I was a little unsure how cheesy this would be, but I saw a clip of Antonio Baneres singing his song and wanted to watch. I was really surprised how much I liked it! The songs were good, seeing Joel Smallbone was a great surprise, I love For King and Country. Is the story embellished ,yes, especially the Mary and Joseph part but I didn't mind that, I liked the actors so I was okay with the story liberties there. Baneras was so great - he has such a great singing voice - and the three Wise men were entertaining. Overall I really liked it and can see this becoming part of the annual Christmas movie rotation.
79 Reviews
Wholesome
statuskuo13 November 2023
What if you re-imagined life before Jesus. And then attempted to sanitize the idea that Mary was an ambitious post-teen who had aspirations to be a teacher but accepts the task of being a surrogate to Mom to God. Typing this out loud I laugh to myself how silly it may sound. And perhaps that's what the moviemakers thought too. So they inject it with non-memorable songs. But they're so semi-polished to the budget from a studio that pumps its money into Marvel stuff and reserves some dough to throw at faith based flicks like this. Yes, it's clearly a religious movie. I mean, it IS about Jesus. But it doesn't necessarily slap you across the face with it. They astutely let you have some fun with it. With some pratfalls and silly humor, they did something smart and NOT take it all that seriously.
However, it still stops short of being all that interesting. Antonio Banderas plays King Herod with great evil fun. He knows what movie he wants to be in and commits to some bizarre behavior that taps into madness.
Look, the stakes are very low in this flick. They dump all the ugliness and violence of those days and gives you an abridge overview of the "Greatest Story Ever Told" Take this statement for what its worth.
If not for the stunning Fiona Palomo who plays Mary, it's hard to say the flick is all that watchable. It seemed a little bit...cheap. Obviously this is a budgeted piece that whiffs at Hallmark Holiday level flicks. There is nothing particularly dramatic. Fiona plays Mary sweet and innocent. With wide-eyes and wholesome quality, it's really hard to NOT like this movie.
It's a good flick to fill boredom during the holidays but I didn't find it all that re-watchable.
However, it still stops short of being all that interesting. Antonio Banderas plays King Herod with great evil fun. He knows what movie he wants to be in and commits to some bizarre behavior that taps into madness.
Look, the stakes are very low in this flick. They dump all the ugliness and violence of those days and gives you an abridge overview of the "Greatest Story Ever Told" Take this statement for what its worth.
If not for the stunning Fiona Palomo who plays Mary, it's hard to say the flick is all that watchable. It seemed a little bit...cheap. Obviously this is a budgeted piece that whiffs at Hallmark Holiday level flicks. There is nothing particularly dramatic. Fiona plays Mary sweet and innocent. With wide-eyes and wholesome quality, it's really hard to NOT like this movie.
It's a good flick to fill boredom during the holidays but I didn't find it all that re-watchable.
Journey to Bethlehem
CinemaSerf24 November 2023
Scene stealing megalomanic King Herod (Antonio Banderas) hams up marvellously in this enjoyable if totally forgettable pre-Nativity Christmas story. He presides over the kingdom of Judah towards which three magi are heading when they espy a bright star in the sky portending an event of great importance. Meantime, the well educated Mary (Fiona Paloma) is regaling against an arranged marriage with a man she's never even met! Anyway, times being what they are, she has to acquiesce and meets the fairly easy on the eye Joseph (Milo Manheim). It's not exactly hate a first sight, but one night she get's another - more celestial - visitor who leaves her with quite a belly ache. She tells her folks, then her would-be husband and is soon, unsurprisingly, on her own... Quite why Gabriel couldn't just have told everyone at once? Anyway, the increasingly paranoid Herod gets wind of this impending miracle and uses the three kings and his son Antipater (Joel Smallbone) to track down and destroy the potential usurper. That fact that we still celebrate Christmas eliminates any sense of jeopardy so this is essentially just a light-hearted piece of musical theatre that uses the two slightly soporific stars to tell us a story of when Mary met Joseph. The songs are standard fayre with plenty of perfect choreography, some earnest lyrics about love and loyalty (and a fun song from Banderas about absolute power) before Omid Djalili's visiting Melchior tries to explain what myrrh is for. It's wordy, cheesy but joyous seasonal stuff that I was rather surprised to find got a cinema release in the UK. You shouldn't hate it.
