The Star (2017)
Genre: Animation
Director: Timothy Reckart
Voices of: Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Christopher Plummer, Steven Yeun, Keegan-Michael Key, Aidy Bryant,Vhing Rhames, Kelly Clarkson, Kris Kristofferson, Mariah Kerry
Duration: 86 minutes
Class: U
KRS Releasing Ltd

The Star is a computer-animated Christian  comedy film based on the Nativity of Jesus.

The main protagonist here is a brake donkey named Bo who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill.

One day he finds the courage to break free and embarks on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a sheep who has lost her flock, and Dave, a dove with high aspirations.

Along with three wise-cracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes of the first Christmas.

The film received mostly positive reviews.

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads: “The Star may not leave audiences singing Hallelujah but its offbeat yet sincere approach to the Nativity story makes for acceptably diverting holiday viewing.”

Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media was of the same opinion: “With a great voice cast and cute character animation, this religious tale is just funny and entertaining enough to amuse most families who celebrate Christmas, not just devout churchgoers.”

And if you were thinking that having a donkey as a central character in the Nativity story sounded a bit irreverent, Peter Debruge of Variety  said: “The Star offers a playful retelling of Jesus’s Nativity, as seen from the animals’ point of view, while keeping the necessary irreverence that entails to a benign minimum.”

The film’s soundtrack features a mix of classic such as O Holy Night and We Three Kings and original Christmas songs, performed by well-known singers such as Mariah Carey, Zara Larsson and Fifth Harmony.

The $20 million budget production raked in $10 million upon opening in the US last weekend. It will be released in Malta on Friday.

Ratings
IMDB: 5.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 61%
Empire: N/A

All in the family: (from left) Mel Gibson, Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell and John Lithgow.

Daddy’s Home 2 (2017)
Genre: Comedy
Director: Sean Anders
Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, Linda Cardellini, Alessandra Ambrosio
Duration: 100 minutes
Class: 12A
KRS Releasing Ltd

The sequel to the 2015 film follows father and stepfather Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) joining forces to make Christmastime perfect for the children. Their newfound partnership soon gets put to the test when Dusty’s old-school, macho father (Mel Gibson)  and Brad’s gentle father (John Lithgow) arrive to turn the holiday upside down.

The film received poor reviews, with critics mostly blaming the plot and screenplay.

The critics’ consensus on Rotten Tomatoes says: “A formulaic comedy that’s unlikely to spread much yuletide merriment, Daddy’s Home 2 can only muster a few stray yucks from its talented cast.”

The $69 million-budget film also bombed at the US box office.

Ratings
IMDB: 6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 18%
Empire: N/A