Respond to these rapid questions in our The Star quiz and we will tell you which The Star character you are. Play it now.
What do you think would make the Nativity story so much more compelling? The creative team behind this holiday-themed family film believes that clever-cracking animated animals can save the day. The critters appear to have waited far too long to be recognized for their contributions to that memorable evening. The film “The Star,” a retelling of the first Christmas directed by Timothy Reckart in his feature debut, appears to have its heart in the right place, but it fails to successfully blend the spiritual with the silly without a few Biblical missteps here and there.
The most awkward scene occurs early in the film, and it is introduced by the words “Nazareth 9 months B.C.” At the very least, it made me smile. After that, a young girl is visited by a glowing, angelic-like presence, which proceeds to announce to her that God has chosen her to be the mother of his Son. Shock, awe, fainting—any and all of these reactions would be acceptable. Instead, she accepts this news flash as if it were a weather report, and she basically thanks the person who shared it with her. “Honey, this isn’t the same as being told that you’ve won a free dinner for two at Olive Garden,” I wanted to tell her. This is THE Annunciation, as the saying goes. “Take appropriate action.”
Granted, this Mary does not appear to have much of a backstory, despite the fact that she has freckles and rivulets of raven hair on her head. She appears to be pleasant, but the script provides little indication as to why she is so exceptional. The fact that she is voiced by Gina Rodriguez, who is best known for her role as “Jane the Virgin” on television, is particularly amusing. There’s nothing quite like inside joke casting. However, she is about to be married to Joseph (Zachary Levi, “Tangled”) in a matter of weeks. That leads to another uncomfortable situation when Mary informs her intended that, um, she is pregnant with God’s child and that he, the lucky fellow, will be assisting in the raising of him—or, rather, of Him. The humble carpenter is understandably distraught at first, but he remains devoted to his wife despite his circumstances.
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Due to “thematic elements,” the film is rated PG, which translates to a pre-wedlock baby bump. As soon as this section of the story is completed, you can practically hear a collective sigh of relief. Apart from that, the couple, who is obviously a big deal in the source material, isn’t the main attraction in “The Star.” Instead, they must contend with a brazen little donkey (Steven Yeun of “The Walking Dead”) who has escaped from his arduous job at a mill, which required him to be chained to a grindstone for the majority of the film. He and his bird buddy Dave the dove (Keegan Michael Key, who is blessed with the best jokes) find refuge with Mary and Joseph in the Holy Family. When the lady of the house sees the beast of burden, she takes a liking to him and names him Bo. It’s a good thing that the animals and humans don’t actually communicate with one another in the manner of Shrek and Donkey, though.
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During this time, the three kings are seen riding on camels on their way to see Herod the Great (Christopher Plummer). Once again, four-legged characters steal the show on the big screen. However, while one of the Magi is played by controversial televangelist Joel Osteen, the hump-bearing steeds are brought to life by the entertainment industry’s holy trinity of Tyler Perry, Tracy Morgan, and Oprah Winfrey. Perry is the overbearing one, Morgan is the oblivious one, and Winfrey is the rational one. The wise men make the mistake of informing Herod that a new king of the Jews is about to be born, prompting Herod to call for a census in order to track down and destroy this rival ruler. At some point during the film, Morgan’s dromedary resorts to an impersonation of “the King of the Shoes,” I began to lose faith in the overall project. In support of that sentiment is a hulking silent brute in an iron mask, who appears to be a rejected extra from “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and who is sent to carry out the bloody deed on the set of the film.
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At some point, a whole troupe of animals makes an appearance. This includes the thug’s hench dogs (Ving Rhames and Gabriel Iglesias) as well as the thug’s stable mates, which include a horse (Kelly Clarkson), a cow (Patricia Heaton), and a goat (Kelly Clarkson) among others (Anthony Anderson). Everyone knows how this story will end—with a Mariah Carey Christmas song, of course—but there are obstacles, physical confrontations, and narrow escapes to overcome along the way.
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At the very least, we should applaud the diversity of the cast, even if the fact that we only hear them speaks for part of the time dilutes some of their impact. Affirm Films, a faith-based division of Sony, has a long history of fusing religion and Hollywood, having produced films such as “Soul Surfer,” “When the Game Stands Tall,” and “Risen,” among others. However, it is telling that the filmmakers of “The Star” felt the need to include a disclaimer during the end credits, acknowledging the liberties they took with this cornerstone of Christian belief while assuring the audience that they did not intend to cause harm. By combining the holy with high jinks, this outing comes across as a little toon-deaf in its attempts to achieve the best of both worlds. Following the well-attended public screening that I attended, there was some mild applause. During the early portions of the game, however, the children in the audience appeared to be more interested in their concession-stand snacks. In terms of delivering animated tidings of seasonal joy, I prefer the more subtle and better-told messages found in holiday classics “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” rather than the more overt messages found in “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”Also, you must try to play this The Star quiz.
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