Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

2020 Directed by David E. Talbert

Discover a world of wishes and wonder

An imaginary world comes to life in a holiday tale of an eccentric toymaker, his adventurous granddaughter, and a magical invention that has the power to change their lives forever.

Forest Whitaker Keegan-Michael Key Hugh Bonneville Anika Noni Rose Madalen Mills Phylicia Rashād Ricky Martin Justin Cornwell Sharon Rose Lisa Davina Phillip Kieron L. Dyer Miles Barrow Diaana Babnicova Ria Calvin Kenyah Sandy Tobias Poppe Tosh Wanogho-Maud Gabriel Mokake Philip Lawrence Abraham Popoola Gabriel Constantin Momo Yeung Kaye Brown Charlie Jones Stephanie Fayerman Patricia Franklin Duncan Airlie James Chris Jarman Mandy Dassa Show All…

Alternative Titles

Jingle Jangle, Uma Invenção de Natal

music fantasy family

122 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by erin ★★½ 4

that first song SCREAMED the greatest showman
Review by Sam Doucet ★★½ 9

There should be a name for the feeling you get when you turn on a movie then very soon realize that it’s a musical.
Review by HANNAH* ★★★ 1

the square root of impossible is possible
uhhh no it's not
Review by Cinematic Underdogs ★★★½

Personally, I’m more than down to watch some good fun pseudoscientific propaganda for STEM, especially when it is as ornate and extra as this rich piece of holiday confection is.
Review by overy87 ★★★★ 2

The Greatest Snowman
Review by Austin Burke ★★★½ 1

👍🏻70%
YouTube review - Click HERE
2020 list - Click HERE
An imaginary world comes to life in a holiday tale of an eccentric toymaker, his adventurous granddaughter, and a magical invention that has the power to change their lives forever. This is essentially a Broadway show for half of the film, as the musical numbers are filmed and displayed to feel like something happening on a stage instead of a screen. This only works if you have the direction to compliment it, and the film was truly able to work well on that note. It is a fantastical and magical tale that will stick with so many kids who watch at the right age. The film is clearly built for kids…
Review by Vivian ★★★½

keegan michael key said i am a performer, im here to give a performance!
Review by DreamScape40 ★★★★★ 2

Didn't watch any previews or read any reviews.
Had no idea this was a musical.
The songs were pleasant and it felt like you could sing-a-long with them and not really knowing the words but the medleys were perfect and I loved every song! The one that got me dancing was "Make It Work". Very upbeat!
Dance choreography was beautiful.
Costumes were very nice. That blue/brown coat Forest was wearring looked soooo comfy and cozy. I wanted to reach through the screen and feel the fabric!
Loved how they blended the telling of the story there in that toy/puppet animation.
Wonderful cast! The cast was right on with their roles.
-Forest Whitaker kind of reminded me of Morgan Freeman playing…
Review by Griffin Stenzel ★★★ 6

like a Christmas stocking bursting at the seams with too many goodies, Jingle Jangle is overstuffed and messy in the best sorts of ways. there’s steampunk-y knickknacks that whirl and spin, stop motion interludes, colorful feather boas and wigs, a flying robot named Buddy, a sentient doll, magical math equations that glow in the air, and hip hop musical numbers. yeah -- this would’ve been my favorite thing when I was 8 years old, which is the audience it’s geared towards. it’s a candy - colored musical extravaganza bundled in shiny Christmas wrapping paper, what’s not to enjoy?
ps: why was the Keegan Michael Key villain’s number literally just the onceler song from the Lorax but live action??
pss: nothing beats this review
Review by grace💫 ★★★

amazing choreo, killer use of plaid, very cute characters!!! NO idea what happened
Review by Fake Shemp

Too much singing.

