Goosebumps 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.39:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. The movie came with a positive presentation.
Sharpness worked well. Only some minor softness impacted a few wider shots, so the image usually offered tight, concise visuals. I saw no issues with jagged edges or shimmering, and the movie lacked both edge haloes and print flaws.
Due to its Halloween setting, the film tended toward a somewhat subdued palette, with a moderate emphasis on the usual orange and teal. The colors looked well-rendered given the design choices, and a few more dynamic hues added life.
Blacks were fine, while shadows seemed smooth and concise. Across the board, this turned into a satisfying image.
While not exceptional, the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack of Goosebumps 2 suited the material. The soundscape offered enough action-oriented sequences to add pep to the package.
These used the five channels well and meshed together in a positive manner. I couldn’t cite any especially memorable segments, but the track had enough good activity and integration to succeed.
Audio quality seemed fine. Speech consistently remained natural and distinctive, without edginess or other problems.
Music displayed nice range and clarity, while effects showed solid definition and accuracy. This was a solid “B+” mix.
As we shift to extras, we open with a Gag Reel. It goes for two minutes, 37 seconds and provides a fairly standard allotment of goofs and giggles, though a few improv lines add mirth.
Three Deleted Scenes follow, as we get “Tommy the Ice Skater” (0:57), “Mr. Chu’s Porch” (0:50) and “Pumpkin Man” (0:39). As one can infer from the brief running times, the clips offer minor expansions, but they’re all reasonably amusing.
A few featurettes follow, and Thrills & Chills lasts nine minutes, 56 seconds and offers notes from director Ari Sandel, author RL Stine, producer Deborah Forte, screenwriter Rob Lieber, executive producer Timothy M. Bourne, production designer Rusty Smith, and actors Chris Parnell, Ken Jeong, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Madison Iseman, Jeremy Ray Taylor, and Caleel Harris.
“Thrills” examines the source and adaptation, story and characters, cast and performances, Sandel’s impact on the production, sets and locations. Though superficial, “Thrills” brings a mix of decent notes.
With Meet the Monsters, we get an eight-minute, 32-second show with Iseman, Taylor, Sandel, Harris, McLendon-Covey, Parnell, Bourne, VFX supervisor Derek Spears, costume designer Salvador Perez, makeup department head Travis Pates, and creature effects makeup department head Matt Sprunger.
As implied, the program discusses the supernatural creatures we find in the film and how they came to the screen. Though it leans toward praise, it gives us some useful details.
Next comes Science with Slappy, a compilation of five sequences. These fill a total of 11 minutes, nine seconds and include demonstrations with Iseman, Harris and Taylor as well as “Slappy”.
They show a few scientific experiments connected to the film. The clips become fairly fun, especially for kids.
Three Slappy-Oke Sing Alongs follow: “Take Me Out of the Manuscript”, “Where Is Slappy?” and “Slappy Spells”. In these, Slappy sings tunes and we can follow along with onscreen lyrics. Nothing exciting appears, but I appreciate the novelty of the Slappy-centric songs.
We get more from the puppet via Slappy’s Audition. It runs two minutes and gives us a phony screen test. Decent amusement results.
Junk Brothers - Call Now! goes for one minute, 13 seconds and provides an “ad” for the kids’ cleanup business. Like “Audition”, it creates an enjoyable piece.
The disc opens with ads for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Hotel Transylvania 3, Alpha, Goosebumps and Peter Rabbit. No trailer for Goosebumps 2 appears here.
Because the first film offered a fun adventure, I hoped Goosebumps 2 would become another winner. However, the movie tends to drag and it never creates a tale with much imagination or spark. The Blu-ray comes with very good picture and audio as well as a decent compilation of bonus materials. Goosebumps 2 delivers an ordinary comedy-horror tale.