALLOW HAL (2001).
Now, I’m back or a second round. I didn’t expect too much going in. Being a sequel to a family film, I didn’t know the route of production or plot. I jumped in blindly and once again, I’m impressed.
The production opens with best friends Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) who are young kids that have a side cleaning business. They’re bullied in school and seemingly only have one another to hang with.
Sonny’s older sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) has her own problems. She is struggling thru a college essay and a two-timing scumbag boy named Tyler (Bryce Cass). I don’t like Tyler or his stupid Jonas Brothers’ haircut.
While cleaning, Sonny and Sam come across an unfinished book of R.L. Stine’s. They open it which releases the little wooden ventriloquist puppet Slappy (Mick Wingert). I love Slappy. I’m totally on his team. He just wants a family. He immediately starts helping Sonny and Sam out. He takes out their bullies for them and then he breaks pretty boy Tyler’s neck. I guess no pretty girl is going to be able to give you hickeys now when poor Sarah is watching on, you son-of-a-bitch! I don’t know why I have this much hatred for that teen boy, but I swear if Jason Voorhees showed up and chopped him to pieces I would have been cheering. The character is like if Robin Thicke and Louis C.K. had a kid. Kudos to Cass because his job was to make me hate him and he did a splendid job, but seriously fuck Tyler!
My issues with Sarah, Sonny and Sam arise when they screw over Slappy. Slappy helps Sonny with his science experiment regarding Tesla and it results in a fire. This is enough for all three of those ingrates to turn on him.
They throw him in a lake. Thankfully, Slappy survives and then goes around town and starts fucking shit up, but still – that was HARSH! When Slappy realizes his siblings are douches, he decides to create a new family. He goes to the Halloween costume sections in stores and to lawn ornaments and decorations. He uses a curse to bring them alive and to wreak havoc on the town. Next, he kidnaps mother (Wendi McLendon-Covey). Kathy is a single-mom to Sonny and Sarah. She’s run ragged and has a prelude style flirtation happening with pharmacy cashier Walter (Chris Parnell). Things are going okay for her other than her kids constantly getting in trouble.
Slappy wants Kathy to be his mom. He does the rational thing and turns her into a human puppet. Poor Slappy. I love Slappy. He has all the monsters doing his bidding. He turns Walter into a hunchback helper eager to please. Everything is going splendidly, but Sonny, Sam and Sarah keep trying to stop him.
They enlist the help of their neighbor and Goosebumps fan, Mr. Chu (Ken Jeong). He gives them disguises and a few tips. R.L. Stine (Jack Black) also gets wind of the nightmare going on and heads over to help.
In the end, Slappy is right – the kids are wrong – and the movie just doesn’t know it. Still, there is a killer and suitable final scene that gives Slappy the respect he deserves
I didn’t expect to have much fun with this. I popped $1.75 over to REDBOX to give it a go and to have a modern review to do, but kudos. Effort was put in and it shows. The cast was great, the tone fitting, and the story was a fun one.
Whether or not you have kids, if you’re looking for a cool colorful ride with a good flow to it, you could do worse than GOOSEBUMPS 2.
Scared Stiff Rating: 7/10
