Marnie, Aggie, Gwen, Dylan, and Sophie are back and this time they have to protect Halloweentown and the mortal world from Kalabar’s son in “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge.” This time, Kalabar’s son, Kal, has come to the mortal world and stolen Aggie’s spellbook, then returned to Halloweentown to cast the grey spell on all of its inhabitants. Once the portal closes, he plans to cast the creature spell to turn all of the inhabitants of the mortal world at the high school dance and costume party into the costumes they are wearing. The Piper family has to find a way to connect across both worlds to re-open the portal and save both worlds.

This film falls into many of the traps of sequels by basically recycling the plot of the first film in places. It’s not the exact same film again like “Home Alone 2” or “D2: The Mighty Ducks,” but there are some eerie similarities. Instead of Kalabar trying to woo Gwen, his ex-girlfriend; we get Kalabar’s son, Kal, wooing Marnie so that he can still Aggie’s spellbook. Kal’s mission is to complete Kalabar’s mission of monster domination over the mortal world. Yes, he goes about it in a different way, so they aren’t fighting the exact same battles, but it’s the same endgame. And, for a film called “Kalabar’s Revenge,” you would think Kalabar would be in it, but he’s not. It’s a little surprising Kal wasn’t trying to bring Kalabar back to complete his mission.

While the film does have its flaws, it’s still a lot of fun. It’s great to see how much Aggie is trying to adjust to the mortal world to be with her family, but also how much she misses her home. That’s an emotional conundrum anyone who has ever moved far away from home can understand. You want to make your new situation work, but you miss where you came from. Also, Marnie’s growth from the first film to this one is nice to see, even if they could’ve done a little more. And, Dylan finally accepting that he’s part-warlock and being able to help his entire family at the end is a nice touch. In the end, the Pipers can go back and forth between the two realms with ease and Aggie is no longer separated from her home or her family.

Overall, this would’ve been a nice wrap-up to this franchise. Give them two Disney Channel Original Movies and tell a complete story that ends with them being able to see each other more. Gwen can still be mortal, Aggie can still be a witch, and Gwen’s children now have a choice as to which path they want to take. Of course, this was so well received it led to two more sequels. We’ll get to them another time. This wasn’t as good as the first “Halloweentown,” but it’s a good sequel and enjoyable for any DCOM fan or Halloween fan in your life.

Ranking: 3 stars out of 5

What did you think of “Halloweentown II: Kalabar’s Revenge?”

Jeremy Brown

Jeremy has been a big Disney fan since he was a kid growing up during the Disney Renaissance. One day he hopes to go to every Disney Park in the world.

View all posts