With Halloween approaching, Disney Channel fans who grew up watching Disney’s spooky original movies like Don’t Look Under the Bed or Mom’s Got a Date With a Vampire love the equally fantastic Halloweentown series.
Although it’s been almost 25 years since the first movie came out, the film got a burst of nostalgia and praise after its stars Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz created a funny TikTok (via Parade) recounting their days in the movie. Reddit never misses a chance to talk about their opinions on Disney nostalgia, and the same can be said for the epic tale about a family of witches. However, some are more unpopular than popular…
“Return To Halloweentown” Was Worth Watching…
Some Disney fans don’t realize that Halloweentown has four movies in the franchise. While the first is the most well-known and loved, the fourth is often said to be the worst.
The biggest thing that didn’t make sense about Halloweentown’s fourth movie was that Kimberly J. Brown (Marnie) was recast. As the main character, this fact alone made Return to Halloweentown a lesser film than the first three. However, YellowFlickerBeat thought Return to Halloweentown got too much hate. “It’s still not bad, there’s a bunch of cool new magic and characters. I’d say it’s worth your time.” This was considered unpopular because many felt the franchise could have ended after the third movie, especially when they recast Marnie.
Halloweentown Is, In A Word, “Bad”
One of the biggest reasons ’90s kids loved Halloweentown was because of what it did for the imagination. The idea of a 13-year-old girl finding out she was a witch after always thinking she had more to offer was fascinating.
Disney fans chased movies that were like Halloweentown, but it was hard to compare. On the flip side, Big-Piano6935 wrote the unpopular opinion that Halloweentown was plain old “bad.” They found the film “objectively it’s far too cheesy and childish to enjoy.” Others chimed in that it was a Disney movie written in the ’90s with kids as the main audience, so the cheese factor was a given.
It Doesn’t Have The Same Rewatch Value
One of the best parts about Halloweentown is rewatching it every October. Being reminded about the Piper and Cromwell families brings ’90s kids right back to their childhood. Each rewatch taught viewers something new they didn’t know about Halloweentown.
After rewatching the movie as an adult, however, Pladin_IPG felt that it ruined the movie for them because they pointed out things they didn’t realize as a kid. “I found myself sinning the f**k out of the movie and it just ruined it and I can never look at it the same again,” they wrote. Many defended Halloweentown and praised its rewatch value.
Gwen Was A Selfish Mother
Gwen Piper was a witch who hated that she had witchy powers and couldn’t be “normal” with those in the mortal world. When Gwen married a mortal and had kids, she left the magical world of Halloweentown behind for a new start. Gwen had some of the best quotes in Halloweentown because she was a strong, independent mother who wanted the best for her kids.
After rewatching the movie, Improbsable had the unpopular opinion that Gwen was selfish. “[Gwen] chooses to hide the fact that their family is magical, biding her time until they’re all over 13, so they’ll become mortal forever.” The problem the Redditor had was that since Gwen wasn’t mortal, she’d most likely watch her children grow older and pass while she remained the same. Despite Gwen’s choice to keep their magical talents from them, everything she did was for the wellbeing and safety of her kids.
Is A Reboot Needed?
With the first two Halloweentowns being the more popular in the franchise (with the third and fourth movies not having the same effect), it wouldn’t make sense to have a reboot unless the entire original cast came back.
Superman81 asked Reddit, “Would anyone want to see a reboot to Halloween Town?” And while some said “Absolutely,”others felt the movie had run its course. It would also be difficult to replace the late, great Debbie Reynolds as Aggie Cromwell.
And Would A Series Be Worth It?
Fans love comparing themselves to their favorite Disney Halloween characters because they’re whimsical and imaginative. And with the franchise ending in 2006, many fantasize about where the characters would be (and how they would compare) today.
The more popular opinion is that a series based on the movie wouldn’t do well because the third and fourth movies weren’t favorable. Because of the latest Hocus Pocus sequel, TheMaroonAvenger123 thought a series of Halloweentown should be next. “You have so much potential with further adventures with Marnie, Sophie, Dylan, Aggie, and others,” they wrote. On the contrary, the original characters most likely ran their course.
Is Halloweentown Better Than Hocus Pocus?
With Hocus Pocus 2 newly released, there were a few things to remember about the original before diving into the sequel. Another Disney classic, Hocus Pocus has a cult following and is one of the more beloved Halloween movies.
Halloweentown was a great movie but it’s in no way comparable to Hocus Pocus’ fandom. OnlyPostsWhenHi, however, felt that Halloweentown was better than Hocus Pocus. They shared, “Halloweentown on the other hand despite being a Disney Channel movie comes off more charming with more entertaining world-building. It was cheap and cheesy at times but the same problems exist for Hocus Pocus.”
Marnie & Luke
Luke was a goblin in Halloweentown, but when Marnie first met him he looked like an average boy her age. She was told by other townies that Luke had work done to not look like a goblin, but regardless of how looks, Marnie was not interested in him.
Luke was cocky, selfish, and unkind, especially after Marnie ignored his flirtation. However, a Redditor from BuzzFeed felt that “Marnie should’ve ended up with Luke.” Luke wasn’t the spookiest Halloweentown character, but he and Marnie had nothing in common. It was better Marnie ended the movie independent and not with a love interest.
