Dylan Minnette Character Analysis

Growing up as a youngster in the 1990s, it was impossible to escape the popularity of R.L. Stine’s book series, Goosebumps. Come to think of it, that could be one of the many reasons for my undying devotion to the horror genre. Regardless, Stine’s novels were one of the cornerstones of a generation – incomparable to any other youngster novel series that was one the market, at least from a male perspective, I suppose.

The books were full of edgy, scary grit that had the power to infect every facet of the mind – causing plenty of darkness laced paranoia and sleepless nights. But, that was half the fun (at least it seems that way now). From zombies, mummy’s and talking dummies, the seemingly endless array of villainy was enough – one story

to the next – to keep you coming back for more.

And, to be honest – it’s rather surprising it took this long for a Goosebumps themed movie to hit the big screen (although the late 90s Fox Kids TV series did have its moments).

In the film adaptation, directed by Rob Letterman (Gulliver’s Travels), Dylan Minnette stars as Zach Cooper, the new kid in town that happens to move in next door to a reclusive, rude neighbor, and his daughter, Hannah (Odeya Rush). Oddly enough, the rude neighbor is eventually revealed to be the world-renowned author, R.L. Stein (Jack Black).

Stein is strangely protective of his daughter, whom he endlessly shelters and refuses to let leave the house – raising a great amount of suspicion from Zach. And, one night, when Zach hears Hannah scream from inside her house, he decides to bring in – accompanied by his new friend, Champ (Ryan Lee), only to find her alive and well.

However, Zach and Champ also take notice a bookshelf full of locked Goosebumps novels – one of which they decide to unlock. Night of the Living Dead also happens to be unlocked, too, releasing the fiendishly evil Slappy the dummy, who decides to gradually free every monster from each novel. And, with the town under attack, Stein, Zach, Champ, and Hannah must figure out a way to capture the freed monsters.

Much like the rest of the popular entertainment mediums of the 1990s, like Power Rangers, superhero cartoons, and grungy rock banks – Goosebumps (the movie) provides copious amounts of nostalgia. It’s like hoping in the DeLorean and traveling back to a time where creativity was at its apex – where a simple premise could encompass your mind, without having to worry about Skype chats, Facebook posts, and Twitter updates (even though this film does make reference to Instagram and such).

While Jack Black doesn’t necessarily feel like the right man to lead a pop icon revival, his portrayal as R.L.

Stein hits the spot. It’s not overly childish or outlandish, although he is kooky enough to be a member of the Adams Family. Nevertheless, Black injects the right about of enthusiasms and charisma into this character – and is provided enough emotional layers to be relatable for viewers.

Admittedly, Jack Black is the selling point in terms of a marketing credibility, but its Dylan Minnette that drives home the fun, fast-pitch pace of this production. Best known for his roles in the film adaptation of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and TV’s Saving Grace, not to mention R.L Stein’s The Haunting Hour, Minnette is establishing himself to be a solid young acting commodity with a bright future ahead of him.

Minnette’s onscreen chemistry with co-stars Odeya Rush and Ryan Lee is also quite impressive – proving that an adolescent cast is fully capable of delivery a completely engaging viewing experience. Rush and Minnette feed off each other wonderfully, but it’s hard to ignore the vitality of Ryan Lee – who contributes solid comedy relief at even the tensest moments, like when a Werewolf is on the loose in a grocery

store.

With a solid cast behind the wheel of this admirably conceived film, the story doesn’t exactly feel as though it came from the mind of R.L. Stein – probably because it didn’t Honestly, it feels as if a writer (Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski) came in and said “let’s throw set every single monster from Stein’s imagination loose on a town and see what happens.” And, with that said – this film is essentially an entire pop icon universe stuffed within an unrelated story.

On that front, Goosebumps doesn’t break new ground – opting to follow a pretty generic narrative that depicts nosey kids making a mess and having to figure out a way to clean it up. It just so happens that there’s so much monster-mashing action stuffed into this plot that it’s a complete deterrent from the fact that this story seeming appears – from afar, mind you – like every other kid oriented movie.

No, that plot isn’t all that extravagant – and follows usual guidelines, but it does provide an enjoyable protagonist versus antagonist dynamic. It’s comparable to pitting each half of a person’s personality against itself in a battle for supremacy. In this case, Slappy the Dummy returns (utilize in the TV show), cleverly voiced by Jack Black, to boot, to wreak havoc on his counterpart’s life (R.L. Stein). This avenue is far from unexplored, as well, but it makes for an above average climatic showdown.

Overall, the positives far outweigh the negatives in this Goosebumps themed film production. It’s not exactly a Goosebumps film, per say – because it’s not a scary story focused on one particular angle, at least not like you’d find in one of the books. This film goes big and it goes big quickly, opting to unleash every villain in immediate fashion – a maneuver that will force writers to think bigger and bolder in an unavoidable sequel. IN the meantime, Jack Black and Dylan Minnette lead an enjoyable, charming cast on an adventure that should easily wrap its target audience around its finger. In the end, Goosebumps is clearly kid oriented, making it a slight disappointment for those of us that would have liked to see an edgier and scarier film. Despite that drawback, though – this first Goosebumps film, which is likely the first of many, is a harmless, family-friendly movie that the kids won’t have to worry about losing any sleep over. It won’t give you Goosebumps, but it’s a solid first endeavor just the same.