Nah this was so dapper and pretty and the tunes were good.
Would've liked to see this on the big screen honestly.
Review by Jon Young ★★★½

Mailwoman was so horney

Recent reviews

Review by Philipp_Killian ★★

Typischer Weihnachtskitsch, wenn man in der Vorweihnachtszeit nichts zu tun hat kann man sich den schon ansehen. Forest Whitaker ist der einzige Lichtblick.
Review by Chris Feil ★★★½

Delightful despite early Greatest Showman vibes. Lisa Davina Phillip is a star.
Review by Meggie

Lovely
Review by Ayub Nor ★★

Grade: D
Like most christmas films nowadays, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is overstiffed with glitz and glamoyr but offers no substance.
Review by Film Code The Podcast ★

Nathan: What’s challenging is the opening of this movie is incredible. The first 10 minutes truly are remarkable. There is some great storytelling that is reminiscent of Up.
But literally everything else, throw it out. (⭐)
Phoenix: While colorful, inventive, and spiced with all the flair of a Hamilton/ Greatest Showman mix, the story felt like it was written for not just a younger audience, but a significantly unaware younger audience. (⭐⭐)
Brandon: I didn't find this enjoyable at all. (⭐)
Consensus: Jingle Jangle does some things well from the music, to the set design, and costuming, but the story is so endlessly juvenile and purposefully pedantic that it's frustrating. Not even turn-your-brain-off entertainment, but better if you never had a brain at all.
Hear our full thoughts on Jingle Jangle here: CODEWORD: TRAGEDY
Review by Liam ★★★

Bells and whistles have a distinct purpose. Usually, they're there to distract from flaws. Most of the time they knowingly fail but help soften the blow of any misfire held within. As visual effects have developed they have been used endlessly to draw focus away from thinly developed plots. Before that, it was ornately overcrowded production design and fastidiously busy makeup and costuming. Dazzle with the eye and distract from the lack of coherence or credibility. In the case of Jingle Jangle it might just be all of the above.
In a prelude to the main event, Jingle Jangle introduces the audience to a young Jeronicus, his wife, Joanne, and their daughter, Jessica. The world is their oyster as Jeronicus…
Review by David Morris ★★

Wow, this movie has a lot in it. A lot of ideas, different turns to the plot, different fantasy/Christmas tropes. The story concerns a great toy inventor, played by Forest Whitaker, who has his book of inventions stolen by an apprentice (Keegan-Michael Key) and sees his world fall apart, including the death of his wife (how many dead mothers litter the landscape of kids/fantasy films?) and estrangement from his daughter. These negative turns happen just as background, robbing them of the emotional impact they should have. Years later, his granddaughter visits and inspires a turn in his fortunes. But at every turn, and there are many turns, some new idea is thrown at us, only to be discarded with the…
Review by Hob ★★★

I wasn't surprised to find out from interviews that this was a passion project with the two goals of paying homage to the filmmaker's favorite children's stories, and centering African-Americans in a type of fantasy story that's generally been pretty white. You can tell, and that's cool, and it did produce a distinctive thing that a lot of people clearly enjoyed both making and seeing—and maybe it's the personal ambition behind it that makes me so frustrated by how arbitrary and by-the-numbers it somehow manages to be at the same time in so many ways, whereas with a more ordinary Hollywood product I would've expected that and been more likely to appreciate the good parts, unfair as that may be.…
Review by lenasgreen ★★★

i wasn’t expecting it to be a musical. the plot moved kinda of slow
Review by Matt Thomas ★★★★

A real feel good film which works outside of the holiday season. Great songs, strong effects, a well chosen diverse cast and exceptionally good design work. Like a modern Santa Claus: The Movie meets A Christmas Carol.
Review by Glenn Dunks ★★★

Cribs liberally from all sorts of sources (from Dickens to WIZARD OF OZ to HUGO) and is another of the Over-lit Netflix Club. But it’s also got an eye for design in costumes and vfx, and the songs are often a delight. Will be a fun family distractions at Christmas for sure.
Review by CalvinLaw ★★★ 2

2020 Ranking
93rd Oscars Shortlist for Hair and Makeup, Original Score, Original Song
I could see this making it into at least Hair and Makeup at the very least, pretty wonderful work in that regard. It’s a silly kid’s film and it’s way too long, but it’s charming in its own way, quite funny in some, and for me personally Forest Whitaker just kinda has an innately huggable presence that makes me want to root for him. Unless he’s Idi Amin of course.
Music is also quite good, I wouldn’t say I found it amazing or anything but they certainly served their purpose.