Taglines: It Takes Many Tails To Tell The Greatest Story Ever.
The film opens in Nazareth where Mary (voice of Gina Rodriguez) is praying. An angel (voice of Joel McCrary) descends from Heaven and tells Mary that she is to bear the son of God. A pygmy mouse named Abby (voice of Kristen Chenoweth) sees the whole thing and spreads the word to the other animals in the town. They look up in the sky and see a bright star.
We meet a young donkey (Steven Yeun) who must work in a wheat mill with his father (voice of Kris Kristofferson). The donkey’s dove friend Dave (voice of Keegan-Michael Key) flies in. The two dream of escaping their dull lives and joining the Royal Caravan so that they can ride with the big horses and be adored by crowds, but the Older Donkey scoffs at their dream. The young donkey is confident that he will get out.
Six months later, the donkey is still trapped. When his father realizes how miserable he is and that he has resigned himself to the same fate he has, he loosens the young donkey’s collar and knocks out the Miller (voice of Phil Morris) to allow his son to escape. The donkey runs out into the street where Dave catches up with him. The Miller chases after the donkey and nearly catches him, but he manages to hide elsewhere.
Mary is about to celebrate her wedding feast with Joseph (voice of Zachary Levi), but she hasn’t told him that she is pregnant. Mary then finds the donkey hiding under a table, believing it to belong to Joseph. He denies that the donkey is his, and Mary notices his leg is injured. After showing him kindness, the donkey takes a liking to her. She decides to name him Boaz, or Bo for short. Joseph then notices Mary’s belly, and she comes clean that the baby is meant to be the messiah. Joseph is stunned and confused, but after looking to God for guidance, he promises to help Mary.
Three months later, the Three Wise Men are riding their camels – Felix (voice of Tracy Morgan), Cyrus (voice of Tyler Perry), and Deborah (voice of Oprah Winfrey) – to the home of King Herod (voice of Christopher Plummer). The camels argue over what their trip is for – Felix thinks it’s a birthday party, while Cyrus says it’s a baby shower, but Deborah says they are going to meet the messiah. The other two think she is crazy. Upon arriving at Herod’s home, he thinks the Wise Men’s gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) are for him, but one of them says it is for the new king. Feeling threatened, Herod invites (or forces) the men and their camels to stay as guests while he sends his hunter and two dogs – Thaddeus (voice of Ving Rhames) and Rufus (voice of Gabriel Iglesias) – to get rid of this new king.
Thaddeus and Rufus overhear Abby telling the story of Mary to the other mice, and they threaten to eat her until she gives up all the information she knows. Mary and Joseph leave Nazareth in anticipation of the baby’s birth, with Bo and Dave staying behind. The Hunter and the dogs break into their home while Bo tries to hide. Dave tries to create a diversion for Bo to escape, but the dogs spot him. Bo thinks they were sent by the Miller, but he accidentally lets it slip that he was being cared for by Mary. Bo and Dave escape the dogs and run to save Mary.
On their run, Bo stumbles down a cliff. He is helped by a sheep named Ruth (voice of Aidy Bryant), who has abandoned her flock. She joins Bo and Dave as they catch up to Mary and Joseph. Unfortunately, the Hunter and the dogs have found them. Bo pulls Mary toward a market for them to hide. Mary goes by a well to get water, and the Hunter approaches her for the kill. Thinking quickly, Bo pushes a cart down the hill to stop him, but it hits another cart and then causes a chain reaction that destroys most of the market but knocks the Hunter down the well. The villagers are angry at Bo, and Joseph scolds him for what he’s done.
The Star is a 2017 American computer-animated Christian adventure film directed by Timothy Reckart. Based on the Nativity of Jesus, and an original idea by Tom Sheridan, the screenplay was written by Carlos Kotkin and Simon Moore. It is produced by Sony Pictures Animation, with partnership from Walden Media, Affirm Films and The Jim Henson Company. It stars the voices of Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey.
The film was released by Columbia Pictures through its parental label Sony Pictures Entertainment on November 17, 2017 in the United States. It was met with mixed reviews and has grossed over $61 million worldwide. The film received a nomination for Best Original Song (“The Star”) at the 75th Golden Globe Awards.
The Star (2017)
Directed by: Timothy Reckart
Starring: Steven Yeun. Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Delilah, Joel McCrary
Screenplay by: Carlos Kotkin
Film Editing by: Pam Ziegenhagen
Music by: John Paesano
MPAA Rating: PG for some thematic elements.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: November 17, 2017
