Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge

What’s the Story?

Young witch Marnie Cromwell (Kimberly J. Brown) must stop another villainous warlock in this sequel. The tale when an attractive young warlock disguised as a mortal shows up at the Cromwells' Halloween party, charms Marnie, and steals a family heirloom that he needs to set his dastardly plan in motion. At first Marnie stands by her new suitor when her Grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds) accuses him of the theft, but Marnie soon realizes she's made a terrible mistake. The warlock-gone-wrong has cast a spell on all the inhabitants of Halloweentown, and his second evil spell will affect everyone in mortal-ville, including Marnie's mom, Gwen (Judith Hoag). With Grandma Aggie already under a spell, it's up to Marnie and her good friend Luke (Phillip Van Dyke) to save the day.

Is It Any Good?

Like the first in the series, this made-for-TV Disney feature is brewed for tweens, but scary scenes are few and their fear-factor mild, so younger viewers may also enjoy this Halloween story. In the scariest scene, Marnie's mom turns into a terrifying witch who lashes out at her own children. It's clear that she's under an evil spell, and even though the scene is very brief, younger kids may find it too scary. There's also a good bit of nail-biting, work-against-the-clock tension.

Valuable messages are masked within pure entertainment. Marnie is at first taken in by the attractive young man, but once she learns who he really is, she repeatedly refuses his appeals, choosing to control her own future and stick by her tried-and-true friends and family. There are also positive examples of creative thinking, perseverance, teamwork, and family support.