The Star {Movie Review}
We all know that stories are different depending on whom the storyteller is and if they were a witness or are simple repeating something they heard. Take the story of the first Christmas. We have all heard the story as recorded in the scriptures.
But have you heard the story from the other creatures that were present? The Star is the story of the first Christmas… through a whole new set of eyes.
A small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free and teams up with Ruth the loveable sheep and Dave the hilarious dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star on the adventure of their dreams, filled with lots of laughter – and become part of the greatest story ever told.
THE STAR is filled with more than an hour of engaging bonus materials including the “Star-aoke: Sing Along with Bo & Friends,” a dance along to “Life Is Good” by A Great Big World, plus a collection of fun lyric videos that will have you singing along to the inspiring music from
THE STAR. Families can enjoy crafting and baking with “how-to” videos “Star Mason Jar Votives” and “Sweet and Sparkly Stars,” and they also can go behind-the-scenes to explore the amazing talent who bring these characters to life. In “Faith All Year Round,”
renowned pastor and motivational speaker, DeVon Franklin delivers a fun and engaging children’s sermon discussing the themes of the film and keeping the spirit of this inspiring story alive in us every day.
THE STAR is directed by Academy Award® nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart, screenplay by Carlos Kotkin, and story by Simon Moore and Carlos Kotkin. The film is executive produced by DeVon Franklin, Brian Henson and Lisa Henson, and produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook. The Star is presented by AFFIRM films and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Walden Media, Franklin Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company. The uplifting theme song, “The Star” by Mariah Carey and veteran songwriter Marc Shaiman was also nominated for a 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. “The Star” song is now available on The Star: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which assembles new music from a bevy of powerhouse superstars.
Sony Pictures presents the story of the first Christmas from the eyes of the animals. Stop right there.. the animals can’t talk (or so says my 5 yr old) when I told him about the movie. But once we watched several of the trailers, he could not stop laughing at the antics the animals pull off.
One of his favorite parts was when the bird “Dave” was dive bombing the crowd and pulled up short when he almost crashed into a guard. Be warned that this film has a ton of what I lovingly call “little boy” humor but it also has some zingers that only the adults will take up on.
The three characters that I thought were hysterical were the camels named, Deborah, Cyrus, and Felix. Talk about 3 peas in a pod. Remind me of several of my middle group of children.
The Star is now available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital. Also as a bonus, make sure you check out the Devon Franklin Bible Study that is available on their site.
The Star certainly has an impressive list of cast members. Artists include Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Anthony Anderson, Kris Kristofferson, Ving Rhames, Gabriel Iglesias, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Christopher Plummer, Aidy Bryant, Delilah, as well as Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey.
We were also treated to some of the behind the scenes with the cast:
Oh, and the soundtrack is one that you need to put on the top of your wish list right now. Original songs featured by artists such as Jake Owen, Zara Larsson, Casting Crowns, Jesse James Decker, Kirk Franklin, Fifth Harmony, Yolanda Adams, A Great Big World, Saving Forever, Kelsea Ballerini, and Mariah Carey.
Free Printables available for The Star are available including coloring pages, mazes, dot-to-dot, and character cards.
For more information on this film, visit Sony Pictures, The Star. Also make sure to connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for the latest release announcements and promotions.
If you are interested in sharing this film with your co-op or youth group, Sony Pictures has a wonder list of additional resources that can be downloaded here. They also offer curriculum packages and family/group discussion packets.
This post is being sponsored by Sony Pictures through the media outlet FlyBy Promotions.
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