Mary's Musical Is Mighty Fun: But Too Much Stuff In A Short Film Run
rgkarim10 November 2023
LIKES:
The Time: -It's not a very long movie, in fact the whole thing runs about 90 minutes at most.
-So if you are going for a movie that won't break an afternoon or evening, nor make your dates/family who don't want to be there have to wait.
-And yet, the timing does enough to lay out the story and give you the miracle that you need.
The Plot: -If you know the Bible, you'll love that they hit the moments that matter. This journey gives you the most important and soul hitting pieces of Jesus' birth.
-For those like me who need a lesson, the Spark notes essentially give you some other pieces that get lost in the general story, and help add even more miracles to such an event than I realized.
-The movie doesn't try to change too many things up, sticks to the morals and the hopes of the Christmas season, and keeps to what the Bible teaches without taking away too much.
The Effects: -Visual wise, it's a movie that for what I expect is a more limited budget to others, utilized it well.
-Setting feels very Biblical Era, with deserts and the dwellings of old all nicely built and designed, and the costumes reflect very much the fashion they used.
-When the visual effects come into play, the lights and movie magic work greatly, a blend of practical with computer that enhances and adds that in your face Christian movie feel.
-It's the sound effects that really work for me. Not so much the goat, horse and sounds of people walking, but more so the audio crafting.
-Bethlehem really maximizes the sound quality for theater, the voices able to radiate majestic levels, while also getting ready for the musical numbers that are the lifeblood of this movie, outside the message.
The Acting: -Is fine. The movie feels on the caliber of most of these movies with lower budgets, good, but a bit theatrical and Hallmark like.
-Banderas as the king has good projection, majestic quality and an attitude, but he just isn't utilized the best and has more things to offer if they had used him better -Manheim is one of the stars and this performance was a step up from his Disney days. Charming, talented with singing and dancing, but still a bit overdramatic that you either love or don't love.
-Segers is fine in his role, the wiseman with logic, this king has a great baritone, serves as a great comedy test with the other characters, and delivers the lines with a very magnanimous presence that works.
-She is the star of the show, and I absolutely loved how well she played this part and just how much range she has in her acting abilities.
The Singing: -A musical is all about the songs, and this movie is ready with a soundtrack that is ready to unleash the theatrical vibes.
-The Journey to Bethlehem is more song than actual talking, a variety of song types to match the personalities of the character and the energy of the moment.
-My personal favorites are Marry Mary, I'm the King, and the Three Wisemen, all with the show tune themes, but drawing inspiration from different shows to deliver.
-The theater was rocking to the sounds of the instruments, and the technology with their singing just comes out with that added effect that had me smiling and dancing in my seat.
-This is going to be the favorite for most people going, again outside of the religious element, and I think that it has that flair that this could have been a theatrical show.
The Three Wise Men: -My personal favorite liberty was the portrayal of the three kings.
-From the moment they set foot on screen, these guys act as the three stooges to a degree, with a lot of comedic relief to help mix up the more somber tones of the movie.
-A tad too silly at times, these little intermissions have some seriously fun writing, don't overstep in being too in your face, and have some of the best versatility in terms of how they talk to characters.
-These guys may not be what the movie is about, but this little twist has fun features that are certain to find favoritism from the audience, so long as these liberties don't insult you.
DISLIKES:
Preachy: -This caliber of movie usually has this motif, and it's too be expected.
-However, I've seen plenty of movies about religion that can get around the tropes and the presentation that feels like talking to a pastor.
'Journey to Bethlehem's lines are a tad too in your face, go too far out of their way to make the point, and are often a bit simple for the majesty of the movie.
-As important as the words are, they feel out of place in these actors, and needed better planning to not get so Hallmark like.
-Again, this is not going to do much to deter the big fans, but in terms of movie, the lines of the songs prove they can be creative with wording.
More Suspense: -I can't tell you just how harrowing this ordeal was in terms of an adventure, so I'm not going to for accuracy to the Bible.
