(DISCLAIMER: Potential spoilers ahead!!!)
As promised, this week I will be reviewing a CLASSIC for all of the kids that grew up on Disney Chanel in the early 2000s (like me). As I am sure many of you know, Halloweentown was not just a movie for us kids, but a holiday STAPLE. This film, starring Kimberly J. Brown (starred in many Disney films as a kid), unlocked a world of Halloween for us to all enjoy. As a kid, I distinctly remember looking forward to this particular movie every year.
This story follows 13 year old Marnie, who evidently finds out that she is a witch after being hidden from all things Halloween, by her mother. Naturally, Marnie and her siblings follow their grandma to Halloweentown and a new realm of Halloween possibilities are unlocked for them. This town is home to monsters of many kinds, all of which live seemingly normal lives. However, the plot of this movie comes to play when the villain of the movie, Kalabar, tries to conquer the human's world. Of course his efforts are put to a halt, when Marnie's family comes together and uses their combined powers to stop him.
While this movie was released in 1998, I think that the overall film itself works. Is the CGI a little cheesy at times? Sure, but we have to remember that this film most likely came before its time with all of the effects added to it. I think the lack of up-to-date CGI effects actually add to the nostalgia of the movie because I feel like I am transported to my childhood every time I watch it. Not to mention, I feel like no Halloween is complete until this movie has been watched at least once.
I feel like the acting that is taking place in this movie is definitely dated, but as mentioned before, it works. I honestly think that it is hard to say that this movie lacks a lot of elements, simply because of the year it was released. In my opinion, it would be like comparing apples to oranges.
Overall, this movie is one of my favorite holiday films that I have to watch every year. Because of this, this movie rates high on my holiday movie genre list at a 9/10. It's a classic, for one, very nostalgic, and makes me feel complete when watching. Highly recommend pairing with a bucket of popcorn and a pair of Halloween pajamas!
NEXT WEEK: Stay tuned for something different on the watch list! I plan on branching out from my typical romance genre and shoot for a mystery/thriller. As always, don't forget to comment any recommendations that you have for me!
