"Skeletal appetite!" I certainly suspected that this movie was another consequence of the Harry Potter megawave, but not as much as it turned out to be. Like, for example, an invitation to study at the institute of magic or live images from a letter.
Films about wizards-students compete with each other in the originality and diversity of magical tricks. And even "Bibi the Little Wizard" had some advantages in this regard. Return to Halloweentown didn’t have that. Because a wristwatch-Skype or image on the surface of the liquid was in the distant pre-garripotter times.
Adults are no different in mind here. Marnie's mother (also a wizard) couldn't find a better place to magically "call" her daughter like in a crowded supermarket. And teachers, setting a bad example for children, violate the new rule of school left and right.
The new rule is a ban on using witchcraft on the grounds of the institute (just like the three good fairies in the cartoon "Sleeping Beauty"). Okay, negative characters broke this taboo there, but why show it to positive and influential teachers (although a large stack of books almost capsized was an interesting sight).
I was very annoyed by the makeup of some characters. These are the ones who have been “stitched” like goblins. But if such creatures were appropriate in the plot of the Tenth Kingdom, then there could well be ordinary human beings.
The student world is depicted in all the traditions of youth student comedies (Sidney White, Stage Stars, or Slap Her, She's French). So the film is nothing special. Just a template skeleton from the films just listed and Harry Potter.
But to highlight something good about the film, I will point out an interesting phrase - "You're not stupid." You're 18. And the ringtone is interesting, that stood on a common challenge with brother Marnie.
If you are looking for a movie to watch on Halloween, this is not the most Halloween. The spirit of the holiday is not particularly felt, despite the abundance of pumpkins that appear everywhere and everywhere (larger than Cinderella’s carriage). It's more like Avalon School, not Focus Pocus.