Sunday, February 18, 2018

THE STAR

My family missed seeing Sony Pictures Animation's THE STAR when it was playing in theaters over the Christmas holiday season so my kids were eager to watch the movie when we were sent a complimentary DVD to announce the film's home entertainment video release.  Available beginning February 20, 2018 on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital, THE STAR tells the story of the Nativity through the viewpoint of some animals who witnessed it.  We made some Christmas cookies, heated up some hot chocolate, and curled up under some blankets on the couch to enjoy watching this tale of faith and friendship on our television.

The star of THE STAR is a small but brave donkey named Bo (voiced by The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun) who yearns for a more fulfilling life than his daily grind working at the village mill.  One day he breaks free of his pen heading out to try and become a member of King Herod's royal transportation procession. On his endeavor, he teams up with Ruth (voiced by Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant) an adorable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave (voiced by Friends from College Keegan-Michael Key) a dove with lofty aspirations.  Along their journey, the trio also joins up with three wise-cracking camels voiced by Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey.  Bo eventually realizes his dream of carrying a king on his back, just not the one he initially envisioned, as he becomes an accidental hero in the greatest story ever told.



THE STAR is filled with an all-star cast voicing its animated characters that also includes Grammy Award-Winner Kelly Clarkston, Emmy and Tony Award-Winner Kristin Chenoweth, Anthony Anderson (Black-ish), Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World), Patricia Heaton (The Middle) Gabriel Iglesias (Coco, Ferdinand) and Zachary Levi (Chuck).  It also features a theme song performed by Mariah Carey which was nominated to receive a 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Directed by Academy Award nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart, THE STAR is rated PG for some thematic elements by the Motion Picture Association of America. Aspects contributing to the rating include the topic of pregnancy being a key element of the story, King Herod sending a menacing soldier to kill Mary before she can give birth to Jesus, and a character dying during an action sequence.  THE STAR is meant to be a children's movie and in my opinion from seeing it the content is comparable to other recently released PG animated movies which are often viewed by kids of all ages so the rating by itself shouldn't raise a red flag about letting a child view it.  In fact, the film actually has been recommended for all ages by the Dove Foundation which provides family friendly movie reviews.




Of course home video versions of films have bonus segments included and THE STAR has some nice ones incorporated with the movie on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital:

Lyric Sing-Along Videos:  Enjoy the inspiring music of THE STAR through colorful videos that let you sing along with some great recording artists
  • "The Star" by Mariah Carey
  • "Can You See" by Fifth Harmony
  • "Children Go Where I Send You" by Kelsea Ballerini
  • "We Three Kings" by Kirk Franklin
  • "Life is Good" by A Great Big World
Sweet and Sparkly Stars:  Recipe for creating star-themed cookies that can be enjoyed all year long.

Star Mason Jar Votives:  directions for a simple yet stunning diy craft

Faith All Year Round:  Addressing the religious nature of the movie, DeVon Franklin provides a sermon for children discussing the themes of the film and how to keep the spirit of THE STAR's story alive every day of the year.

All-Star Cast Featurette:  Meet the cast of stars who bring the characters in THE STAR to life.

Released in time for Christian families to incorporate into their Lenten reflection and preparation for celebrating Easter it provides an entertaining way to lead into the upcoming holiday.  Also if you enjoy watching Christmas movies every year as that holiday approaches with your kids, THE STAR can be a nice addition to your home video library.  Sony Pictures is participating in Movies Anywhere so the digital version of this film can be easily accessed and stored through this online service in addition to being available on Blu-ray and DVD.  For more information, please visit thestarmovie.com 

5 comments:

  1. I saw a screening of The Star and actually really enjoyed it. I don't usually like "religious" movies but I felt like I came out of it learning more about the story, plus the animals were really cute.

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  2. I am so glad you posted this...My kids were OBSESSED with this movie. In fact, it's one of the only ones they have asked to own in a long time so I'm going to nab it for Easter :)

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  3. I've heard a few good reviews of this one. Maybe we'll get to see it yet! :)

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  4. This sounds adorable! I will have to get it for my niece next Christmas.

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  5. What a cute idea about making Christmas cookies and curling up to watch this over some hot chocolate. We haven't seen this yet so I am excited to see it.

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