Slappy the Dummy (2015 film)

'NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Slappy the Dummy from the 2015 movie. The mainstream version can be found here: Slappy the Dummy (novel).'"Papa, you left without saying goodbye. Trying to hide from me? That's like hiding from yourself. I was your best friend and you turned your back on me. Locked me up, imprisoned me in the pages of a book. (IN UNISON): You stuck me on a shelf for years and years. The key was right there. And you never used it."

- Slappy's anger about being locked in the Manuscript.

Slappy the Dummy is the main antagonist of Sony Pictures Animation's 13th feature film, Goosebumps, based on the book series of the same name. He is one of the monsters to be accidentally released from one of R. L. Stine's manuscripts, and proceeds to release the other monsters from their books, wreaking widespread havoc on the town as a result. He will appear in the upcoming sequel called Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween in 2018.

He was voiced by Jack Black (who also portrayed R.L. Stine and The Invisible Boy), and Avery Lee Jones as his second voice and Puppeteer, and Jake McKinnon as his second Puppeteer. Black returns as his voice for the sequel

Background
In a reimagining of Stine's past, he originated as an outcast, bullied by his peers. To seek solace, Stine imagined a series of monsters and demons to take revenge on his tormentors. Stine's demons ultimately became a reality, as all the monsters he had ever imagined were created, among them Slappy the Dummy. Slappy was Stine's best friend originally, but Stine ultimately realized that the monsters were too dangerous to society and trapped each of them in his manuscripts, where they remained for years. While trapped, Slappy became disillusioned with Stine and grew an intense hatred to the man for his "betrayal".

Release
After the Abominable Snowman of Pasadena emerged from the book, the latch on Night of the Living Dummy suddenly unlocked, and Slappy was released from the manuscript. Once Stine returned with teenagers Zach and Champ and Stine's daughter Hannah, Slappy revealed himself. Upon realizing that Stine intended to return him into the book, Slappy promptly stole the other manuscripts, vowing vengeance upon Stine. He released the Lawn Gnomes from their manuscripts as a distraction and then drove off with the other manuscripts. Slappy proceeded to release the other monsters from the manuscripts and set the books alight so that Stine couldn't return them to the books. The released monsters quickly wreaked havoc, destroying a section of the town in the process. Slappy took over the local police station, having his minions freeze the officers into icy blocks.

Zach's aunt Lorraine later arrived at the police station to contact the authorities, but was instead met by Slappy. Lorraine offended Slappy by referring to him as a "talking dummy", prompting Slappy to have her frozen by the aliens. Afterwards, Slappy released the rest of the monsters from the manuscripts and ordered them to find Stine so he couldn't entrap them again as their leader. The monsters lay siege to a nearby high school, where Stine is furiously typing a new story from his typewriter in order to trap the monsters in them. Slappy personally confronts Stine, reminding him that they share a consciousness and that they had once been friends and revealing his betrayal at having been locked away for so many years. When Stine still attempts to complete the story, Slappy breaks Stine's fingers with the typewriter.

Final Confrontation and Defeat
After escaping, Stine lured the monsters away from the school by driving a bus down the road. Slappy ordered the monsters to destroy the bus, but upon stopping it, they found that it was filled with dynamite that promptly exploded, temporarily destroying the monsters. This bought Stine and the teenagers some time to an abandoned amusement park, followed by Slappy, who could read Stine's thoughts. Upon arriving at the amusement park, Slappy released the final monster, The Blob, which quickly consumed Stine. Zach and Hannah fled to the top of a Ferris wheel, pursued by the monsters. Zach managed to finish the book just as the monsters reached them, and promptly opened it, causing a vortex to appear that began to suck all the monsters (except Brent Green, who was a boy turned invisible and thus, not an actual monster) into the book. Slappy, in a final attempt at revenge, grabbed Stine and began strangling him, but Stine kicked him, sending Slappy flying into the vortex, cackling madly until he finally vanished inside. Slappy makes his final vow of revenge, calling out to Stine, "See you in your dreams!".

The reason Slappy was more happy than distraught during his defeat may have been due to the fact that, so long as he remains in the book with the other monsters, he would still live on to the day he is released again. Since Stine cannot destroy the book without risk of freeing Slappy and the other monsters, this may be true.

Haunted Halloween
Slappy will return as the major antagonist of the sequel. He escapes from an unreleased book featuring him, titled 'Haunted Halloween'. He brings many of his allies to life using halloween decorations and costumes.

Quotes
"Everyone in the high school joined forces to defeat Slappy and his monsters. But Slappy had other ideas..."

- Slappy before breaking R.L. Stine's fingers with the typewriter.

"How do you like it, Papa? The world's just outside your grasp, but you can't move. You're trapped! THAT'S what it felt like to be locked inside your books."

- Slappy to R.L. Stine when he watches the Blob That Ate Everyone swallow him.

"SLAPPY'S NOT HAPPY!! (Stine: Neither is STINE, STUPID DUMMY!!) See you IN YOUR DREAMS!! (laughs maniacally)"

- Slappy's last words before his imprisonment.

Trivia

 * Slappy represents R.L. Stine's dark side.
 * Unlike his literary counterpart, this version of Slappy doesn't have his implied pedophile traits.
 * In the Goosebumps interviews with Jack Black and the cast, Avery Jones is both voicing and puppeteering Slappy. Avery also voices Slappy in the Goosebumps music video The Bumps gonna Goose ya! as well as the 2018 Haunted Halloween film.
 * There are 2 Puppets for the role of Slappy. One is used by Jake which the face of Jake's Puppet is a little Chubby, The one that is mostly used in the film is Avery's.
 * Slappy the Dummy's appearance somewhat resembles Mary Shaw's favorite doll named Billy.
 * This is not the first time Jack Black played a villain, Jack also took the role as the main villain Slip in The Neverending Story III: Escape from Fantasia and played one of the Smokers in Waterworld.
 * Slappy's voice sounds very similar to The Joker from the DC Animated Universe.
 * Slappy's cartoon self was in the show "Being Ian".