Common Sense Media Review
By Grace Montgomery
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Norwegian holiday fairy tale is fanciful, a little scary.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
What's the Story?
A kingdom is cursed after a scheming count (Stig Werner Moe) and an evil witch (Agnes Kittelsen) plot to overthrow the king (Anders Baasmo Christiansen), making the princess Goldenhair disappear. Many years later, the young orphan Sonja (Vilde Zeiner) sets off on an adventure to find the Christmas star, which will end the curse and bring Goldenhair home. On the way, Sonja encounters talking animals, gnomes, and other fantastic creatures as the count and witch try to stop her at every turn.
Is It Any Good?
JOURNEY TO THE CHRISTMAS STAR is a fun and fantastical holiday tale that hits a lot of the right notes. It's dark without being too scary, with fun side characters (such as the gnome Mose) who lighten the mood when it starts to get too intense. It's also visually very well done and wonderfully creates a magical fairy tale world cloaked in winter. If you enjoy fairy tales, you'll love how the film nicely blends elements from traditional tales with Christmas traditions.
The film's main flaw is the overdubbing. If you were to watch it in the original Norwegian, it most likely would be excellent. But the overdubbed dialogue is inconsistent and a bit distracting. Some of the characters' dialogue blends in quite well (as with Sonja and the witch), but other parts are over the top and don't seem to match with the actor playing the part. It's a disappointing distraction in an otherwise lovely film, which will probably annoy parents more than it will kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the mix of fairy tales and Christmas stories in the film. Do you like that they combined the idea of Father Christmas (or Santa Claus) with themes usually found in fairy tales?
What Norwegian Christmas traditions did you see in the movie that are different from your own?
What's your favorite holiday movie? Why is it your favorite?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 9, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : November 5, 2013
- Cast : Vilde Zeiner , Anders Baasmo Christiansen , Agnes Kittelsen
- Director : Nils Gaup
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Vertical Entertainment
- Genre : Family and Kids
- Run time : 80 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 20, 2019
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