journal features

movie review - Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Kokubunji, 2020.12.25

This is a musical number about a genius inventor who is ripped off by his apprentice. He falls into depression and spends many years puttering about trying to make the next big thing. At the movie's outset, his grand-daughter turns up and kicks off a series of events that leads to a confrontation with the dastardly former apprentice, who returns to steal said next big thing. It's well done, though at times uneven in pacing and tone. Forest Whitaker is unusually ham-fisted as the grandfather but this is off-set by the engaging turn from Keegan-Michael Key as the villain. But, it's for kids and I don't think the audience will be particularly troubled by some of the stiffness. It's a good Christmas flick (and let's bear in mind that that is a set of movies that includes Die Hard).

Recommended. Good for watching with the kiddos.

rand()m quote

If a person has ugly thoughts, it begins to show on the face. And when that person has ugly thoughts every day, every week, every year, the face gets uglier and uglier until you can hardly bear to look at it. A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts it will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.

—Roald Dahl