Alien at the Movies

A new job takes a single mom & her teenage son to a new town where they meet an odd new neighbor. The neighbor turns out to be R.L. Stine (Jack Black), author of the famed Goosebumps books & the Stephen King of children's literature. However, in this fantasy tale, Stine's manuscripts are kept under lock & key to contain his magical monsters. Of course, these confined villains get loose & threaten the town until the "Scooby Gang" can devise a rescue plan. Targeting older kids & the reading fans of the book series, the film  sports threatening creatures, thrilling nonlethal violence, and good special effects. It's family entertainment for people looking more for action than fright. Black is his typical comedic self with a geeky sidekick kid balancing out the funny gags. Of course, there is also a romantic spark between the teenage son & the girl next door. Look for some subtle Stephen King references.

Alien gives it 3 "a good story has three parts: the beginning, the middle, & the twist" stars out of 4.