Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

"Jangle" is a Middle English word that means to "talk excessively or noisily, squabble." This definition cannot be applied to our protagonist in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, the 2020 Netflix Christmas movie written and directed by David E. Talbert. When we meet Jeronicus Jangle, he is a toymaker on top of the world and is played in the opening scenes by Justin Cornwell. There is nothing he cannot invent, and his toy shop is the wonder of the world. Things can change so quickly, though, and by the time we see him again, he is alone, bitter, and disconsolate. In these scenes, he's played by Forest Whitaker, and he's anything but an excessive talker.

By now, Whitaker is of course one of our most treasured actors, but Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is unlikely to be one of his most remembered roles, even though he sings fairly well in it. Part of that might be because the film seemed to come and go without much of a wintry splash; released on November 13, 2020, the filmed received positive reviews but not much chatter, even if it was during the era of everyone staying home and watching other Netflix programs like Tiger King. Be that as it may, it is currently ranked seventeenth on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the best Christmas movies ever, right in between the anime film Tokyo Godfathers and Edward Scissorhands. (Forget about the debate over Die Hard—is Edward Scissorhands really considered a Christmas movie?) 

Whitaker may do a fine job (though he leans in too heavily towards a mumbling persona), but many of the others in this Christmas fantasy do not, supplying acting that can only be described as forced, awkward, and overly theatrical. It doesn't help if the songs (written by John Legend, Philip Lawrence, Davy Nathan, Michael Diskint, and others) come across as energetic yet stale and are unlikely to remain in one's memory unless one has heard them repeatedly. They simply exist to provide only (and I mean only) the inner thoughts of the singer and nothing else. They don't move the film forward, they don't dazzle, and they certainly don't entertain. 

Jingle Jangle is a Christmas fable reminiscent of The Nutcracker; it even aspires to be E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and WALL-E at different points, but fails. In the story, Jangle's inventions (namely an animatronic and animated miniature matador voiced terrifically by Ricky Martin) have been stolen by his apprentice, Gustafson, played in most scenes (including his big musical number) by Keegan-Michael Key. Since the theft, Jangle has fallen into despair, turning his imaginarium into a pawn shop where he struggles to pay the bills. His daughter has grown up and moved away to raise her daughter in a cottage; they have not kept in touch.

One day, however, Jangle's granddaughter, Journey (played in a very charming performance by young Madalen Mills) is sent to visit her grandfather, whom she has never met. Jangle is not thrilled, and initially insists that she cannot stay. Eventually acquiescing, he forbids her from touching anything, even though she soon proves that she's just as much a genius as he is, though the topics that they are experts in are things like the "second derivative of sensational" and the "square root of possible."  

There are worthy aspects of the film, like its wonderful animation, sets, costumes, and other technical aspects, that are top-notch, and despite its weak start, the film does get more charming as it progresses, with the snowball fight (offering a glimpse of Jangle loosening up a bit) being a highlight. Children, in particular, could be quite captivated by it, especially as characters literally start to fly. To many adults, however, flying characters still don't do much to make the film feel fantastical. Despite this admirable qualities, I cannot recommend this film to most viewers. It checks a lot of boxes for a Christmas movie with all of its pageantry and magic, but it drags on for thirty minutes too long and can be a bore. I should also admit though that I initially couldn't stand Elf, and yet I now appreciate it much more with every viewing. Perhaps I will say the same one day about Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey.