Halloweentown (1998)

I hadn't heard of this when it was new, probably because it was showing only on the Disney Channel. Only now that I've seen it on a couple lists of favorites to stream this time of year did I take any interest, and still not much. Mainly, I wanted something short and readily available to kick off my October-appropriate reviews.

Every year, single mother Gwen (Judith Hoag) forbids her children from going out on Halloween night, but her mother, Agatha (Debbie Reynolds), pays a visit the kids welcome much more than Gwen does. What makes this year different is that Marnie (Kimberly J. Brown), 13, overhears an argument between the adults and learns that they are a family of natural-born witches, tho Gwen insists on raising them as mundanely as their late non-warlock father would. Furthermore, Agatha comes from a hidden town populated with all sorts of beings most humans don't welcome -- and its citizens have been turning suddenly hostile and vanishing to parts unknown. When Gwen refuses to help solve that case, Marnie sneaks aboard the magic bus that Agatha catches, along with Marnie's preteen brother, Dylan (Joey Zimmerman), and seven-year-old sister, Sophie (Emily Roeske).

Agatha has half a mind to send the trio right back, but she really is desperate for assistance, as her neighbors lack either magical aptitude or initiative, and Marnie badly wants to learn magic. In truth, Marnie seems overconfident half the time, with Sophie having more of a knack. Dylan is the black sheep: a know-it-all mama's boy who almost constantly explains how his experiences need not involve magic.

Halloweentown may be full of ugly creatures, but they seem no less friendly or ethical on average than regular people, leaving me to wonder why Gwen forsakes her past so thoroughly. Only one character we meet (Robin Thomas) is real trouble, and he's the one behind the overarching issue. If you're hoping for the next Hocus Pocus in terms of edginess by family standards, you'll be disappointed: This villain, while bent on dominion, doesn't even threaten to kill anybody. And despite his message of expanding territory for monsterkind, he does a poor job of attracting devoted followers.

This being a '90s TV movie, it doesn't have the best effects. Heck, most of the costumes look like they could have been bought at Spirit Halloween; at least one of the masks doesn't move during speech. That said, the recurring skeletal cabbie (Rino Romano) is peculiarly expressive.

I suspect that the main reason for Halloweentown having so much of a following, with three sequels, is that kids wish they could go there. It's no Hogwarts, but it's pretty colorful. If only the humor or adventure writing were better. It's almost like a Disney World attraction, which, come to think of it, Dylan cites to explain the cabbie.

I remain unconvinced that Disney ever made a very good live-action film in the entire decade. At no point did this one invoke strong feelings in me. But it didn't make me want my 84 minutes back either.