The Star
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: November 17, 2017 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
42
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
0
Mixed:
9
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeNov 16, 2017
As kid-friendly Christmas movies go, this one actually goes out of its way to remind what the holiday represents, which should please parents looking for something a little more sophisticated (but just barely) than the VeggieTales cartoons. Read full review
58
IGNWilliam BibbianiNov 16, 2017
If you can get past the many bizarre inconsistencies, The Star is a relatively decent film for young Christian audiences. The writing, voice-acting and animation are unremarkable, but they get the job done, and the film’s heart seems to be in the right place. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreNov 18, 2017
“What’s a baby going to do with Frankinsense? BIRTHday party!” Maybe they’re both right. But only very young children will find anything funnier and more entertaining in The Star than that. Read full review
50
RogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaNov 17, 2017
A feature debut that might have its heart in the right place but can’t quite manage to smoothly blend the spiritual with the silly without a few Biblical hitches here and there. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Lola LandekicNov 16, 2017
Clumsy, derivative, mildly amusing and ultimately forgettable. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshNov 16, 2017
It's a serviceable animated movie appropriate for the season, but there's nothing beyond its source material that marks it as particularly unique or special. Read full review
50
Washington PostJane HorwitzNov 16, 2017
The movie is sincerely Christian in its outlook, while also a slapstick animal ’toon. It’s a mix that works only intermittently. But when it doesn’t pop, it thuds. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenNov 16, 2017
The movie delivers a modicum of magic without getting pious or gushy. It never soars, though, or burns especially bright. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyNov 16, 2017
The director, Tim Reckart, is better known for his puppet-based stop-motion (he worked on Anomalisa and was Oscar-nominated for a short film) and seems to be out of his element here. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineKeith WatsonNov 16, 2017
Director Timothy Reckart's The Star turns the greatest story ever told into just another kids' movie. Read full review
30
TheWrapAlonso DuraldeNov 16, 2017
The results are an uncomfortable mixture of sanctimony and silliness. Read full review
20
Time OutHelen O'HaraNov 20, 2017
The whole film pinballs between reverence and poop jokes in a way that feels far more blasphemous than anything Monty Python ever did, while a cloying R&B soundtrack further cheapens the tone. Unless you have tiny religious children, it’s probably best to avoid it. Read full review
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