(Joe Jonas Sings the Musical Fantasy Number I never Knew I Needed)
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie is out now on Disney+, and I highly recommend it for your easy holiday viewing. The script comes from Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and Jessica Yu directs. Nick, Kevin, and Joe play heightened versions of Nick, Kevin, and Joe as they finish their tour in london and prepare to make it home for the holidays.
Before leaving the UK, Joe Jonas is ready for one epic night out partying with his brothers. Nick says, “We are three extremely exhausted dads in our thirties. How epic could it be?” Joe responds, “You really want to know?”
“Best Night” is his musical answer (written by Justin Tranter, Eren Cannata, Daniel Crean, and Brandon Colbein), Joe’s fantasy that sends the bros out clubbing in London. “Don’t miss the best night of your lives / before we fly home for Christmastime,” he sings with a punchy groove. Joe dresses up as Elton John, Daniel Radcliffe, and both David and Victoria Beckham. I’m convinced, he was born for this. Nick interjects to tell Joe, “Don’t say ‘fire,’ You’re 36.”
I love this musical number for two reasons: its flashiness is a bit reminiscent of “I Want It All” from High School Musical 3, and it’s a vision of brotherly merriment that the stars don’t actualize until the end of the film. In reality, Nick is settling into bed with a cup of tea, telling Priyanka over FaceTime that he’s out of his fancy eye cream. Joe is the only one who actually hits the bar. There he meets Santa (Jesse Tyler Ferguson).
After hearing Joe’s struggles to reconnect with his brothers, Santa declares, “Christmas spirits, I’ve seen something tragic. These boys shan’t get home till they discover their brotherly magic.”
From London to Amsterdam to a private flight piloted by KJ Apa, the bros are stuck on a journey laced with Home Alone nods, though Kate McCallister never navigated a crash landing because her pilot was too busy taking thirst traps.
Throughout, the flick is a fun dramatization and exploration of JoBro stereotypes: Joe the playboy, Nick the moody, uptight one, and Kevin the forgettable Jersey dad (who really wants to sing lead). Joe’s “Best Night” number doesn’t come true, but in other ways, he regains the joy of making memories with his brothers—and even sees what it could be like to love someone romantically again.
I think the film will suit the girl who has known every Jonas Brothers lyric since middle school, the guy who found himself watching Jonas and Jonas LA on Disney Channel, or the more casual fan who’s just in this for a comfy Christmas movie outing. And while we don’t get to hear Kevin sing solo in the film, we get that in real life now! So sit back, sip your hot chocolate, and know that this film serves a happy ending all around, with a family reuniting.
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