Disney+ has gained a reputation as the indulgent feast of streaming services. It’s not because it offers refined content, but rather because it overwhelms us with a never-ending stream of shows. Just look at what it did to Star Wars and Marvel. Now, the latest victim of Disney’s force-feeding is RL Stine’s Goosebumps series, which haunted children’s dreams for decades.
Let’s start with the bad news: Disney has completely botched the release of this series. Only two out of the promised five episodes were made available, and to make matters worse, they released episodes three and four instead of the first two. Goosebumps fans, as seen on Twitter, are far from pleased.
The good news is that Goosebumps is a resilient franchise that has thrived across various media forms. It has been on TV, made into a movie franchise, and even transformed into games, comics, and musicals. Each adaptation has maintained the essence of Goosebumps, even if the tone varies. And now, the series takes on a new tone, attempting to mimic Stranger Things.
But let’s be clear, it’s not Stranger Things. Goosebumps lacks the nostalgic irony and cute kids. Instead, it’s a more traditional high school show with characters who look older than their actual age. This can make it difficult to distinguish between them, especially when 45-year-old Justin Long portrays a teacher who looks 12.
The Stranger Things homage slows down the pace of the episodes. While they still offer thrilling moments, they are often filled with long, flat scenes where characters discuss their feelings. One subplot involves a married teacher having an affair with a local widow, which feels reminiscent of the disastrous 1990s BBC soap Eldorado.
What’s frustrating is that when Goosebumps sticks to the core of Stine’s books, it becomes an absolute delight. The available episodes offer moments of excitement, like a character encountering multiple clones after hitting his head on a cuckoo clock, and a lunkish thrillseeker gaining powers after consuming worms. These moments capture the essence of Stine’s books, with just the right amount of spookiness for younger viewers.
The cast is well-chosen, particularly Justin Long. His ability to switch between goofy and menacing adds depth to his character. However, it remains to be seen how Disney handles this promising series. They need to resist the temptation to milk it with unnecessary spin-offs and most importantly, ensure that episodes are uploaded in the correct order. Mistakes like this are unacceptable. Goosebumps is available on Disney+.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
