What to Watch: Jingle Jangle

By Chelsea “Gingerbread” House, GGR Senior Contributor

Ya’ll… I’m a sucker for Christmas. I’m a sucker for musicals. I’m a sucker for period pieces. So of course when Jingle Jangle started playing previews on Netflix, I was already super pumped for another new Christmas movie. 

Jingle Jangle (produced by David E. Talbert, Lyn Talbert, Kristin Burr, David McIlvain, Mike Jackson, and John Legend) is a film about the amazing toy inventor Jeronicas Jangle (Forest Whitaker) falling into a state of ruin after a betrayal by his apprentice Gustafson (Keegan Michael-Key). Jeronicas Jangle’s granddaughter, Journey (Madelen Mills), comes to visit him and while there, tries to help him remember who he is. 

This is a spoiler free review, so instead of recapping the story, I’m going to give you some things that I really loved about this movie. 

1: That Cast- 

This movie boasts appearances from Forest Whitaker (Black Panther), Keegan Michael – Key (Veep), Anika Noni Rose (The Princess and the Frog), Hugh Bonneville (Downtown Abbey), Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show), Ricky Martin and more. It was delightful to have so many familiar faces and to see them vibe so well together. Not to mention each actor brought their own personality to the movie without it being distracting or abrasive. Instead adding some really nice layers to the story. 

2: The Costumes – 

One of my favorite things about period pieces is the costumes. I feel like it takes some imagination to make something that seems so redundant look and feel different in each movie. The costume department did an amazing job here. Each costume was bright, intricate in detail, and really helped with the uplifting vibe of the movie. Even down to the shoes, you could just tell there was a lot of love and thought put into it. 

3: The Songs- 

This is a musical after all! So I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the songs. We have to remember a couple of things here – 1: This is a Christmas movie, and therefore holds some of the cheese we love so much in Christmas films and 2: This movie is aimed for children and families to enjoy together. So with those two things being said, I was really surprised at how much I liked the music. It was fun, catchy, and my daughter gave it her twirls of approval. Some of the adult songs held a pleasant depth that was clear enough for older kids to understand while also being relatable for the grownups. 

4: The Little Surprises – 

Without giving so much away, this movie is filled with so many magical surprises to go along with a story that is being told so well. It brings all of the magic of Christmas movies past – the music, the clay animation, CGI, and literal magic – together and uses them to keep a family audience entranced by the story. There never really seems to be slow points or down points. It just flows smoothly from start to finish which is always an indication of great storytelling. 

5- The Message- 

There’s a lot to be said about the messages in this movie, but again, this is a spoiler free review. So I’m going to stick to the most broad messages I can. I’m huge on hope. I’m huge on hope in a season when everyone can use so much more of it. At the heart of this story is hope. Hope in oneself. Hope in one’s dreams. Hope in the future. Hope in redemption. Hope in a better, brighter now. And last but not least, hope in perseverance. This little girl’s name is Journey, and I think there’s purpose in that. She herself goes through a journey, but also helps bring others’ around her full circle in their own journeys. I’m also all about empowering young girls, and this story most definitely is filled with that confidence. More importantly, I’m going back to the cast. If you look for Christmas movies of color, you’ll find some for sure, but not many, especially for Children and families of color.  

“We’ve never seen this movie before,” Jackson says. “We’ve never seen a movie of this size and scope with a Black family at the center of it that’s this fantastical and this special. I describe it as Black Willy Wonka set against a holiday theme. It really feels like the film is by us and for us. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of a first and this is definitely a first of what it is.” (Taken from Shonaland interview with John Legend and Mike Jackson) 

It makes my heart warm to see little girls realize they can be and do whatever they want, and I’m so glad that this movie puts that spotlight on the beautiful (and adorable) Madalen Mills, so that girls who look like her can see and dream that big, too.

This movie wasn’t 100% perfect. There were some lip syncing issues on some of the songs, and there were a few awkward acting moments. However, I loved following the Jangle family through their journey and enjoyed how much my kids loved every moment of it. I definitely encourage you to make some cookies, pour your milk or hot cocoa, cuddle with a blanket, and give this movie a watch.