‘Spirit Halloween: The Movie’ Is Fine For The Family [Review]
I’m one of the people that live for Spirit Halloween but laughed when the movie was announced. I went in with low expectations for Spirit Halloween: The Movie and am eating a little crow. I figured the appeal for me and the other youths would be seeing Marla Gibbs, Christopher Lloyd, and Rachel Leigh Cook. However, on top of that, this movie also pulls at all the nostalgia strings we buried with our inner kids. It’s serving the Goosebumps, Are You Afraid of The Dark,? and the kids on bike situation that is now a requirement of kid horror.
A Spirit Halloween Store opens in a small town. It’s right on time for three friends fighting over plans to decide to spend Halloween night locked inside the store. Once stranded, they realize the store is haunted by an evil spirit who has until midnight to possess someone. They will now be spending the evening fighting off an angry spirit weaponizing Spirit Halloween’s entire catalog.
I felt crumbs of joy watching Spirit merch chase after kids while dropping one-liners voiced by Christopher Lloyd. There is also the typical kid’s Halloween story unfolding. Jake (Donovan Colan) is getting it from his friends and family. His best friends, Bo (Jaiden J. Smith) and Carson (Dylan Martin Frankel) are starting to outgrow their usual Halloween shenanigans. His mom, Sue (Rachael Leigh Cook), has remarried and there is now a new kid in the home. His life is ripe for the shenanigans of a kiddie horror entry.
Also Read: ‘Smile’ Lacks the Fun Thrills Promised by its Chilling Premise [Fantastic Fest 2022 Review]
Jake’s crush, who is also Carson’s older sister, Kate (Marissa Reyes), tries to save the trio. She’s rewarded by ending up stuck in the store with them. Reyes gave probably my favorite performance of the younger cast. I also appreciate that Kate is written as brave, capable, and realistic. They also let her character have fun when it’s her turn to be possessed. We hardly saw such a moment in my day. Back then girls were always the damsel in distress that the male leads were forever saving in children’s TV. This was a welcome surprise that also helped offset the, “I’m too old for this movie” feeling that washed over me. There is more cheese than I usually like with my movies. As is expected from children’s Halloween movies and a movie revolving around a Halloween-themed store. However, Spirit Halloween was not what I expected.
Also Read: ‘The Munsters’ Review: Rob Zombie Delivers Campy, Colorful Fun For The Whole Family
We can argue that product placement in films has gone too far. I even found myself wanting to play in the store while the core friend group was growing apart to have conflict. We can argue that it’s not a great movie, even though it’s fun for PG-13 fodder. However, it feels like what everyone was into during the Disney Channel and ABC Family Halloween seasons of yesteryear, which I mocked my younger siblings for watching. Spirit Halloween’s main difference is that it’s less offensive and has today’s technology to work around. It also has the misfortune of coming at a time when we’re too old and jaded to accept any more entries in the category of tween horror we still hold dear from our childhoods.
I didn’t find it cloying like other PG-13 gateway movies. I think a couple of the moments will give younger audiences the same thrills we got from Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown back in the day. While I and my beverage had a good time, I also never lost sight of Spirit Halloween being a family-friendly movie. With that in mind, I have to say it meets the requirements and is a fine movie in its respective lane.
Let me know if you are checking out Spirit Halloween: The Movie at @misssharai
-
Spirit Halloween: The Movie
Summary
Spirit Halloween: The Movie is a pleasant surprise that’s fun for the whole family. It’s a fine film that’s more throwback to when we were kids than most of the grating PG-13 gateway films that have dropped over the last few years.
