The Stream: A little too musical and randomly dance-y

The Big Screen: Full of the feels and imagination that makes Christmas time magical

The Final Bill: A mixture of Disney and The Wiz magic back for Christmas

– S2S: Movie Review
Director: David E. Talbert
Writer: David E. Talbert
Stars: Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, Madalen Mills | See full cast & crew »
Genre: Family, Fantasy, Musical
Rating: PG
Runtime: 1 hour 56 minutes
Platform: Netflix (released November 13, 2020)

Dashing to the turkey, on the way to the stuffing, over to the couch we go, streaming all the way… HA HA HA! Welcome to the holiday season of Stream to Big Screen. There’s nothing better than sharing holiday cheer than by doing it from 6+ feet away or standing outside in the well-ventilated fall/winter air. To start the season off, Netflix graced us with Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story. This film shows how the greatest inventor of his time goes from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Can Jeronicus get his swag back to make this the best Christmas ever? You shall find out.

Now, that description was a bit vague, but it is also quite fitting to most holiday movies. I’m a true lover of the Lifetime/Hallmark brand of bad Holiday movie, and this plot falls right up that alley. You might think that’s a bad thing but really it’s perfect for the Christmas spirit. The easiest way to sum this movie up is to describe the movies it’s a mixture of like: Pinocchio, Wall-E, and The Wiz. In an epic mixture of classic and traditional meets modern and progressive, Jingle Jangle brings a message I’m all there for. Yes, this movie is about Christmas, the spirit, making amends to family, but I think the feature’s true substance is the embrace and encouragement of young women in science, math, and technology. Of course, we like Christmas movies, but we need more films that inspire future generations of women, particularly African American and minority women, to lead in the fields of science. Give me more of this in a fun and inspiring way any day. I’m a softy. Well, I’m soft but not that soft. I’m not a big fan of the musical sequences or the forced dance sets, but these also gave me the feels. On top of these randomly placed Afrobeat dance sets, the cast makes the movie move. Of course, Forest Whitaker gives us his usual, and Ricky Martin steals the movie.

Long story short, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story is everything that the spirit of Christmas needs, belief, faith, and a touch of magic. This movie brings a mixture of classic Disney magic with the creativity of The Wiz. Needless to say, Jingle Jangle is definitely a big box of fresh popcorn for the family during this season of holiday cheer and thanksgiving.