-Yet with all the creative liberties taken, they really couldn't make this feel a bit more daring, distracting, and with a bit more bite given the build up of Herod's character?
-The movie just would have packed more punches had some better transitions been taken to show the time limit of the bad guy's patience or even the taxation on the son's mind.
-It just felt too much Hallmark fashion, which for feel good rules, but for engaging elements drops.
Too Many Songs: -Hard to fault a musical for being musical, but... this movie doesn't quite have the timing down compared to a live theater show.
-Certainly due to time constraints, the movie falls in the habit of finding all the avenues to sing and dance, rather than finding the opportune moments to maximize it.
-Almost like Mamma Mia, breaking out into song and dance at every opportunity is uplifting and good fun, but in doing so loses the character and story to instead lead my mind to, what's the next song going to sound like.
-A little more balance, or again more time, might have mitigated this, but two songs in general and how they begun made my laugh when they weren't supposed to.
Character Usage: -Probably my least favorite part of the movie, the character usage is wonky and difficult to determine where the balance could be.
-So many characters were introduced and integrated, many having this shadow of having more involvement than what I got in the movie.
-Mary's family, Joseph's family, and even the Wise Men at times felt like an afterthought lost agin to song and dance and the quick montages of traveling during the course of the 9 months.
-The biggest drawbacks are Herod and his son. Two characters who certainly seemed to have a lot of potential until the story was filled with so many characters they became very fickle, boring, and moping.
-That was the biggest shame to me, that such powerful figures and actors were not utilized more.
Lacking Splendor?
-I hate to ever say this story lacks splendor, because it is quite indeed fantastic.
-Yet, this telling just didn't have the bite and budget to make it the best theater movie of the year.
-Perhaps better as a miniseries, or maybe just needing more time, Journey to Bethlehem was just another victim of too much editing in my opinion and needed to have more story element to support the musical elements they chose.
The VERDICT:
This movie is certainly a very fun holiday movie that might have been sprung a few weeks too early in my opinion. Journey to Bethlehem almost feels like Kidz Bop, meets Disney, meets A Musical, with the Bible baked into the foundation of the story. It's cute, it's a great intro, and it gives you enough and the creative liberties are more fun than insulting depending on how devout you are. I found the setting and effects wonderful to enjoy, the musical numbers themselves campy and bright, and the acting solid for what they were asked to do. Yet despite all this, the movie feels a little too intro and focused on music than actually being a musical with a good story. Alongside limited character usage, lacking suspense, a preachy dialogue and dare I say too many songs, the movie just needed more time and planning to accomplish the goal set out for it. I didn't hate it all, and I feel this movie's message supersedes any of my dislikes, but all in all, this movie is going to best be watched as a church group or at church than anything else. My scores for this film are:
Adventure/Family/Musical: 7.5 Movie Overall: 6.0.
The Time: -It's not a very long movie, in fact the whole thing runs about 90 minutes at most.
-So if you are going for a movie that won't break an afternoon or evening, nor make your dates/family who don't want to be there have to wait.
-And yet, the timing does enough to lay out the story and give you the miracle that you need.
The Plot: -If you know the Bible, you'll love that they hit the moments that matter. This journey gives you the most important and soul hitting pieces of Jesus' birth.
-For those like me who need a lesson, the Spark notes essentially give you some other pieces that get lost in the general story, and help add even more miracles to such an event than I realized.
-The movie doesn't try to change too many things up, sticks to the morals and the hopes of the Christmas season, and keeps to what the Bible teaches without taking away too much.
The Effects: -Visual wise, it's a movie that for what I expect is a more limited budget to others, utilized it well.
-Setting feels very Biblical Era, with deserts and the dwellings of old all nicely built and designed, and the costumes reflect very much the fashion they used.
-When the visual effects come into play, the lights and movie magic work greatly, a blend of practical with computer that enhances and adds that in your face Christian movie feel.
-It's the sound effects that really work for me. Not so much the goat, horse and sounds of people walking, but more so the audio crafting.
-Bethlehem really maximizes the sound quality for theater, the voices able to radiate majestic levels, while also getting ready for the musical numbers that are the lifeblood of this movie, outside the message.
