We are a society that thrives on nostalgia; from our parents and friends saying “when I was younger…” before starting a really long story, to try to reproduce a television show, a movie, or a book that was already successful. We think if we stick to the past, what was once popular will be again. There is an old saying, “You can never go back.” When we try to recreate something it will never be and never is what it was.

Director Ari Sandel’s newest release Goosebumps 2: Hunted Halloween follows Sonny and Sam on their middle school adventures where they meet a mischievous dummy named Slappy. Slappy wants to be apart of a family, but when he doesn’t get what he wants he overruns the town with monsters, kidnaps Sonny’s mom, and creates a whole lot of trouble for the boys.

Being obsessed with these books as a kid and watching the show every week (and the reruns) on ABC Family, the attempt of this movie holds a special place in my heart, but the storyline was overreaching. The character Slappy never really wanted to be apart of anything. He wanted to control it. The writers Rob Lieber and Darren Lemke changed what made Slappy so terrifying. It almost made you feel bad for him because he just wanted to belong and when he got rejected I was half rooting for this conniving little puppet to reek havoc on everyone. You’re not supposed to root for the villain, but hey we all have opinions when watching a movie.

Goosebumps 2 is great for young kids. Gives them a little bit of scary during Halloween without terrifying them, and may even get them to read more! Before there was J.K Rowlings and Harry Potter, there was R.L. Stine and Goosebumps. Introduce the kids you know to the magical mind of the author R.L. Stine in his dozens of short books on situations that will make you want to scream and not be in the dark alone. Thank you, Stine, for making me a paranoid child and a very aware adult walking through dark parking lots.  The millennial generation appreciates your guidance.