Any musical theatre lover will enjoy the music, costumes and choreography of this film. There is a mix of old and new in this Christmas movie that is perfect for all the family. It’s a kind of Christmas-themed Greatest Showman-meets-Peter Pan-meets-Wall-e that begins as a fairy-tale being read by a grandmother to her grandchildren about an inventor who lost his ability to invent, and how his granddaughter helps him find it again.
The cast is diverse and bursting with talent. The child actors shine, particularly Madalen Mills in her feature film debut who completely steals the show. Clearly from a Broadway background, she is confident and sweet, with her solo song really lighting up the whole film. Forest Whitaker (Rogue One, Black Panther) is great as the grumpy grandpa and has some of the most humorous lines and interactions. The animation that goes alongside the main story is very good and so is the CGI although the actors’ eyelines are often off centre.
The soundtrack, written in part by John Legend, is full of well written and appropriate songs. They aren’t quite as catchy or hit-making as the Disney counterparts (but then, what is?) however, the vocal performances are incredible and the contrast of Victorian and contemporary really comes to head in the music. Keegan-Michael Key’s solo song is probably the most surprisingly entertaining of the bunch. Hopefully, this Netflix live action musical will soon become a holiday favourite.
‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’ is available to stream on Netflix.
Pep Reviews 