Day 22: The Return of Revenge!

October 22, 2022

Dear Disney,

Today we are continuing with the Halloweentown series with Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge. I watched Halloweentown and Halloweentown 2 on that same day. Darling found out that I had never watched any of the Halloweentown movies and over a weekend we watched all four. As such, my memory blurs the first two Halloweentown movies into one, much longer, movie.

Halloweentown 2: Kalabar’s Revenge, is a more interesting movie than the first. The story is set 2 years after the first movie. Marnie has had two years of witch training. The relationship between Grandma Aggie and Gwen, Marnie’s mom, is strained again. Marnie meets a new mortal named Cal, played by Daniel Kountz, and tries to impress him by showing him that she has real magic and Grandma Aggie’s magical room with her spellbook. It quickly becomes apparent that Cal is more than what he seems when he leaves the party and casts a spell. After the spell, Grandma Aggie’s magic bag that is connected to her house back in Halloweentown. Grandma Aggie takes Marnie back to Halloweentown where everything has started to turn grey and lose their magic. Luke, the goblin helps Marnie figure out what is happening once Grandma Aggie also becomes grey and magicless. Turns out the new guy, Cal, is none other than the villain Kalabar’s Son! Marnie, Luke, Dylan (Marnie’s brother), and Sophie(Marnie’s sister) save the day through some time travel.

I like this movie, but mostly for its charming attempts than any real virtues. The movie beats you over the head with who the villain is before the first 20 minutes is over. The movie has no subtlety, and it does not have to have any. Its cute and interesting. The movie tries really hard to be hip for the 2001 crowd.

One of the things I do want to address is that this movie is where the actors who play Marnie and Cal, Kimberly and Daniel, met. These two actors are now married and that is wonderful.

Sincerely,

Jim Dear