Goosebumps 3D Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
A teenager teams up with the daughter of young adult horror author R.L. Stine after the writer's imaginary demons are set free on the town of Madison, Delaware.
For more about Goosebumps 3D and the Goosebumps 3D Blu-ray release, see Goosebumps 3D Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on January 28, 2016 where this Blu-ray release scored 3.5 out of 5.
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words...oh my, the words." Imagine a writer's most vivid, horrifying creations literally coming
to life, forming from the very ink on the very pages on which they're described in great, terrible detail. Imagine further, dear readers, that these
literary beasts of all form and fear have chosen you as their very special prey. Picture great destruction, see pain and suffering, feel
the goosebumps rising from head to toe. From the mind of R.L. Stine and the skillful craftsmen at Sony Pictures comes Goosebumps, a
family-friendly Horror/Comedy film that tells the story of the time when they had their time, when the monsters, otherwise tucked away in
the musty pages of spine-tingling texts, heretofore avoidable by the simple act of slamming the book shut and securing it with lock and key, are freed
of their literary confines and let
loose in the real world. Director Rob Letterman's (Monsters vs. Aliens) film blends the real and the fantastical in a movie
that recalls Jumanji and Zathura, substituting board games with books but retaining that same
imaginative free-flow of ideas and humorous charm that result when man meets amazing.
Zach (Dylan Minnette) and his mother Gale (Amy Ryan) have just moved to Madison, Delaware via New York, though for Zach it may as well be
Nowhere, Deleware. Gale's landed a
new job as a vice principal at the local high school. Zach meets his new neighbor, Mr. Shivers (Jack Black), and it's not a cordial introduction.
Zach is bluntly told to stay on his side of the fence and keep away from Shivers' daughter Hannah (Odeya Rush). One evening, Zach believes he
hears a struggle
in the neighbors' house. He call the cops, but Shivers blames the ruckus on his surround sound system. Nevertheless, Zach and his new social
outcast friend Champ (Ryan Lee) sneak in to investigate. Inside the house, they discover dozens of original Goosebumps manuscripts,
the acclaimed childrens' Horror stories. But they're not simply bound pages. When opened, their most terrible creatures -- abominable snowmen,
werewolves, aliens, an oversized Praying Mantis, even an evil puppet -- come to life and wreak havoc on Madison. Now, Zach, Champ, and
Hannah, along with Shivers, who reveals himself to be none other than Author R.L. Stine himself, must find a way to stay alive and return the
creatures
from whence they came.
Pro-reading campaigns aimed at young readers often tout the written word's ability to transport the reader somewhere magical, unbelievable,
unusual,
fun, far-fetched, maybe even frightening, or in other words, to "the world of possible." But they didn't have this in mind! Fortunately, when the words of
make-believe meet the real
world, the result is only projected on the silver screen or displayed on the living room TV. Fear not, kids, those creepy gnomes or ambling zombies
won't really come out of the page. Promise. But they do come out of the page in Goosebumps, and even as the movie is largely a
product of prefabricated plot points -- there's really nothing novel here, beyond, of course, all the novels that comes to
life...and...terrorize...and...give the audience goosebumps! -- it understands the limits beyond its imagination and allows the monsters to do their
work as the heroes struggle to find a way to escape and, more important, figure out a way to get rid of them. The movie yields a very
straightforward
narrative -- beginning, middle, and twist, as Mr. Stine might say -- that introduces characters but, once that's done, sends a steady stream of Stine's most memorable monsters onto the screen. The film thrives on its over-the-top antics,
comedic thrills, and a steady serving of mild chills. What the movie lacks in narrative intrigue it more than makes up for in enthusiasm, which, in a
movie like this, really does trump all.
As a general rule in Goosebumps, characters feel overshadowed by the monsters, unlike Jumanji and Zathura, films in
which the characters felt more integral to the story, more organically developed, and directly involved. Here, the movie's linear chase elements
emphasize action and the creatures while the humans amount to little beyond the subject of the "twist" that's hinted at near the beginning and
slowly revealed in the final act. Character definition feels more indirectly
related, particularly as characters like Stine evolve throughout the movie, lost under the deluge of visual effects and the mayhem that follows
them everywhere they go around town. But it works well enough within the movie's context, needs, and wants. Jack Black, always stellar in his
work, is again excellent here in a part that, admittedly, doesn't stretch his acting chops in the least but that does allow him to demonstrate his
command of
subdued humor and personable antics (watch for a scene in which Black is tied up by tiny gnomes, reminiscent of his run-ins with the Lilliputians in
Gulliver's Travels, also directed by Goosebumps' Rob
Letterman). Dylan Minnette and Odeya Rush develop fair screen chemistry throughout that's challenged by a key plot point, one in which they
both handle well. Ryan Lee is the standout as the comic relief sidekick, Champ.
