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Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge are not that great as films, but together here on one disc, one can have the fun of seeing these movies evolve. The first movie has the Cromwell family coming to terms with the "witchiness" in their family. In Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge, the family is now confronted by Kalabar and his evil plan to ruin Halloweentown, and turn the people who inhabit the real world into Monsters.

Alright, Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge are what they are. Maybe if I was younger I would really like these stories, but there is something about the way they are told that is just hard for me to get into. I can't really put my finger on it, but I will say that parents looking to entertain their kids after school, could certainly do a lot worse than Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge.

"The Magic of the Halloweentown Movies"
This is a technical look at how these films are made. We get to see how the monsters are made up, and we also find out how the creators come up with their stories. We even get a sneak peak at Halloweentown High which while not great, at least continues the tradition of the these movies. I wish I thought these movies were better. I wished that they grabbed me a little more, as it stands, I think they are simply passable and nothing extraordinary.

 
The Look
Full Screen - 1.33:1. Okay, the FX are bad but the movies are lit well and they do have the coziness of Halloween. That is probably Halloweentown's biggest asset. These movies are nothing if not festive and I think that alone could spur DVD sales. It isn't like they don't try. One look at "The Magic of the Halloweentown Movies" will tell you that a decent amount of technical work goes into bringing these films to life. It's just at the end of the day, they don't really work on me like I hoped they would.
  
 
The Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Surround Sound. These movies sound like Halloween movies. They are kids films and as such the music creates a sense of magic and wonderment. Everything sounds good, but sadly, you aren't just listening to the movie. What is happening on the screen is just as important and these two things are sadly not in synch with each other.
  
 
The Packaging
Marnie, Grandma and her younger brother and sister grace this front cover. There seems to be monsters and spells looming all around them. The back features two shots from both the movies (and they really should have left the one of the person driving wearing the skull mask, off!), a poorly written description of the films and an Extras/Technical specs listing. There is also a cast list for both films. As I have said, this packaging is very "Halloween" and that alone should pique people's interest.
  
I had such high hopes for these films. I will say that out of all the Halloweentown movies that I have screened, the best one is Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge. I just feel that this story moved and worked better than the others. There was more action yet I think the special FX were equally as bad as the other films. Still, all the actors do their best with the material, and while that's not saying much, at least I felt that they cared about what they were doing in all the movies.

If Halloweentown and Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge are moderately priced then I would suggest picking them up. You get two movies that will provide over two hours of entertainment and who knows... your kids, or their friends may even like these movies more than me!


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Reviewed: October 13th, 2005
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