This Friday, November 13, Netflix has put online on its platform a Christmas movie like no other. No love at first sight in the middle of New York or large houses decorated with fireplace and hot chocolate. In Jingle Jangle: An Enchanted Christmas, it is not so much this holiday that is highlighted but its magic. A magical musical, as we like them.
Synopsis Jingle Jangle
Jingle Jangle: An Enchanted Christmas is an exceptional show. From the first minutes, the show is grandiose. The story begins with a young girl who seems hypnotized by the fireplace, believing she sees fairy forms in the flames. Her brother joins her, when their grandmother decides to tell a story from a book that seems magical. We are then swept up through this tale in the wonderful story of Jeronicus Jangle (played by Forest Whitaker), a passionate inventor, toy maker and suspected of possessing magical powers. One day, his apprentice Gustafson (Keegan-Michael Key) steals the invention of the century to make it his own. Jeronicus loses all hope, until one day his granddaughter, Journey (Madalen Mills), comes to visit him… 
An American-style musical
The music never stops playing and the actors dance in rhythm. The choreographies are spectacular and transport us to a magical world with vintage decorations. The toy store in which Jeronicus works is invaded by inventions that delight young and old. The costumes are rich and accompany the story, worthy of a Disney. Moreover, this feature film has many similarities with the films of this giant of cinema as one of the inventions of Jeronicus. His name is Buddy, he looks surprisingly like a certain Wall-E with his glasses….. The main actors are all African-American, a choice that was made by director David E Tablert. Afro culture is highlighted, the actors even dance to the song Asew by Ghanaian singer Bisa Kdei. An unusual choice for this kind of production, which still reminds us of the cartoon The Princess and the Frog. The songs are co-written by American singer John Legend, a mix of jazz and soul, which will make you want to dance throughout the film. 
Despite music themes seen and reviewed such as joy, questioning or the sorrows of the characters, this film manages to stand out thanks to its diversity.
Magic in your eyes
Perhaps the most obvious resemblance to Disney movies is in the magic conveyed here. The mix between live action and animation scenes gives a rhythm to the film. Indeed, each time the grandmother tells part of the story, she is imaged by a page of the magic book. On the screen, this gives an animation made of small mechanical figurines. In addition, the special effects are extremely realistic, such as the adorable little robot we were talking about, or the live toy stolen from Jeronicus named Don Juan Diego, whose original voice is played by Ricky Martin. The sets, like the toy store we talked about above, make us dream. The Gustafson plant is also one of them. The only criticism we could make on this point is the repetition of places. Although they are of unspeakable wealth, they are few in number and this imposes a certain redundancy. 
In-depth social themes addressed
Through Jingle Jangle, different essential values are approached. First of all, the diversity represented, an essential point highlighted in this film and which opens up to other cultures as with the music of Bisa Kdei. Also, strong topics such as loneliness and grief are addressed. Indeed, following the betrayal of his apprentice, Jeronicus loses all optimism, and from there, he enters the vicious circle of despair and depression. Added to this are everyday problems such as financial worries. No more hope, so no more daydreams or magic… Fortunately, for the youngest, these somewhat dark passages are implicitly illustrated and are quickly counterbalanced by the messages of hope of the young Journey. Journey is the ray of sunshine of this film, the actress plays particularly well and her curious and enthusiastic personality will only make you smile. As she puts it so well, "you just have to believe it". And in these not always easy times, it feels good to believe again in a better future. Forgiveness is also a central pillar in the film. Without spoiling the entire film, let's say that the acknowledgment of his wrongs and the family have a lot to do with it. It is surely in these values that we find the basis of any Christmas movie, a happy ending and a constant enchantment. Jingle Jangle: An Enchanted Christmas transports us thanks to its incredible sets and costumes, the haunting voices of the actors make us fall directly back into childhood. We no longer worry about our worries. On the contrary, we savor these two hours of magic. A feature film that we recommend if you enjoy big-budget musicals. To see with family, friends or couple, this film will fly you to the land of magic.
Jingle-Jangle Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_FN0mqkrnA
