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A Very Barry Christmas
Common Sense says
- NR
- 2008
- 45 minutes
Parents say
Kids say
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that A Very Barry Christmas is an offbeat Christmas switcheroo set in the Australian outback that finds Santa trading places with some guy named Barry. It's a silly take on the behind-the-scenes effort required to pull off Christmas, with some good lessons about teamwork, problem solving, and sticking up for friends. There's some very minor peril -- a truck hangs precariously over a cliff -- and some gags and pratfalls, but it's all very cartoonish and injury-free.
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What's the story?
Santa's on his way to deliver toys to all the boys and girls when a mishap sends him soaring out of his sled and a guy named Barry soaring up into the sky. Luckily, Barry looks just like St. Nick, and he agrees, with Mrs. Claus's help, to make sure Christmas still goes off without a hitch. But, along the way, there are loads of hitches and some surprises about just how much you can accomplish when everyone pitches in (plus a little help from Christmas magic).
Is it any good?
A VERY BARRY CHRISTMAS is a fun, cheerful holiday flick that makes the most of its set-up, a kind of trading-places adventure for Santa and an Australian do-gooder. There are funny sequences with drill tests for Santa that show just how much would go into such an ambitious annual gift drop.
Kids will enjoy the talking crocodile and kangaroo, the fun Claymation, the accents, and the mayhem, and parents will find a gag or two in the Australian humor amusing.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about what to do when plans go wrong. Have you ever had plans fall apart and had to change everything? How did you feel? What did you do to fix it?
When Santa is mistaken for Barry, no one believes him even when he tries to tell them the truth. Have you ever tried to tell someone the truth and had them not believe you? How did it feel? Were you able to set the story straight?
Have you ever experienced a little Christmas magic? What happened?
Movie details
- On DVD or streaming: December 25, 2008
- Cast: Colin Mochrie, Jacqueline Pillon
- Director: Andrew Horne
- Studio: Cuppa Coffee Studios
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Adventures, Holidays
- Run time: 45 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
Themes & Topics
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.