Goosebumps features a rather vanilla 3D presentation. Depth of field is fine in wider shots of open locations -- the school gymnasium, a
hockey rink, the streets of Madison -- but isn't quite as organically spacious as one might expect in closer quarters, like the family kitchen or even
Stine's study/writing room. Character and object volume never feels fully developed, at least well beyond the 2D image constraints. A few surprises
dot the movie as it toys with extra-dimensional bits that appear to extend out of the screen, but for the most part the transfer relies on basic depth and
little more. On the flip side, general attributes remain a strength and aren't all that far removed, if at all, from the 2D-only disc also included in this set. Fine object detail ranges from fair to
borderline striking, the latter of which dominates the experience.
Colors are noticeably, but in no way severely, dimmer in 3D. Brighter scenes remain the strong point, whether overhead greens to open the movie or a
myriad of shades at a brightly lit supermarket. Black levels retain a solid depth and darkness and flesh tones hold a trace excess of warmth.
Goosebumps 3D giveth depth, and it taketh depth away. Whereas the 2D-only disc contains a Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless
soundtrack, the 3D version of the film serves up only a less immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. It's an unfortunate compromise, adding visual
depth, as negligible as it may be, and reducing aural depth in return. So there's no definitive extra-dimensional version of Goosebumps, but
the good news is that the included 5.1 track is no slouch. While the differences, even between it and the 7.1 track, aren't substantial, they're
noticeable. The absence of the rear-middle surround channels creates not an empty vacuum but does lessen the sense of spatial immersion,
particularly evident in
the enveloping musical details but also in action where little nuances are crucial to fully appreciating the sound design and precise object placement.
But
in general, definition satisfies. Music spreads nicely across the front, hugs the rear left and right speakers, and offers nicely pronounced clarity. Action
effects are adequately robust and dynamically placed. Basic immersion is pleasing, depth of heavy sound satisfying, and clarity of individual sonic
signatures good all around. Weighty action scenes thrive within the 5.1 limits; LFE is deep and crashes and crunches hit hard and surround the listener.
Dialogue delivery remains clear and detailed in the front.
Goosebumps contains an alternate open, deleted scenes, several featurettes, early actor test footage, and more. A DVD copy of the film and
a
voucher for a UV digital copy are included with purchase. The only 3D-specific extras are 3D trailers for Pixels and Hotel Transylvania 2.
Cast Blooper Reel (1080p, 3:08).
Alternate Opening (1080p, 3:28).
Deleted Scenes (1080p): First Day of School (6:05), Kitchen Argument (0:55), Shivers at the Police Station
(2:05),
Lorraine Loses Zach (0:44), Flirting in the Car (0:39), Davidson and Abby (0:32), and Alternate Ending (2:03).
All About Slappy (1080p, 4:44): The puppet character Slappy recalls his own history in Stine's book series, while Stine and the film's
cast chime in with their
own thoughts. The piece also examines the character's design and construction for the movie.
Beginner's Guide to Surviving a Goosebumps Creature (1080p, 5:47): Zach and Champ share a few secrets on fighting off some of the
baddies that appear in the film.
Strange Things Are Happening...On-Set (3:30): Dylan Minnette chronicles some of the oddities that occurred on set during the shoot.
Creaturefied! (1080p, 8:56): Makeup Artists Steve Prouty and Fionagh Cush share some secrets behind their work on the movie and
how fans can recreate the visuals at home.
Cast Screen Test Gallery (1080i): Video clips featuring the cast in early rehearsals. Included are Dylan Minnette and Odeya
Rush (2:49), Jack Black, Dylan Minnette and Odeya Rush (1:30), Jack Black and Dylan Minnette 1 (2:24), and Jack Black
and Dylan Minnette 2 (0:45).
Goosebumps lives and dies by its enthusiasm for the material, which means that, for the most part, it thrives. Hardly a groundbreaking
picture in any way, lacking truly interesting characters, and featuring acceptably ho-hum visual effects, the movie has a lot working
against it, but that enthusiasm and honest acceptance of its narrative simplicity helps it climb out of a potentially deep and dark hole. Add in the
always entertaining Jack Black and a good surrounding roster and Goosebumps manages to entertain for the duration, which is all one can
really ask of a movie of this sort. Sony's Blu-ray 3D release delivers bland 3D video, a neutered audio track, and a bit of flimsy but audience-friendly
supplemental
content. Save a few dollars and buy the 2D version instead.
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For the week that ended on January 31st, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's Goosebumps went to the top of the Blu-ray-only and overall package-media sales rankings. This YA-horror feature - a semi-update of R.L. Stine's popular book series - was a modest success ...
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release on 3D Blu-ray Rob Letterman's Goosebumps (2015), starring Jack Black, Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush, Ryan Lee, and Jillian Bell. The release will be available for purchase on January 26, 2016.
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