It seems like so many of my preferred annual Christmas movies are non-traditional. I tend to watch things like Batman Returns, Lethal Weapon, Rise of the Guardians and Die Hard- the ones where either the story works in different holidays, or people always debate if it counts as a true holiday movie or not. (With Die Hard, keep in mind Hans Gruber launched his plan on Christmas Eve because he knew the Nakatomi security and authorities wanted to get home to their families, so I’m on the opposite side of Bruce Willis here.)
As much as I love those movies, we give so much attention to the “is this a Xmas film” debates that the unironic holiday movies sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Netflix’s new musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a big, gaudy production that’s proudly a traditional Christmas tale, and this actually works well in its favor. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a few years down the road, this movie was adapted for a stage production because it feels made for Broadway. In a sense, this movie is the anti-Cats, as that was a stage show unable to make a logical or watchable big screen port.
Framed as a bedtime story with a grandmother and grandkids, it revolves around Forest Whitaker as Jeronicous Jangle (played by Justin Cornwell in flashbacks), a famed toymaker who constructs his hopeful best product of all: Don Juan Diego, a talking matador voiced (and mo-capped) by Ricky Martin. Unfortunately, Don Juan’s ego and sense of individualism are so massive to where he’s mortified at the idea of being mass-produced. So behind Jangle’s back, he convinces his assistant Gustafson (Keegan-Michael Key, Miles Barrow in flashbacks) to whisk both him and Jangle’s book of toy concepts away.
As Gustafson’s fame and business empire rises through the stolen ideas, Jangle loses his passion for creativity. After his wife passes and his daughter (Anika Noni Rose) leaves home, he falls into a depression and turns his once-bustling shop of wonder into a pawnbroker office.
If the sweet and super-thirsty-for-Jeronicous postwoman Ms. Johnson (Lisa Davina Philip, Marsha Wallace as the singing voice) can’t lift his Christmas spirit in time or him to get a new idea going and hopefully save the shop from bank foreclosure, maybe his granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills), an aspiring inventor herself, can pull it off. Some aid from Jangle’s plucky young assistant Edison (Kieron L. Dyer) and a magical talking robot named Buddy proves helpful for her.
So it’s a pretty standard kids’ epic so far as the plot, but the distinct tone and creative design choices help it stand out. This is director David E. Talbert’s third Christmas-themed film and he goes for the gusto here, blending a diverse cast with Victorian and steampunk-influenced aesthetics (and costuming that would make Randy Savage say “oooh yeah, you got a lot of colors going there, dig it”).
The power of belief and imagination are key elements in this world that not only allow characters to randomly fly around Peter Pan style, but they can also get the heroes out of some tight situations (a notable one being a makeshift-sled ride down a tunnel with a fireball behind it).
Performance-wise, there’s a sincerity and earnestness one normally doesn’t see in modern kids’ entertainment. The humor is appealing enough to make kids laugh without causing the adults to groan, and even in the more sad moments there’s still optimism trying to breakthrough. I actually got a ton of Santa Claus: The Movie vibes here, with the whole “power of magic” theme, the sparkles, and the villainous toy creator.
It’s apt that Keegan-Michael Key was the narrator for last year’s Netflix toon Green Eggs and Ham, because he definitely brings a Dr. Seuss-like energy to his Gustafson performance, while Ricky Martin is hamming it up like crazy as the vain bullfighter figure. Whitaker as Jangle is both relatable and sympathetic, and Mills and Dyer are the ideal spunky kids this kind of youth-themed adventure needs.
Philip Lawrence and John Legend contributed to the soundtrack, helping the big musical numbers a lot. They also brought in some nice tunes like Mills’s “Square Root of Possible”, Key’s villain banger “Magic Man G”, and Cornwell on lead in “This Day”.
Jingle Jangle isn’t interested in reinventing the Christmas movie wheel or subverting the expectations of what qualifies as one. It’s just focused on being as holly and jolly as possible, and its sweetness and unique aspects make it a pretty easy watch.
Sometimes that’s one all can ask for come December, so it gets a strong recommendation from me, especially for families who are in the mood for something super-wholesome. But what did you think? If you liked it or hated it, holler at us on Twitter or Facebook!