Return to Halloweentown

Return to Halloweentown
DVD cover
Distributed by	Disney Channel
Directed by	David S. Jackson
Produced by	Don Schain Sheri Singer
Written by	Max Enscoe Annie DeYoung Paul Bernbaum
Starring	Sara Paxton Joey Zimmerman Judith Hoag Lucas Grabeel Keone Young Summer Bishil Debbie Reynolds Kristy Wu Leslie Wing
Music by	Kenneth Burgomaster
Country	United States
Language	English
Release date	October 20, 2006
Running time	88 min.
Preceded by	Halloweentown High

Return to Halloweentown (also known as Halloweentown IV) is a Disney Channel Original Movie that premiered on October 20, 2006. It is the fourth and final film in the Halloweentown series. In this sequel, Marnie Piper (Sara Paxton) and her brother, Dylan Piper (Joey Zimmerman), go to Witch University to attend college in Halloweentown. While at college, dark forces try to control her magic. The premiere scored 7.8 million viewers, just above High School Musical. It is the eighth highest rated DCOM in Disney Channel history. The DVD was released on August 28, 2007.

Plot

Marnie and Dylan are going to follow their dreams to go to college, at Halloweentown University, which is also known as Witch University. Marnie is offered a full scholarship for her good deeds and for her work in the previous movies. Much to her mother Gwen's dismay, Marnie goes, and her brother Dylan reluctantly forced along by Gwen to keep an eye on her. The school is not what it seems. At the school, witches and warlocks can't use magic, instead they learn about Shakespeare and old magic history. Marnie had thought she was going to learn how to use her magic and is now crestfallen. She runs into her old friend Ethan (Lucas Grabeel) and makes a new friend, Aneesa the genie (Summer Bishil). She also makes three new enemies in the Sinister Sisters, a triad of malevolent witches with whom Dylan is immediately infatuated.

Sadly, Marnie discovers that she in fact is responsible for the restriction on the use of magic at the University. The University was originally established only for Warlocks and Witches to learn how to use magic, but when the portal was opened, most of them went to college in the mortal realm. Because of that, Witch University had to let several different creatures come to the school so that the teachers would actually have students to teach. Since then the school has allowed mortals and other magical beings to attend. The classes are boring for Marnie until a box, with the name "S. Cromwell" inscribed on it, magically appears in front of her. Most people at the school believe that Marnie used her magic to conjure up the box, but it was brought to her by fate, and was therefore out of Marnie's control. Marnie meets with one of her professors, Miss Periwinkle, and asks for an explanation. Miss Periwinkle tells Marnie that the S. stands for Splendora, but not a word more about it is mentioned. Chancellor Goodwin tells Marnie that she believes that she did not conjure up the box, and that it was indeed fate which brought it to her.

Marnie and Dylan attempt to discover the secret of the box, and he reveals that he used magical speed reading at home to skip a grade. He uses it again secretly and learns that the box contains the Gift, though the Gift itself remains unknown to them. Meanwhile the Sinister sisters use Dylan's infatuation with them to make him do their homework for them.

Also in the shadows, a mysterious group known only as the Dominion, realizes that the Gift is near and tries to use Marnie to open the box. Marnie decides to go into the past to meet Splendora and learn about the true nature of the enigmatic gift. Splendora explains that the power of the Gift is the power to control anyone by force of will, a power that witches are forbidden to use. Marnie realizes that her principal and Dr. Grogg are in the Dominion and Splendora bestows upon her the key to the box containing the Gift. Also, Splendora is revealed to be Marnie's grandmother Aggie. Agatha is her middle name and she hates the Splendora part so she eventually dropped it. Marnie returns to the present to open the box, but before she does, she creates the Halloweentown giant pumpkin for Splendora, telling her she'd need it. Surprisingly, stated by Splendora, Marvin, (Merlin's cousin), is Marnie's great-grandfather. This is given as a hint when Splendora tells Marnie, "...even King Arthur said that the whole royalty thing was harder than it looked."

Chancellor Goodwin steals the Gift for the Dominion and the Sinisters, in order to use it to take over Halloweentown. Knowing that only a Cromwell can use the Gift, the Sinister Sisters (working with the Dominion) transform Dylan into a dog to compel Marnie to comply with their demands. If the Sinisters and the Dominion don't turn him back, he will stay that way forever after Halloween passes. They agree to return him to his natural form if Marnie controls Halloweentown for them. While it seems that she has agreed to aid them in their heinous plot, she is really fooling them, and turns on them once her brother is released from the dog transformation spell. Together Marnie, Dylan and Gwen destroy the Gift with help from Aneesa, Marnie's genie friend. The Dominion, having been discovered for the evil ones that they are, attempt an escape, but are betrayed by none other than Professor Periwinkle. Professor Periwinkle is revealed to be an undercover detective and apprehends the group.

The malevolent Sinister Sisters lose their powers, but Marnie learns that Ethan willingly gave his powers up. Marnie and Ethan begin a new relationship and leave on a date. The movie ends when Dylan discovers that Marnie didn't destroy the Gift, but instead left it for him in a book. Since spells cast on the grounds of Witch University become permanent at the stroke of midnight, the Gift belongs to him, the only person Marnie trusts with its power. Saving the power of the Gift for important uses only, he puts the book back, showing a glowing, red S at the end of the film.

Cast

• Sara Paxton as Marnie Piper/ Young Splendora Agatha "Aggie" Cromwell
• Judith Hoag as Gwen Piper
• Lucas Grabeel as Ethan Dalloway
• Joey Zimmerman as Dylan Piper
• Kristy Wu as Scarlett. One of the three Sinister Sisters.
• Katie Cockrell as Sage. One of the three Sinister Sisters.
• Kellie Cockrell as Sapphire. One of the three Sinister Sisters.
• Keone Young as Silas Sinister. Leader of the Dominion.
• Millicent Martin as Prof. Persimmons Periwinkle
• Summer Bishil as Aneesa
• Leslie Wing as Dr. Goodwin
• Debbie Reynolds as Splendora Agatha "Aggie" Cromwell. Seen briefly; mostly mentioned throughout the movie.
• Scott Stevenson as Dr. Grogg
• Christopher Robin Miller as Young Troll

See also

• Halloweentown series
• Halloweentown (1998)
• Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge (2001)
• Halloweentown High (2004)

External links

• Official website
• Return to Halloweentown at the Internet Movie Database
• Return to Halloweentown at AllRovi