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The firstGoosebumpsmovie, adapted liberally from author R.L.
Stines immensely popular kid-lit series,felt like a minor magic trickin that regard.
It replicates the template and the atmosphere of the original, but it lacks invention and emotional investment.
But the pieces seem to be there, at first.
The town of Wardenclyffe, New York, is a promisingly creepy little hamlet.
Oh, and R.L.
Then they accidentally bring Stines signature villain, the pissy, petulant ventriloquists dummy Slappy, to life.
He not only wants his own family, he wants his own town.
Like I said:promising.
The chaos isnt chaotic enough, and the monsters not particularly monstrous.
Meanwhile, Slappys wise-ass remarks dont land the way they did before.
The movie feels undercooked on every level.
At moments like these,Goosebumps 2briefly provides a glimpse of the movie it should have been all along.
The finale promises a sequel; lets hope they get it right next time.
