“Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” (2018)

Once upon a time, there was a film that came out that was surprisingly clever and entertaining called Goosebumps. Then 3 years later, a sequel was released. It was a lazy cash grab, and everything I feared the first film would be; uninspired, lame, and bland. Unlike the first film that was good enough to appeal beyond its target demographic, this movie seems designed to appeal only to young children. The jokes don’t land. The characters are boring. And it isn’t scary or creepy, even by the standards of kid’s films. There are some creative moments, and Jack Black, for the brief moments he’s onscreen, brings some fleeting life to this film, but this is a throwaway, soulless sequel that people will forget even exists.

Rating: 2/5