Most Unpopular Halloweentown Opinion: The Fourth Film Is the Best

"Nobody around here really appreciates my taste in weird stuff."

These words spoken by Marnie Piper (Kimberly J. Brown) in the original Halloweentown film became my personal mantra as a Halloween-obsessed kid. Why? Well, Brown's portrayal of Marnie had me feeling seen, as the character was a fan of the supernatural, bold and outspoken and perfectly imperfect. In fact, the quarterback at my high school once said I was Brown's real-life doppelg?nger, which pleased me to no end.

So when Disney Channel replaced Brown in the fourth film of the franchise, Return to Halloweentown, I personally felt slighted. Instead of the relatable actress I had come to admire, Return to Halloweentown put the naturally blond, slender and blue-eyed Sara Paxton in the leading role.

When I tuned into the fourth film's premiere on Oct. 20 in 2006, I hated every minute of it. However, 15 years has passed since this shocking recast, which had me wondering if I really did despise Return to Halloweentown. With this question ringing in my head, I turned to Disney+ and threw on the fourth film for the first time in over a decade.

Halloweentown Cast: Where Are They Now?

And, to my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed the Disney Channel Original Movie. Return to Halloweentown follows Marnie (Paxton) as she attends the prestigious Witch University, where a sinister group is plotting to take over Halloweentown using an old Cromwell gift. This plot was a nice homage to the original film, in which Mayor Kalabar (Robin Thomas) used a wicked alter ego to control the residents of the spooky settlement.

While the Halloweentown leading lady may be different, there are plenty of callbacks to the first three films to enjoy. For starters, the made-for-TV movie included several returning characters, including Grandma Aggie (Debbie Reynolds), Gwen (Judith Hoag) and Dylan (Joey Zimmerman). Lucas Grabeel also reprised his role of Ethan Dalloway, who was one of the only highlights of Halloweentown High.

Still, it's the changes that make this movie a standout. Fellow witch Scarlett (Kristy Wu), who had a flair for half 'dos and animal prints, proved to be the perfect millennial antagonist for Marnie. Speaking of mid '00s fashion, Marnie's Return to Halloweentown look—including layered shirts, colorful scarves and a side part—accurately reflected the time.

The college aesthetic was a nice change of pace from the Halloweentown we'd grown to know. The updated special effects—shout-out to the CGI castle and cool spells—and the creative time-travel story line certainly didn't hurt the film either.

Thus, though it pains me to say it, I have to declare Return to Halloweentown one of the best films in the franchise.

All four Halloweentown movies are available to stream on Disney+.

(A version of this story was first published on Oct. 21 at 9:55 a.m. PT)

Behind the scenes drama? What do I watch next? Click here to get all the TV scoop straight in your inbox.