Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 18, 2019

"Haunted Halloween," according to the film, is the first book R.L. Stine (Jack Black) ever wrote, penned when he was no older than the young teenagers who star in this film that bears the same name. Stine, as portrayed in the film, never finished the novel, which makes it a particularly dangerous book-to-life because an open-ended finale could lead anywhere, assuming one takes the time to write their own happily-ever-after, which for the devilsh dummy named Slappy means Halloween hell on Earth. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is not a direct sequel to the well received first film, which released in 2015, but it's a fun "universe" picture that toys with similar concepts and doesn't miss Jack Black in an expanded role. Director Ari Sandel (When We First Met) creates a relatively safe but generally fun family friendly adventure that's right in the Stine wheelhouse.

Best friends Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor) and Sam (Caleel Harris) do everything together, including operating a junk removal service that they treat as their own personal treasure hunts. One day, they are called in to haul away trash from a dark, rotted, cobweb-infested house that once belonged to none other than R.L. Stine, the prolific author of countless children's Horror novels. At the house, they literally find a treasure chest. Inside is a book that they eventually come to learn is Haunted Halloween, Stine's first, and unfinished, novel. They also meet a living dummy named Slappy (voiced by Mick Wingert) who attempts to get in the boys' good graces by performing unbelievable tasks, like instantly completing their homework for them or getting the best of a few bullies. But when it becomes clear that Slappy is up to no good, Sonny and Sam are forced to team up with Sonny's older sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) who just might find the inspiration she seeks for her college application essay when she finds herself in the middle of Halloween mayhem come to life as Slappy attempts to reshape the neighborhood, and finish Stine's story, to his benefit.

The film actually plays better in its first half, when the characters get to know Slappy and he causes mayhem in their lives, gradually at first and increasingly disruptive and violent later on. It’s a little less fun, a little more stock and streamlined, when the town is overrun by Halloween characters and costumes and odds and ends coming to life. It all ties together nicely enough and the special effects showing Halloween creatures come to life are quite good: a headless horseman, a huge balloon spider, witches and ghosts and goblins and garden gnomes and gummy bears. But the movie feels a little too linear and predictable. Taken at face value, though, most audiences will have a blast with the movie. It’s well paced and capably blends genuine character moments with dazzling visual effects.

The cast is very good. Jeremy Ray Taylor, who could pass for a young Jack Black (so much so that, just looking at the Blu-ray cover art, this reviewer thought maybe he was playing a young R.L. Stine in the movie, whom Black plays in the series), carries the character with as much depth as the script allows. His character is a bullying victim but not portrayed as a completely helpless wimp, either, which gives him a little more believable command of himself and his actions when the chips are down in the final act. Caleel Harris is well cast as Sonny's friend Sam, as is Madison Iseman as Sonny's sister Sarah. Each character is stock; all of them seem pulled from stock character shelves, notably Sarah who spends the movie fretting over college applications and her love life. She bookends the films as a college applicant struggling with the required essay, which of course tasks her with writing about a time she was frightened. Characters aren't special, but they fold into the movie well enough. Jack Black makes a cameo later in the film as R.L. Stine, and the ever reliable Ken Jeong steals every scene in which he appears as an eccentric Halloween decorator and secret Stine fan. The film unsurprisingly shines brightest in Black's and Jeong's scenes, but the film's isn't worse for their absence the rest of the time.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween was digitally photographed, reportedly at resolutions of 2.8K and 3.4K. The movie was subsequently finished at 2K. Though an upscaled 4K UHD release, the image is quite good and offers a healthy boost in clarity and color over the still excellent 1080p Blu-ray. The UHD delivers a texturally fruitful image that in most scenes nearly passes for film quality and presentation. One of the best looking scenes comes right at the end, the characters assembled outside of a red brick structure. It's very organic in appearance, tack sharp, and effortlessly detailed and clear. The characters, their clothes, and the environment around them look strikingly rich, from the screen-dominating building to overgrown weeds and paved ground. The UHD's increase in raw definition is not substantial over the Blu-ray, but it is enough to take notice. General character closeups do reveal a modest increase in visibility, whether considering intimate facial features or clothing fabrics.

