Reviewing the 2020 Christmas movie releases
Jingle Jangle
Jingle Jangle is a Christmas movie created in 2020 about a toy maker named Jeronicus Jangle. After having his book of inventions stolen by his former friend and hurting his relationship with his daughter, Jangle finds himself in a dark place. It is only with the help of his granddaughter, who shares his passion for inventing, that he is able to take back his book of inventions and become a success once again.
Jingle Jangle is what some might call a newfound “Christmas Classic.” One day I hope to show my own kids Jingle Jangle as we sit by the fire sipping hot chocolate and eating Christmas cookies. I believe what immediately struck me about Jingle Jangle was the embodiment of Christmas hope, that feeling you get around December that the world can surmount to something better than reality. Oftentimes, the world can be a tough and cruel place that does not offer much to look forward to. However, this movie shows that that doesn’t always have to be the case.
Happiest Season
When Happiest Season was first announced, people were very excited about the “first lesbian Christmas movie.” The movie stars Kristen Stewart, Dan Levy, and Aubrey Plaza, three incredibly popular LGBTQ actors at the moment. Things started going downhill as the trailer was released. I was expecting a happy, feel good Christmas movie just like any other except with two women, but I was wrong. The trailer revealed the movie was actually a coming out story as Abby (Kristen Stewart) is going to spend Christmas with her girlfriend, Harper (Mackenzie Davis), and her family, but Harper has not told her family yet that she’s gay. This movie just adds to the long list of movies that have LGBTQ representation in which coming out and facing homophobia are the main plot. Overall, the movie could have been a lot better, but the stellar cast was able to make it well worth watching.
Princess Switch: Switched Again
Princess Switch: Switched Again added to the ever growing list of movies that make up the Netflix Christmas Cinematic Universe. This is the type of movie you put on to watch with your family to completely forget everything that happened only minutes later. Princess Switch: Switched Again continues the story of a baker from Chicago, Stacy (Vanessa Hudgens), and her identical friend who also happens to be the future queen of Montenaro, Lady Margaret Delacourt (Vanessa Hudgens). In the second movie there is a third Vanessa Hudgens character, Lady Fiona Pembroke, Margaret’s scheming cousin, who is trying to steal the throne. The movie is clearly not great and Vanessa Hudgens’ three characters seem to blend together and there isn’t much distinction other than a poorly done accent, yet if you are a fan of any other Netflix Christmas movie, you’ll probably like Princess Switch: Switched Again.
