Ah, the Halloweentown movies. Such a classic series. When I was a kid, I would be so excited for Halloween to come so I could watch these movies- because I could only really watch them once a year.
Now, technology has advanced and I am lucky enough to be a member of Disney+ (thanks mom and dad), so I can watch them whenever I want. If you haven’t watched the movies before, I highly suggest that you do so. They are peak 90s vibes (even though most of them came out in the 2000s). Here is my definitive ranking of the Halloweentown movies.
4. Return to Halloweentown (2006)
This is an easy one. Unfortunately, it is the last installment in the series and that just leads to disappointment in the hearts of all that watched it. This movie just makes me sad and I pretend that it doesn’t exist. Why? Because THEY REPLACED THE MAIN CHARACTER. Kimberly J. Brown was the PERFECT Marnie Piper, but for some reason we’re not exactly sure of, she was replaced with Sara Paxton for the final installment. I try not to hold that against Sara Paxton, but I can’t. She just doesn’t bring the same vibe, the same charm, the same wonder as good ole Kimberly. Also, let’s be real: Debbie Reynolds only has like three lines in this movie. Along with Marnie, she is a main character in the other three movies. So basically, for the last film of the series, us Halloweentown fans have to go without the legendary Debbie Reynolds (RIP, I love you) AND Kimberly J. Brown. Will this persecution never end? But hey, if you’re like me, you try not to think about this movie as much as you possibly can and pretend it doesn’t exist.
3. Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge (2001)
The next worse (although it is a million miles better than the last one) is Halloweentown II. Don’t get me wrong, I love this movie, I just love the other two more. As a kid, the fact that some of the movie moved to black and white due to plot advances scared me and made me feel weird. As an adult, I definitely appreciate it more, because 1) I’m not scared anymore, and 2) KAL AND MARNIE ARE DATING IN REAL LIFE. Kal, played by Daniel Kountz, is the son of the evil Kalabar, and he uses his charm to get with Marnie so he can continue his dad’s evil plot, blah blah blah. Daniel Kountz and Kimberly J. Brown are actually now dating in real life- almost 20 years after this movie premiered- and this is honestly one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. I hope they stay together forever.
2. Halloweentown High (2004)
This was a tough one for me, because objectively, I like this one’s plot the most. Marnie is navigating learning magic at home, as well as playing host to foreign exchange students from Halloweentown at her high school. As a kid, I felt like this helped me understand high school. And when I rewatched multiple times in middle school and high school, I related to some of the struggles Marnie faced in high school. I also loved seeing the character growth of Marnie, her mom, and her siblings. I also really loved the love interest storyline- I always thought he was the cutest (sorry, Daniel). However, this can’t take the number one spot, because that belongs to….
1. Halloweentown (1998)
The first Halloweentown is just a classic. You can’t go wrong with it. It introduces us to the magical world of Halloweentown and Marnie’s life, her relationship with her family, and especially her relationship with her mom and grandma. You see sweet Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds) try to teach her eldest granddaughter about her world of witches and warlocks and ghouls against her daughter’s wishes. And the stakes are high, because if Marnie doesn’t start witch training by that night, the night of her 13th Halloween, she will lose all of her powers forever, something her mom desperately wants. This is one of the most nostalgic movies for me, and I just couldn’t not put it at number one. This movie brings back so many happy memories and definitely deserves the number one spot on my list.
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