**_Fun family quasi-horror_**
A teenager (Dylan Minnette) moves to small town Madison, Delaware, where he hooks up with a cute neighbor (Odeya Rush), the daughter of grouchy author (Jack Black). Adventure and horror ensue when monsters are unwittingly loosed on the town.
I've never read any of RL Stine's popular books or viewed any of the corresponding videos, but I've always wanted to because they looked like fun, youth-oriented quasi-horror adventures, like Scooby Doo without the dog. Interestingly, the movie doesn't adapt one of Stine's stories, but rather has a plot that utilizes myriad of his (non) scary creations, like the abominable snowman, a creepy puppet, an ee-vil clown, a giant praying mantis, a werewolf, and so on.
The plot is reminiscent of 1995's "Jumanji," but with the fun-horror trappings of 2006' "Monster Night" or "Scooby Doo" (but, again, without the dog). The main cast is a highlight with everyone shining in their roles, particularly winsome Odeya Rush, not to mention Halston sage in a small role. I like the revelation about one of the protagonists in the final act and the warmth that develops between the main characters. This is a good movie to unleash your inner-teenager and have a (non) spooky amusing time.
While it's superior to "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed," mainly because it's not as silly, it has the same core problem: The creators overstuffed the proceedings to the point of overkill. Instead of one or two monsters, there are like ten. So, while the set-up of the first act is great, the flick becomes too manic for its own good. Less is more.
It runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot in towns east and north of Atlanta, Georgia (Conyers, Gainesville, Madison and Marietta).
GRADE: B-
