My favourite Christmas film ever is most definitely the first Nativity! film from 2009 starring Martin Freeman, Ashley Jenner and Marc Wooten as the legendary Mr Poppy. It is just so heart-warming, festive not to mention insanely hilarious, the sort of film that is perfect for watching on a rainy afternoon in advent (We get a lot of those down here!) with hot chocolate and squirty cream in front of the fire.... just give me a moment to picture that scene....ok....where was I?
Mr Poppy is basically every kids dream primary school teacher! Well, maybe not some of the things he does, but most of it, like making Angel Gabriel be like Elvis and bringing a donkey to school!!
Although the adults are good and all that, the real stars are the children and all the funny personal things they bring to the film, like when they audition for the play and one of the kids (Ollie) holds his breath until he turns purple and then another (Bob) does this street/breakdance/hip hop dance sequence thing that literally makes you need the loo with all that laughing!!
The way the film all comes together at the end with the big nativity at Coventry cathedral is so cool, the music and costumes and the music and dancing and the kids and the music.... I swear you will not be able to get that song "Sparkle and Shine" out of your head for months!!
Five sparkling and shining stars
The second film Nativity! Danger in the Manger, is also awesome. It is with most of the kids from the first film which is nice because you can be like, "oh I remember her!" or "oh my gosh it's the really cute little guy, just grown up a bit!!". The story does get a bit off the beaten track in the middle when they are lost, but not that much and it makes up for it at the end when they are at Song for Christmas and they sing that awesome number. My favourite bit of the whole film is when they get an encore and all the older pupils stand up and start singing solos into the dark and it is all magical.
Four stars for the magicality
Nativity! Dude where's my Donkey. Now this is a tricky one, cause as much as I loved the songs and the kids and the big Flashmob in the park in London, I also think it was all a bit unrealistic?? Plus I really loved the dancing and songs, but there were a few too many and the last one when they gate crashed the wedding was just a little bit cheesy.... though I did love the begging bit of that song when the girl stood up and sang then Lauren and some of the others joined in and then suddenly they were all singing their hearts out, but then it got cheesy. I think if some of the songs were cut out and some of the reminiscing bits when they took him to places from his childhood, it could have stood a chance at being as good as the first two but as it is I am only giving it;
2 stars because of the random bits
I recommend putting aside an entire day just for watching all these films in a row like a big musical, Christmassy, hot chocolate-athon, they really are worth it!!