The Acting: -Is fine. The movie feels on the caliber of most of these movies with lower budgets, good, but a bit theatrical and Hallmark like.
-Banderas as the king has good projection, majestic quality and an attitude, but he just isn't utilized the best and has more things to offer if they had used him better -Manheim is one of the stars and this performance was a step up from his Disney days. Charming, talented with singing and dancing, but still a bit overdramatic that you either love or don't love.
-Segers is fine in his role, the wiseman with logic, this king has a great baritone, serves as a great comedy test with the other characters, and delivers the lines with a very magnanimous presence that works.
- Fiona Palomo as Mary deserves a shout out, her delivery of lines elegant, her voice very peaceful, beautiful, and smooth, and her ferocity matched well with her sincerity believable given the ordeal she goes through.
-She is the star of the show, and I absolutely loved how well she played this part and just how much range she has in her acting abilities.
The Singing: -A musical is all about the songs, and this movie is ready with a soundtrack that is ready to unleash the theatrical vibes.
-The Journey to Bethlehem is more song than actual talking, a variety of song types to match the personalities of the character and the energy of the moment.
-My personal favorites are Marry Mary, I'm the King, and the Three Wisemen, all with the show tune themes, but drawing inspiration from different shows to deliver.
-The theater was rocking to the sounds of the instruments, and the technology with their singing just comes out with that added effect that had me smiling and dancing in my seat.
-This is going to be the favorite for most people going, again outside of the religious element, and I think that it has that flair that this could have been a theatrical show.
The Three Wise Men: -My personal favorite liberty was the portrayal of the three kings.
-From the moment they set foot on screen, these guys act as the three stooges to a degree, with a lot of comedic relief to help mix up the more somber tones of the movie.
-A tad too silly at times, these little intermissions have some seriously fun writing, don't overstep in being too in your face, and have some of the best versatility in terms of how they talk to characters.
-These guys may not be what the movie is about, but this little twist has fun features that are certain to find favoritism from the audience, so long as these liberties don't insult you.
DISLIKES:
Preachy: -This caliber of movie usually has this motif, and it's too be expected.
-However, I've seen plenty of movies about religion that can get around the tropes and the presentation that feels like talking to a pastor.
'Journey to Bethlehem's lines are a tad too in your face, go too far out of their way to make the point, and are often a bit simple for the majesty of the movie.
-As important as the words are, they feel out of place in these actors, and needed better planning to not get so Hallmark like.
-Again, this is not going to do much to deter the big fans, but in terms of movie, the lines of the songs prove they can be creative with wording.
More Suspense: -I can't tell you just how harrowing this ordeal was in terms of an adventure, so I'm not going to for accuracy to the Bible.
-Yet with all the creative liberties taken, they really couldn't make this feel a bit more daring, distracting, and with a bit more bite given the build up of Herod's character?
-The movie just would have packed more punches had some better transitions been taken to show the time limit of the bad guy's patience or even the taxation on the son's mind.
-It just felt too much Hallmark fashion, which for feel good rules, but for engaging elements drops.
Too Many Songs: -Hard to fault a musical for being musical, but... this movie doesn't quite have the timing down compared to a live theater show.
-Certainly due to time constraints, the movie falls in the habit of finding all the avenues to sing and dance, rather than finding the opportune moments to maximize it.
-Almost like Mamma Mia, breaking out into song and dance at every opportunity is uplifting and good fun, but in doing so loses the character and story to instead lead my mind to, what's the next song going to sound like.
-A little more balance, or again more time, might have mitigated this, but two songs in general and how they begun made my laugh when they weren't supposed to.
Character Usage: -Probably my least favorite part of the movie, the character usage is wonky and difficult to determine where the balance could be.
-So many characters were introduced and integrated, many having this shadow of having more involvement than what I got in the movie.
-Mary's family, Joseph's family, and even the Wise Men at times felt like an afterthought lost agin to song and dance and the quick montages of traveling during the course of the 9 months.
-The biggest drawbacks are Herod and his son. Two characters who certainly seemed to have a lot of potential until the story was filled with so many characters they became very fickle, boring, and moping.