The HDR10 color enhancement is where the image more obviously differentiates itself from the Blu-ray. The UHD offers a more brilliant palette. It teeters on appearing a little too artificially bright and glossy in a few places but the improvements to depth and saturation are welcome, both in more generalized uses (those aforementioned red bricks, natural greenery, or blue school lockers) or more interesting examples of intense color, notably in the third act when various Halloween characters and decorations come to life. Witches with boldly green and glowing heads offer a brilliant intensity that is more purely satisfying on HDR UHD than it is on SDR Blu-ray. Halloween oranges are more fruitfully dense and intense. Electric blues (electricity plays a big part in the movie) also enjoy increased dazzle. Black levels are terrific and the HDR colors help solidify flesh tones, offering a slightly more healthy and organic shade than the Blu-ray can produce. As with the BD, noise is minimal and other source or encode issues are not readily apparent.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Unlike the companion day-and-date Blu-ray which features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, Sony's UHD release of Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is headlined by a Dolby Atmos soundtrack. The extra channels within the Atmos configuration do together offer some added liveliness and immersion in the film's generally boisterous and very active sound elements. Big swirling sounds when Slappy summons some new companions in the Halloween isle at a pharmacy in chapter eight kicks off a fairly steady barrage of fluid, active, and high energy dominant sounds, with various sweeps and swoops and all sorts of chaos spilling from every channel but also traversing through the speakers with impressive ease and precision of movement. Whether taking place during a Gummy Bear attack sequence in a living room in chapter 10 or when various sound details define the chaos erupting outside in the neighborhood, the track offers a nearly endless assortment of enjoyable, rowdy effects and music that pull the listener squarely into the middle of the madness. Discrete overhead effects are not prominent, but the top end does fold nicely into the mix, adding some much appreciated depth and additional detail to score and effects alike, again particularly in that chaotic, sonically relentless third act. The track does lack thunderous bass, whether in support of music or effects, which is the only real downside. Less intense atmospheric supports bear the fruits of the added location detail, such as rustling leaves and wind and slight ominous thunder in chapter eight after Sonny, Sarah, and Sam attempt to get rid of Slappy once and for all. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized, and firmly planted in the center unless the location demands some light reverb.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release of Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween contains no extras on the UHD disc; all supplemental content can be found on the bundled Blu-ray. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 2:19 total runtime): Included are Tommy the Ice Skater, Mr. Chu's Porch, and Pumpkin Man.
• Gag Reel! (1080p, 2:37): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Thrills & Chills - The Making of Goosebumps 2 (1080p, 9:56): This supplement explores the basics: story, setting, cast and characters, Ari Sandel's work as director, Tesla's place in the film, and more.
• Meet the Monsters (1080p, 8:32): A closer look at monster diversity, design, construction, and implementation into the movie.
• Science with Slappy (1080p): A five-part feature. Each section features Slappy and the main cast either conducting some science experiments that in some way relate to the film or explaining some scientific truths. These are educationally oriented with a humorous bend. Included are The Scientific Method & Gummy Bears (4:15), Light It Up with a Tesla Coil (1:36), Static Electricity Ghosts (1:37), What Gives Us Goosebumps (0:47), and Chemical Reactions & Slime (3:17).
• Slappy-Oke Sing Alongs (1080p): Slappy sings some songs which are based on the movie. Included are Take Me Out of the Manuscript (1:37), Where Is Slappy? (1:30), and Holiday Slappy-Oke: Slappy Spells! (1:14).
• Junk Brothers - Call Now! (1080p, 1:13): Sonny and Sam make a commercial for their junk removal business.
• Slappy's Audition (1080p, 2:00): The puppet auditions for his own role, and he's a shoe-in unless Daniel Day-Lewis is brought in to play the part.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween is, without a doubt, a superfluous sequel, but it's also proof that superfluous can be satisfyingly fun. The films sticks with tried-and-true formula but works thanks to surprisingly good characters, solid story building through the first half, and some impressive digital work and works of wonder in the third act, including a giant, living Halloween spider made of purple and black balloons. The film doesn't push any boundaries, but it's confident in its ability to entertain, which is does from beginning to end. Sony's UHD delivers impressive 4K video, a fine Atmos soundtrack, and a nice little collection of extras. Recommended.