HALLOWEENTOWN

HALLOWEENTOWN II: KALABAR’S REVENGE

HALLOWEENTOWN HIGH

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Rated G. Made for TV (Disney Channel). Great for all ages, although the monsters might be a little scary for preschoolers. Released on DVD Sept. 13, 2005.

It’s always Halloween in Halloweentown, an alternative world to our own where ghosts and ghouls, witches and werewolves, warlocks and wizards co-exist. It’s also the home of Aggie Cromwell (the fabulous Debbie Reynolds).

Aggie is a powerful witch, as is her daughter, Gwen (Judith Hoag), who lives in the mortal world. In the first movie, Aggie wants to train Gwen’s daughter, Marnie (Kimberly Brown) to use her powers before she loses them when she turns 13. But Gwen’s against it, so Aggie returns to Halloweentown, unaware that Marnie and her two siblings, Dylan and Sophie, have secretly followed her. Once there, they learn that a dark force is threatening Halloweentown, and only the combined powers of all the Cromwell women can stop it.

In the second movie, Marnie’s getting more adept at the whole magic thing, and her younger siblings are developing powers, too. Together, they battle an evil foe who hatches a plan to turn Halloweentown into a dreary version of the mortal world. The third movie has Marnie convincing the Halloweentown Council to send several teenagers to her high school in the mortal world. But they soon run into a heap ‘o trouble when the evil Knight of the Iron Dagger appears, determined to destroy all things magical. Can Marnie save the day yet again? And more important, will we see a fourth installment of the Halloweentown series?

THE WRAP-UP: I can’t say enough good things about Disney Channel movies, and these three are no exception. They’re entertaining, imaginative, and filled with family values that modern kids can identify with. Fun for all ages, although the monsters might be a wee bit scary for preschoolers.

DVD FEATURES: The Making of..., Carnival Party Planner, Halloweentown High Jinks Trivia Game, and more.

SCORE: 4 out of 4 Reels.

Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies!

Read my other reviews here.