-That was the biggest shame to me, that such powerful figures and actors were not utilized more.
Lacking Splendor?
-I hate to ever say this story lacks splendor, because it is quite indeed fantastic.
-Yet, this telling just didn't have the bite and budget to make it the best theater movie of the year.
-Perhaps better as a miniseries, or maybe just needing more time, Journey to Bethlehem was just another victim of too much editing in my opinion and needed to have more story element to support the musical elements they chose.
The VERDICT:
This movie is certainly a very fun holiday movie that might have been sprung a few weeks too early in my opinion. Journey to Bethlehem almost feels like Kidz Bop, meets Disney, meets A Musical, with the Bible baked into the foundation of the story. It's cute, it's a great intro, and it gives you enough and the creative liberties are more fun than insulting depending on how devout you are. I found the setting and effects wonderful to enjoy, the musical numbers themselves campy and bright, and the acting solid for what they were asked to do. Yet despite all this, the movie feels a little too intro and focused on music than actually being a musical with a good story. Alongside limited character usage, lacking suspense, a preachy dialogue and dare I say too many songs, the movie just needed more time and planning to accomplish the goal set out for it. I didn't hate it all, and I feel this movie's message supersedes any of my dislikes, but all in all, this movie is going to best be watched as a church group or at church than anything else. My scores for this film are:
Adventure/Family/Musical: 7.5 Movie Overall: 6.0.
Fun for the Whole Family
nataliewelcome12 November 2023
It's a musical, so I had to coerce hubby to go with me to see it. Not twenty minutes into the film and I knew that I wanted the soundtrack.
The music leans Disney, almost like the scores were compiled by a team of individuals from early 2000s Disney payroll.
Expect theatrics, dances, choreography...everything. It's done quite well. Very entertaining. The sets fall someplace between a small-stage theater and a big screen production. Simple script, but good. Well acted. Beautiful cast members, costumes, and settings.
Hubby confessed how much he enjoyed the film, especially the end. And of course, it's clean family fun.
The music leans Disney, almost like the scores were compiled by a team of individuals from early 2000s Disney payroll.
Expect theatrics, dances, choreography...everything. It's done quite well. Very entertaining. The sets fall someplace between a small-stage theater and a big screen production. Simple script, but good. Well acted. Beautiful cast members, costumes, and settings.
Hubby confessed how much he enjoyed the film, especially the end. And of course, it's clean family fun.
It's Not Quite What It's Promoted To Be
Eaglegrafix12 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
No spoilers that spoil the story but there may be some. Producers of this musical try to convince the public that they have preserved the essence of the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus to a young virgin girl. We'll yes, there are pieces of the true story included. But this is not a documentary, it is a musical, and even more, a Broadway/Hollywood style musical show and as such it naturally "adjusts" the story for the sake of show business by taking artistic license with the facts found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.
For those who easily dismiss the Bible story as just another fable the show will likely prove entertaining and exciting. Great music, dancing which sometimes is fun and other time hard to watch because it's simply done to make a joke out of the people (Roman soldiers). What is excluded is mixed with what is grossly misrepresented tells "The Greatest Story Ever Told" so that many who don't know the true story will end up confused or leave with a wrong understanding of the story.
Mary is portrayed as older than she probably was. Joseph is much younger than the real Joseph who was a business owner not a carefree ..ager. The Magi did not arrive on the night Jesus was born or even days and maybe weeks before as depicted in the musical. Herod May have been a Bafoon but not quite the crazed lunatic seen in the musical. The importance of the announcement given first to shepherds (who had very low social standing) is an essential fact just left out in order to present three Magi as goofy old men.
Thankfully the baby Mary delivers is represented as the Son of God, King of Kings. Elizabeth and Zachariah are honorably portrayed. For those who know the story of Jesus' birth, the elements are there but not always in the right place.
The production is very well done. The actors are all professional and convincing. It is obvious that the musical was shot where Judean villages like Bethlehem and Galilean villages like Nazareth did not exist.
