Parents' Guide to

A Christmas Star

By Grace Montgomery, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Star-studded Irish holiday movie is clichéd but sweet.

Movie NR 2015 77 minutes
A Christmas Star Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 8+

Based on 1 parent review

age 8+

A nice feel good festive film, Suitable for Kids/parents grandparents

Nice wee movie to watch with the little ones around Christmas Time, Sponge bud is a cute little Charachter ❤️

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

Overacting, clichés, and cheesiness abound, but the movie's unapologetic sweetness make it a pretty enjoyable Christmas tale. Mostly it's due to the leads, who make A Christmas Star an entertaining watch. Noelle is endearing without being too sappy, and her loyal friend Spud-Bob is the perfect sidekick, always ready with a cute one-liner. It's also great to see a character with a disability (Spud-Bob is severely disabled) who's treated as just another character and not as a chance to throw in some token diversity. He's treated respectfully by the other characters and by the film, which, by itself, has a great message for kids watching it. Liam Neeson as the curmudgeonly narrator is also a nice touch, balancing out a little of the over-the-top sweetness.

Tweens and up will probably be bored by the obvious plot, but parents will love the wholesome Christmas cheer. And Downton Abbey fans might get a kick out of seeing Thomas the butler as the villain, though his over-the-top character is definitely not one of the film's highlights.

Movie Details

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