Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween Blu-ray Review

The video presentation of "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" on Blu-ray is commendable, delivering a robust 1080p transfer that excels in clarity and vibrancy. From the outset, colors are bold and vivid, with saturated Halloween oranges, purples, and blues coming through impressively. The film's digital shoot ensures a clean, crystal-clear 2.39:1 image that maintains superb detail and clarity in all scenes, notably during physical creature effects. Slappy and other monster costumes are rendered with precise detail, showcasing excellent character textures and environmental elements like old woods and cobwebs in the Stine house.

Black levels are exceptional, offering deep, inky blacks without significant issues of black crush or banding—typical of Sony releases. Nights and shadowy scenes maintain impressive depth and stability, enhancing the overall viewing experience. Flesh tones are generally natural, although some scenes, particularly nighttime settings or high-lit situations, exhibit slightly washed-out faces. Despite this minor inconsistency, the transfer remains top-tier with rich environmental textures and consistent visual quality across frames. Noise is minimal, with no noticeable encode flaws making this release a visual treat for viewers.

Overall, "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" achieves a very high standard for Blu-ray video quality. Neon greens, vibrant store interiors, and the blue bolts of Tesla electricity enrich the visual palette, keeping viewers engaged throughout. The transfer's clarity reveals intricate production details, ensuring that the spooky atmosphere of the film is rendered with maximum impact. Despite minor CGI bleed and occasional banding, this Blu-ray presentation stands out as another sterling release from Sony, perfect for home theater enthusiasts seeking a top-flight visual experience.

The Blu-ray release of "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, diverging from the Dolby Atmos track offered on the UHD version. Despite the apparent downgrade, the 5.1 mix holds its own, providing a rich and engaging auditory experience. The soundstage is broad, with exceptional musical fidelity that brings out the eerie "haunted house" ambiance through clear, organic-sounding instruments like synthesizers and organs. Action-packed sequences ignite the LFE channel, delivering dynamic thudding footsteps, crackling lightning, and other immersive sonic elements that place listeners at the heart of the action. Dialogue remains clear and upfront throughout, maintaining a balanced integration with the soundtrack.

Surround activity is noteworthy for effectively crafting a three-dimensional audio environment. The surround channels deliver well-integrated and sweeping effects, enhancing the overall immersion—particularly during the more chaotic scenes where monsters attack and objects zip across the sound field. Specific scenes, like the dance party in chapter four, exhibit impressive musical command, albeit occasionally lacking the aggressive depth seen with Atmos mixes. Nonetheless, there are several examples of tasteful sonic detailing, such as Sonny's Tesla presentation in chapter seven and atmospheric elements like blowing wind and school hallway sounds. Even without the Atmos track, this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix efficiently utilizes its available channels, ensuring a robust audio experience evidenced by seamless movement and pinpoint positioning throughout.

While some Atmos enthusiasts might feel a slight deficit in comparison to the object-based audio effects of the UHD counterpart, the Blu-ray’s DTS-HD MA track is far from disappointing. It offers clear dialogue, effective low-end support during pivotal moments, and active use of sound effects and score to keep viewers engrossed. If Atmos is not within your current setup capabilities, this track still ensures a highly enjoyable and technically sound auditory experience.

The Blu-ray extras for "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" deliver a mix of fun and informative content, spotlighting the film's creative process and offering several engaging featurettes for viewers. Deleted scenes and a gag reel provide additional amusement, while making-of features like "Thrills & Chills" and "Meet the Monsters" dive into the storytelling, directing, and stunning practical effects. The educationally inclined "Science With Slappy" mixes humor with accessible science experiments related to the film. Lastly, Slappy's unique "audition" and sing-alongs add a quirky flair. Overall, these extras, though varied in depth, add appreciable value to the Blu-ray.

Extras included in this disc:

• Gag Reel: Humorous moments from the shoot.
• Three Deleted Scenes: Includes Tommy the Ice Skater, Mr. Chu's Porch, and Pumpkin Man.
• Thrills & Chills – The Making of Goosebumps 2: Behind-the-scenes exploration of the movie.
• Meet The Monsters: Insight into monster design and execution.
• Science With Slappy: Fun scientific experiments related to the film.
• Junk Brothers – Call Now: Commercial clip for Sonny and Sam’s business.
• Slappy's Audition: Puppet Slappy auditions for his role.
• Three Slappy-Oke Sing Alongs: Songs performed by Slappy.

"Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" follows the classic Goosebumps formula but fails to reach the heights of its predecessor. The film, directed by Ari Sandel, sees a new set of kids mysteriously bringing Slappy the ventriloquist dummy to life when they discover R.L. Stine's unfinished manuscript. What unfolds is a Halloween-themed adventure filled with delightful chaos, though it primarily caters to younger audiences. Returning without Jack Black's substantial presence, the film relies on Sonny (Jeremy Ray Taylor), his best friend Sam (Caleel Harris), and Sonny's older sister Sarah (Madison Iseman) to carry the plot. This trio works well together, but their characters feel more like stock figures out of a scriptwriting catalog rather than fully realized individuals.

The initial half of the movie, where Slappy gradually weaves mischief into the kids' lives, is particularly engaging. However, the latter part of the film becomes a more predictable race to stop the unleashed horrors on Halloween night. While special effects are impressively rendered, showcasing various Halloween creatures such as witches, ghosts, and a giant balloon spider, the narrative grows somewhat linear and routine. This predictability doesn't entirely eclipse the film's entertainment value, but it does render it less memorable than its predecessor. Despite this, the overall pacing and light-hearted horror elements make it an enjoyable watch for younger audiences.

The cast performs adequately with what they are given, though none truly stand out. Jeremy Ray Taylor and Caleel Harris manage to convey believable camaraderie while Madison Iseman gives a decent performance as the exasperated older sister. Cameos from Ken Jeong and Jack Black inject some vitality into their scenes—Jeong's eccentric neighbor character is particularly amusing—yet their moments are fleeting. Ultimately, "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" is a serviceable but unremarkable entry into the Goosebumps franchise, likely to be enjoyed more by pre-teens and fans of light horror fare.

"Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" is a sequel that doesn't quite live up to its predecessor but manages to deliver an entertaining, family-friendly adventure. Directed by Ari Sandel, the film features Wendy McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, and Jeremy Ray Taylor, among others. While the scope and quality of acting fall short compared to the original, the movie sticks to the successful formula established by its predecessor. Notably, there is a delightful cameo twist during the third act that adds a spark of excitement. Targeted primarily at younger audiences, the film's blend of horror, action, and comedy is most effective for children, making it a fun option for family viewing.

From a technical perspective, Sony has once again delivered an excellent Blu-ray package. The 2.39:1 AVC 1080p video presentation is impressive, capturing the vivid and colorful Halloween visuals with clarity. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track is robust, providing an immersive experience that enhances the film's spooky and adventurous elements. The Blu-ray also includes a variety of extras that fans can enjoy, although they fall short of being particularly groundbreaking. However, it's important to note that for those seeking superior audio and video quality, the UHD version offers an even better presentation.

In conclusion, "Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" may not open new doors or stand out as a remarkable sequel, but it confidently entertains within its intended scope. While not quite on par with the original film, it serves its purpose well as a fun children's popcorn movie, making it a worthwhile rental. Complemented by Sony's solid Blu-ray release with commendable video and audio quality, it's definitely worth a look for family movie night.