The Star DVD Review

Featuring an all-star voice cast and a theme song nominated for Golden Globe Best Original Song by Mariah Carey, The Star, presented by AFFIRM films and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Walden Media, Franklin Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company, is now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. This unique faith-based animated movie comes from the same studio that produced Miracles from Heaven and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Synopsis:

A small but brave donkey named Bo (voiced by Steven Yeun, “The Walking Dead”), who yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth (voiced by Aidy Bryant, “Saturday Night Live”), a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, Friends From College), a dove with lofty aspirations, along with three wisecracking camels voiced by Tracy Morgan (“30 Rock”), Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey. Bo and his new friends follow the star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told.

Bonus Features:

• Star-aoke: Sing-Along with Bo & Friends: In this all new song, sing along with your favorite characters including Bo, Dave, Ruth and the unforgettable camels 
• "Life Is Good" Dance-Along: Shake your tail feathers and move your hooves in this fun dance along 
• Lyric Sing-Along Videos: Enjoy the eclectic and inspiring music of THE STAR with these colorful lyric videos that allow you to sing along with your favorite 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: Create star-themed cookies to be enjoyed year round 
• Star Mason Jar Votives: Let the light of THE STAR shine with this simple yet stunning craft 
• Faith All Year Round with DeVon Franklin: A children’s sermon discussing the themes of the film and how to keep the spirit of this inspiring story alive in us every day 
• An All-Star Cast: Meet the stars of the film and explore the exciting voice cast who bring these amazing characters to life

The Star retells the Nativity story from the perspective of the animals that accompanied Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. With a nice blend of humor, action and twists and turns, it makes messages about faith, family, friendship and Christmas clear and easily comprehensible for the younger audience. It also teaches kids about integrity, compassion and importance of believing in themselves. The music and songs in the movie are amazingly beautiful and uplifting. The DVD comes with over an hour of bonus materials. The lyric videos are especially fun for my kids, as they love to sing along the songs from the movie. The Star is a heartwarming comedy that everyone in the family can enjoy, especially those who share the faith that enlightens the characters in the story.

More about The Star

The Star is directed by Academy Award® nominated writer/director Timothy Reckart, screenplay by Carlos Kotkin, and story by Simon Moore and Carlos Kotkin. Its all-star voice cast includes Gina Rodriguez (“Jane The Virgin”) as Mary, Zachary Levi (“Chuck”) as Joseph, Grammy® Award-Winner Kelly Clarkson as Leah the horse, Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”) as Zach the goat, Ving Rhames (Mission Impossible) as Thaddeus the dog, Gabriel Iglesias (Coco, Ferdinand) as Rufus the dog, Patricia Heaton (“The Middle”) as Edith the cow, Emmy® and Tony® Award-Winner Kristin Chenoweth as Abby the mouse, and Christopher Plummer (All the Money in the World) as King Herod. “The Star” by Mariah Carey and veteran songwriter Marc Shaiman was nominated for a 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

Disclosure: I received a free product to facilitate my honest review. All views and opinions expressed are my own and may differ from yours.