Netflix has been unsuccessfully trying for years to launch an iconic holiday movie that can stand among the greats. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is more than spectacularly entertaining - it’s the closest they’ve come so far to a true, Christmas classic.
Whether or not it does gets seen year after year, it should definite be enjoyed this year with your family. It’s the energetic, brilliant burst of holiday optimism and charm that we all need these days.
Writer and director David E. Talbert doesn’t have a great filmography to his name, but this playwright turned screenwriter has finally made something excellent. It’s fun for all ages and bursts with colour, excitement, and a great story.
This original Christmas fable is about adorkable toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) in some early 20th century town. He’s lost his magic after an assistant steals his book of inventions, but that all changes when his STEM-fascinated granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) comes to visit. Journey helps her grandfather learn to believe again just in time for Christmas, and they both learn that the closer you look, the more you can see.
Jingle Jangle’s greatest success as in the cultural pantheon is seeing its almost-entire African-American ensemble cast in a period film. Even when Talbert’s screenplay comes up short, his concept is a magnificent success. It shows that the authenticity of the black experience isn’t only about being black; and more so, the traditions of Christmas and what it represents can be shared and celebrated by all cultures.
The whole acting company is great, and one of the benefits to musicals on film is you can assemble an A-list cast for the shorter time needed for filming without a longer scheduling commitment that might be necessary for a 5-12 month run in a live theatre.
Keegan-Michael Key’s Gustafson, especially in his number “Magic Man G”, is a scene stealer throughout. When it comes to musical talent, Whitaker is also a surprisingly great singer. Though newcomer Mills is the breakout star, Whitaker is a terrific co-star as her grandfather. And why haven't we heard him sing in the first 40 years of his career? What took so long?
But the best parts are the production values that would make this a great stage show. The costumes, score, properties are great. The choreography is among the best of any movie from the last 20 years.
With all these positives pointing to how this works as a movie musical, there’s an eventual question that I kept asking: other than having a digital distribution, why does Jingle Jangle exist as a movie when this clearly belongs on stage?
Photo: Netflix
Talbert’s experience as a playwright is clear: the film is structured and written like a stage musical, with long scenes and a thin, scattered plot to equalize its ensemble cast. There’s also way too much exposition (a quality of many stage musicals.)
Strangest of all, however, is with the first four scenes all encompassing a prologue, we don’t meet the protagonist until we’re half an hour into the movie. Young Journey isn’t part of the extended history into “Jangles and Things” store, but we know she’s the star because she has the most screen time, lines, and she’s the only character with two solo songs.
John Debney’s score, by the way, is great. Yet some of the lyrics in the songs (not by Debney) are forced and sound stiff when they get sung like spoken lines. The songs, thankfully, only get better, and it’s always a good sign when it only keeps improving as the story goes on.
It only makes sense as a movie with the technical requirements sometimes needed: including the sentient robot characters, and two action scenes that would be too expensive in a theatre. Still, this could be translated easily to the stage, and we as an audience can enjoy this film version in the meantime.
One more quick note about the cast: though the supporting women bring humour and energy on screen, Ricky Martin’s voice and motion-capture performance as the toy-turned-villain Don Juan Diego is truly beyond description. Kooky and classy, his gusto is the only thing that elevates the part. Both self aware and interested in his own agenda, Don Juan can only be described like an evil Spanish Buzz Lightyear; likely a part only Martin could pull off.
It only gets more fun as you keep watching, and the show-stopping musical numbers are some of the best in years.This is the spectacle with heart that The Greatest Showman tried to pull off in 2017, but Jingle Jangle wants to fill us with joy instead of synthetic, pop-music cynicism.
On a scale of how well produced and written it is, the movie is a 7/10. On a scale of enjoyability and fun, it’s a 10/10. This Christmas journey is a must-see for families this holiday season.
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
7 out of 10
G, 1hr 42mins. Holiday Family Musical Fantasy.
Written and Directed by David E. Talbert.
Starring Madalen Mills, Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Ricky Martin, Anika Noni Rose, Lisa Davina Philiip, Hugh Bonneville and Phylicia Rashad.
Now streaming on Netflix for subscribers.
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