For those who easily dismiss the Bible story as just another fable the show will likely prove entertaining and exciting. Great music, dancing which sometimes is fun and other time hard to watch because it's simply done to make a joke out of the people (Roman soldiers). What is excluded is mixed with what is grossly misrepresented tells "The Greatest Story Ever Told" so that many who don't know the true story will end up confused or leave with a wrong understanding of the story.
Mary is portrayed as older than she probably was. Joseph is much younger than the real Joseph who was a business owner not a carefree ..ager. The Magi did not arrive on the night Jesus was born or even days and maybe weeks before as depicted in the musical. Herod May have been a Bafoon but not quite the crazed lunatic seen in the musical. The importance of the announcement given first to shepherds (who had very low social standing) is an essential fact just left out in order to present three Magi as goofy old men.
Thankfully the baby Mary delivers is represented as the Son of God, King of Kings. Elizabeth and Zachariah are honorably portrayed. For those who know the story of Jesus' birth, the elements are there but not always in the right place.
The production is very well done. The actors are all professional and convincing. It is obvious that the musical was shot where Judean villages like Bethlehem and Galilean villages like Nazareth did not exist.
Saddening
julyau-172576 December 2023
I went to see this movie and was one of only 3 in the cinema. After seeing the movie, I now see that it's pretty bad and maybe others had seen some reviews of it and knew not to bother.
Mary was portrayed as a rebellious teen who wanted to be a teacher and get married only when she found love.
Joseph was portrayed as a man that would flirt with a woman who told him she was betrothed while being betrothed himself.
Gabriel was portrayed initially as a nervous angel who needed to practice what he was to say to Mary.
The 3 magi were portrayed like they were the 3 stooges.
There was a disclaimer at the end saying that they used creative license while sticking to the story. It seemed more fiction than accurate and that was insulting to me. I don't recommend this movie.
Mary was portrayed as a rebellious teen who wanted to be a teacher and get married only when she found love.
Joseph was portrayed as a man that would flirt with a woman who told him she was betrothed while being betrothed himself.
Gabriel was portrayed initially as a nervous angel who needed to practice what he was to say to Mary.
The 3 magi were portrayed like they were the 3 stooges.
There was a disclaimer at the end saying that they used creative license while sticking to the story. It seemed more fiction than accurate and that was insulting to me. I don't recommend this movie.
The Most Underrated Christmas Special of the Year!
natecauhape11 November 2023
Adam Anders did a spectacular job with his first film. This movie was an amazing success and quite an amazing musical for the Christmas season. There were a couple of bits of the beginning that were confusing, but overall, it was quite spectacular. The cast performed powerfully and comedic at the same time, especially Milo Manheim and Fiona Palomo. Antonio Banderas was an amazing, creepy, terrifying antagonist that will give you chills. The music was unique, well-written, and beautifully composed. It was a good twist of modern music for something that was set in ancient Israel. The humor was also really great and was perfectly timed. Overall, this was the best musical I've seen since The Greatest Showman and I would recommend people to watch this with their family in December for sure.
Nativity story: good in parts
s-raftery21 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Journey to Bethlehem is a modern retelling of the nativity of Christ, using the modern idiom of a musical song-and-dance movie, but with a realistic setting and costumes in first-century Judaea. It is an interesting blend of classic Bible story similar to the Disney Nativity of some years back, but also is somewhat reminiscent of Mamma Mia, West Side Story, and La La Land.
The movie is mostly faithful to the Gospel story, but there are a number of serious errors of presentation. The very first five minutes were quite disappointing, in that Mary and Joseph are portrayed as meeting in a scene like something out of Aladdin, complete with teenage romantic singing about unknown love. Pretty soon we were treated to a scene (like Mamma Mia) where Mary insistes that marriage and family is not for her: she wants to be a teacher (Surprise!) Having got through this scene, the movie did improve somewhat. King Herod is played by Antonio Banderas, who acts like a pantomime villain, oozing with self-regard and malevolence. His son, Herod Antipas (here called Antipater) looks like he has just done come off the set of Captain America or Thor. There are some quite impressive military dances by Herod's bodyguard detail.
The Three Magi are very much the comic relief of the movie, every one of their scenes is played for maximum laughs. Not so much Three Wise Men as Three Stooges.
