Monday, December 28, 2020

About JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY

This original musical fantasy is on Netflix. JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY is like 10 pounds of candy canes and Christmas cookies stuffed into a 5 pound sack. It's overproduced -- and I loved every single minute of it. When I was a kid, you really didn't see Black characters in Christmas stories presented on TV during the holiday season. You saw Black artists in the holiday music variety specials but rarely in Christmas stories. For instance, back in the 70s and 80s, no one would've thought of casting big, brawny, barrel-chested James Earl Jones as the Ghost of Christmas Present in a TV production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. He'd have been perfect for that part. Well, this Netflix feature definitely changes that. JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY is unabashedly, unapologetically, joyfully Black. Three of its stars are Keegan-Michael Key, Anika Noni Rose and Best Actor Oscar winner Forest Whitaker -- and they all sing. Yes, Forest Whitaker has a sweet singing voice as you'll hear in three numbers.


 Whitaker is the lead character. The story starts in modern day with Phylicia Rashad, at her loveliest, reading a Christmas story to little children. It's the story of the chipper toymaker and inventor Jeronicus Jangle who owned his own shop in the Victorian era. There's sort of a toymaker ALL ABOUT EVE element in the story. The good-hearted Jeronicus has an apprentice. The apprentice steals Jeronicus' book of inventions and one of the toymaker's most important dolls. Fast forward 30 years and we see the broke and broken Jeronicus (Forest Whitaker) who has emotionally closed himself off from the world. He doesn't smile. He doesn't respond to the saucy flirts from a middle-aged widow. This will all change when the sad inventor's whiz of a granddaughter comes into his life and brings light back into his heart and reignites his sense of invention.

 This feature is beautifully photographed and very well cast. I loved how the costumes blended Victorian era fashions with African/Black American style details. The choreography is energetic and fun as are the music numbers overall. The plot is nothing heavy. It's geared towards a happy ending. As I wrote earlier, this film is delightfully overproduced, but...let's face it. The Christmas season is not one in which we practice simplicity and Spartan behavior. It's about being big, colorful and fabulous. Christmas is a holiday in which over-production is the norm.

Little Madalen Mills as Journey, the Jangle grandchild, is a bright Christmas gift in herself. This little actress has shining star quality. She's wonderful in this film. Another gift is Lisa Davina Phillip as Ms. Johnson, the widow with a crush on the older Jeronicus. Her vamp number in his shop is a hilarious show-stopper.

We've watching Forest Whitaker every since he played one of the teen bad dudes in the 1982 comedy, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH. In his real high school years, he performed in school musicals. He also studied in a conservatory. When his film career kicked in and he was booking work in serious films such as PLATOON, BIRD (in which he played jazz great Charlie Parker), CRYING GAME, PANIC ROOM and THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND (his 2006 Best Actor Oscar-winning role as dictator Idi Amin), Whitaker put his musical talents on hold. It's great to see him take on a whimsical role and remind us of his musical skills.

We also get 12 inches of Ricky Martin. The singer is the speaking and singing voice of the foot-long devious Don Juan matador doll. I cannot recall Ricky Martin being as relaxed and funny in a performance as he is here. He is an absolute hoot as that vain, manipulative matador doll. 

 I wish JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY was a TV feature that ABC, CBS or NBC would air annually for family viewing during the yuletide season. It's that charming an original Christmastime musical fantasy.


3 comments:

  1. Hello everyone this is a great testimony that I must share. I never believed in spells or magic not until I met Dr. Ogala My life is back !!! After 3 years of broken marriage, my wife left me with two children. I almost killed myself, I was emotionally broken down. Thanks to a spell caster called Dr Ogala who I met online. One faithful day while browsing the internet, I came across a lot of testimonials about this particular caster. Some people testified that he brought their ex-lover back, others testified that he restored their uterus, cured cancer and other diseases, others testified that he could cast a spell to stop the divorce. I also come across one particular testimony, it was from a woman called Sonia, she testified about how he brought her Ex lover back in less than 2 days, and at the end of her testimony she dropped his email (Drogalad02@gmail.com). After reading all of these testimonials, I decided to give it a try. I contacted him via his email and explained my problem to him. In just 48 hours, my wife came back to see me. We have solved our problems, and we are even happier than before, Dr Ogala is truly a talented man, I am not going to stop posting it because he is a wonderful man. If you have a problem and are looking for a real solution and a real spell caster to solve all your problems for you, contact Dr Ogala with his powers He can turn your dreams into reality.
    .................................
    IT CAN ALSO HELP YOU WITH:
    1. Bring your boyfriend or girlfriend back
    2. Bring back your husband or wife
    3. Win the lottery and promotion in the offices
    4. Help you get pregnant, if you need a baby
    5. Complete Cure Of Any Kind of Sickness contact him now through: Drogalad02@gmail.Com.. you can Call/WhatsApp with this mobile number +2347049668119 ..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Dr Ogala for your genuine spells. This is really incredible, and I have never experienced anything like this in my life. Before i came in contact with him, i have tried every possible means that i could to make my relationships work for my wife to come back, but i actually came to realize that nothing was working out for me, and that my wife had developed lot of hatred for me.. I thought there was no hope to reunite with my ex wife and kids. But when i read good reviews about His Good works , i decided to give it a try and i did everything that he instructed me and i trusted in him and followed his instructions just as he have guaranteed me in 28 hours, and that was exactly when my wife called me.. We are more contented now than ever. Everything looks perfect and so natural! Thank you so much for your authentic and indisputable spells. Thank you Dr Ogala for your help. If you need help in your marriage of broken relationship, Reach him Email: drogalad02@gmail.com Call/WhatsApp: +2347049668119 contact Dr Ogala right now for urgent help ..

    ReplyDelete
  3. My husband changed dramatically towards me, doesn’t communicate anymore.He disrespects me and accuses me falsely of infidelity because of wicked gossip …but I’m simply AMAZED at the results of Dr. Ogudugu who did reunion love spell for me. Everything is going so well and EXACTLY how he said it would be. Even though it took 3 days to fully progress, it was so worth it because things are just about at perfection! How he took my situation and completely turned it around to give me exactly what I wanted is beyond me, but something I will never question and just be completely grateful, God Bless Dr.Ogudugu for turning sorrow into happiness. Dr.Ogudugu contact; greatogudugu@gmail.com/WhatsApp +2348063739701

    ReplyDelete

Colman Domingo in RUSTIN

In the first ten minutes of Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN, we see Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln talking to two Black soldiers on a Ci...