Netflix’s new Christmas movie Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is really lighting up social media and exciting fans ahead of the holiday season. The film stars young actress Madalen Mills as Journey Jangle, the granddaughter of former toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whittaker). As a younger man, Jeronicus was a wide-eyed and creative inventor, but he finds himself devoid of the joy and promise he once held as an older man.
In addition to Mills and Whittaker, the film also stars Keegan-Michael Key as Jeronicus’ former apprentice Gustafson, who was far less talented and eventually resorted to stealing all of Jeronicus’ ideas. This made him a wildly wealthy man, but now he’s running out of stolen toy ideas and is not smart to think of his own. Other stars of Jingle Jangle include Hugh Bonneville, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad and Ricky Martin. Scroll down to see what Netflix subscribers are saying about the fun music-filled holiday movie!
Videos by PopCulture.com
Jingle Jangle is written and directed by David E. Talbert. While Talbert is most well known as a playwright, he has also helmed other holiday movies.
In 2016, Talbert wrote and directed Almost Christmas. That film stars Kimberly Elise, Mo’Nique, Nicole Ari Parker, Gabrielle Union, Keri Hilson, Jessie Usher, Danny Glover, Omar Epps, John Michael Higgins, D. C. Young Fly, and Romany Malco.
Years later, he directed El Camino Christmas, which was written by Chris Wehner and Theodore Melfi. That film featured stars such as Vincent D’Onofrio, Dax Shepard, Kurtwood Smith, Jessica Alba and Tim Allen.
Are you looking for a Christmas movie feat. JOYFUL BLACK PEOPLE doing MAGIC and SCIENCE? How about POWERHOUSE musical numbers and performances? AND NARY A SLAVE NARRATIVE NOR VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK BODIES IN SIGHT?! #JingleJangle is THE MOVIE FOR YOU! Thank you @strongblacklead!
— Nic 🎄 (@njnic23) November 14, 2020
Jingle Jangle has been a big hit so far, with both viewers and critics. Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the Critics Consensus reads, “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey celebrates the yuletide season with a holiday adventure whose exuberant spirit is matched by its uplifting message.
“It’s the filmic equivalent of the high that comes from eating way too many candy canes and drinking way too much hot chocolate.” – Karen Han / Slate
“So much movie packed into one story, but the universally appealing performances and the show-stopping musical numbers carry the day.” – Richard Roeper / Chicago Sun-Times
“Jingle Jangle might just be this season’s showstopper.” – Clarisse Loughrey / Independent (UK)
“The many pleasures of this overflowing Christmas stocking of a film are sure to make it a family favorite, and most likely a family tradition.” – Nell Minow / RogerEbert.com
“It all plays like a regional-theater production of The Wiz staged within the walls of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium.” – Peter Debruge / Variety
“For all its flaws… Jingle Jangle is a charming and long overdue film.” – Flora Spencer Grant / Little White Lies
