Okay, hear me out!
We can all agree that the Halloweentown series is one of Disney Channel’s most iconic Halloween series. But “Return of Halloweentown” is the most negatively received from the franchise. I’ll admit that the recasting of Marnie was jarring because of how well Kimberly J Brown was at portraying Marnie. But I think this change in cast prematurely turned the audience off from the movie. Nevertheless, “Return to Halloweentown” is an absolute gem, and here are some reasons why:
- Marnie remains an independent icon.
Although she looks different, Marnie’s desire to be fiercely independent and embrace being a witch remains strong in this film. She accepts her full scholarship to Witch University despite her mother’s skepticism. Throughout the series, the central conflict is Marnie finding herself. She is passionate about being a witch and protecting humanity even though her mother is fearful for her safety. But like all other times, she chooses to attend Witch University, no matter the risks or how much her mother disagrees with it.
- The premise of the plot is pretty interesting
It all starts when Marnie finds the box in the school’s dungeon with S. Cromwell. She learns that the “S” stands for Splendora and that the box contains the Gift, an extraordinary power only a Cromwell can use. Ethan tries to warn Marnie that this mysterious organization, the “Dominion,” is planning to use Marnie to unlock The Gift. But she ignores his warning and goes back in time to talk to Splendora to learn about the Gift. Unfortunately, as she spends time with Splendora and learns the true nature of the Gift, she realizes that there are evil forces in the university who are using Marnie as a pawn for the Dominion to gain access to the Gift. So it is up to Marnie to find a way to defeat them and save Halloweentown from being taken over.
- Marine shows how much she trusts her brother.
We see this in the touching ending of this film when Dylan discovers that Marnie didn’t destroy the Gift but left it for him in a book. Because he was given the spell caster at the stroke of midnight, the Gift belongs to him. This act shows that the only person Marnie trusts with its power is him. Throughout the series, Dylan hasn’t used his magic too frivolously, and someone with that type of discipline is the right candidate to possess something as powerful as the Gift. Putting the book back showed his discipline and that he will only return to it for important reasons.
- We get to learn more about Splendora Agatha Cromwell.
One of the most exciting aspects of this film is exploring what Agatha was like when she was young and some of the major decisions she had to face regarding her adolescence. When Marnie meets her and asks about the Gift, she learns that Splendora is about to be crowned queen. But similarly, Splendora is set to be used as a pawn for the Dominion’s cause of enslaving the entire town. Agatha doesn’t want to control anyone and already has a passion for protecting the people of Halloweentown before it is even founded. So she makes the decision she feels is best no matter what others think.
In terms of a final installment, “Return to Halloweentown” is a great closer to a phenomenal series that’s how viewers a lot about relationship dynamics and responsibility. And these themes are something that remains consistent in every movie as the Cromwell children develop into young adults.