Books on screen

Goosebumps

When I first heard there was a Goosebumps movie in the works, I wondered how it would work. There were so many Goosebumps books, how could they possibly pick one to adapt. No matter which one they selected some fan would be upset to have his/her favorite monster excluded. The solution really is ingenious. The movie features all of the monsters, all of the books. The plot of the movie, then, becomes a Goosebumps book itself. Just as the books were the perfect introduction to the horror fiction genre for kids, the movie is like a horror film with training wheels. It has the standard jump scares and romantic elements but with enough humor and lack of violence to be acceptable for preteens. It does suffer from some logical failings and a notable amount of overacting, so it may not hold up to multiple viewings but that was often true of the books as well.