Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: Shenanigans ensue in a town forbidden from celebrating Halloween.
Review: Well, this was a hot mess. There must have been some kind of heavy editing going on before release since far too many scenes occur with little to no explanation. In one respect I can appreciate the attempt at an offbeat, childrens tale, but, on the other hand, I can't ignore the general sense of idiocy at every turn. I mean, even the core plot about why Halloween is banned in this particular town is laughably moronic. Then when we factor in Christopher Lloyd hamming up every damn scene things begin to get out of hand. R.L. Stine what the ducky were you smokin', buddy boy?
Apparently a random, goth kid was burned alive while working on an art project, and he cursed the town in death, forbidding the people from ever celebrating Halloween. For no reason whatsoever, the stupid townspeople believe in this curse instantly and ban Halloween. In actuality, we come to learn the kid was accidentally killed, and this retarded story was made up to cover up...the guilt...I guess. Either way, it doesn't add up no matter how you rationalize it. While this simplified version of the story works well enough, it is boggled down with endless, dead end plot tangents. The town is named after the main kid and his family because of a chocolate factory they own. Hmm. We get antics regarding the reopening of the factory and German investors. Then we have Christopher Lloyd's character telling everyone to call him Uncle Fred for no discernible reason. The main dude also has a love interest with the most womanly-sounding voice ever for a tweeny. There are, of course, shenanigans with bullies and dumbass townspeople acting like assholes. Oh yeah, the main kid's dad tries to hook up with some chick who happens to be the love interest's mom...which would potentially make them brother and sister if their parents married. DAD...quit fucking shit up! A giant pile of pumpkins materializes out of thin air to kill Christopher Lloyd, zombies materialize too, and we randomly get a reunion with a zombie grandma as if her character was hyped beforehand or something. A forgotten flashback scene, perhaps? That goth kid is somehow controlling fireflies which, according to Christopher Lloyd, glow due to magic. Well, thanks for clearing that up for me. The film keeps going back and forth about whether or not they're going to celebrate Halloween or not and there is some bullshit about an election? I don't know. Seriously, there are too many meaningless plot threads, and I'm not even addressing that child molester birthday party where Christopher Lloyd throws a fake hand in his pants and promises a 100 bucks to the kid that finds his hand. Oh goodness gracious...gonna make me cry from laughter.
Needless to say, they tried to tackle too much, and it does not come together cohesively whatsoever. Beyond that, the effects are weak and the acting can range anywhere from adequate to school play level. The jokes are cornball, but that's okay with me I suppose. The pacing is uneven, however, it didn't drag as much as I imagined it would. There are good ideas scattered about and the revelation about the goth kid's art project was somewhat touching...though, there was no buildup to the realization that goth kid idolized Christopher Lloyd...so...yeah. Realistically, this is too dumb for any kid over 8 yet, ironically, probably too scary for any kid under that age. If this is on TV...give it a whirl...why not? But I definitely would not waste my time seeking this out as it's mostly bland and easily forgettable.
Notable Moment: When a zombie Christopher Lloyd dresses up as a clown. Now that's some scary shit right there!
Final Rating: 5/10
It's just a movie, not a documentary. It's not meant to be believable. Chill out.
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