Having said that, when the story gets back to the Annunciation, things do improve. The Angel Gabriel is a little unsteady at first, but soon gets into his stride. The interaction between Gabriel and Mary is quite memorable and faithful to the Gospel story. Pretty soon there is tension between Joseph and Mary and their respective families. I cannot help thinking that the dramatic tension is underplayed in this sequence. Joseph's dream portrays the sense of dilemma by showing him in two minds wrestling with himself: a truly well-done scene.
Mary and Joseph resolve their family problems by heading away to stay with Elizabeth and Zechariah, dodging soldiers on the way. I confess that I found Elizabeth far too static and expressionless. When Elizabeth and Mary first meet, there is no hint of the joy or excitement that we would expect in this scene. Zechariah on the other hand, although he has been made mute because of his unbelief, more than makes up for it in his facial expressions: he is wonderful.
The Nativity itself is wonderful: Gabriel finds a group of shepherds and summons them to the cave, and a heavenly host appears in a scene that reminds me so much of The Veil Removed. It was worth coming to the cinema for this scene alone.
The final denouement is rather disappointing: Herod Antipater appears with a troop of soldiers with orders to kill all the babies, but ends up enabling their escape under his protection.
In summary then, this is definitely a happy feelgood song-and-dance pop movie of the Nativity story, but misses out on so many opportunities to bring out the drama, tension, fear and joy in the story in favour of shoving in another pop song. It is very good in parts, but too many scenes were a disappointment. I cannot help feeling that if the producer had shifted the story completely to a modern setting and costumes it might have worked better.
The movie is mostly faithful to the Gospel story, but there are a number of serious errors of presentation. The very first five minutes were quite disappointing, in that Mary and Joseph are portrayed as meeting in a scene like something out of Aladdin, complete with teenage romantic singing about unknown love. Pretty soon we were treated to a scene (like Mamma Mia) where Mary insistes that marriage and family is not for her: she wants to be a teacher (Surprise!) Having got through this scene, the movie did improve somewhat. King Herod is played by Antonio Banderas, who acts like a pantomime villain, oozing with self-regard and malevolence. His son, Herod Antipas (here called Antipater) looks like he has just done come off the set of Captain America or Thor. There are some quite impressive military dances by Herod's bodyguard detail.
The Three Magi are very much the comic relief of the movie, every one of their scenes is played for maximum laughs. Not so much Three Wise Men as Three Stooges.
Having said that, when the story gets back to the Annunciation, things do improve. The Angel Gabriel is a little unsteady at first, but soon gets into his stride. The interaction between Gabriel and Mary is quite memorable and faithful to the Gospel story. Pretty soon there is tension between Joseph and Mary and their respective families. I cannot help thinking that the dramatic tension is underplayed in this sequence. Joseph's dream portrays the sense of dilemma by showing him in two minds wrestling with himself: a truly well-done scene.
Mary and Joseph resolve their family problems by heading away to stay with Elizabeth and Zechariah, dodging soldiers on the way. I confess that I found Elizabeth far too static and expressionless. When Elizabeth and Mary first meet, there is no hint of the joy or excitement that we would expect in this scene. Zechariah on the other hand, although he has been made mute because of his unbelief, more than makes up for it in his facial expressions: he is wonderful.
The Nativity itself is wonderful: Gabriel finds a group of shepherds and summons them to the cave, and a heavenly host appears in a scene that reminds me so much of The Veil Removed. It was worth coming to the cinema for this scene alone.
The final denouement is rather disappointing: Herod Antipater appears with a troop of soldiers with orders to kill all the babies, but ends up enabling their escape under his protection.
In summary then, this is definitely a happy feelgood song-and-dance pop movie of the Nativity story, but misses out on so many opportunities to bring out the drama, tension, fear and joy in the story in favour of shoving in another pop song. It is very good in parts, but too many scenes were a disappointment. I cannot help feeling that if the producer had shifted the story completely to a modern setting and costumes it might have worked better.
Catholics Beware
magpie198525 November 2023
If you are looking for a Christmas story that is faithful to the Holy Bible, look elsewhere. This is nothing more than a modern take on it. The central characters, who are saints, are turned into comedic buffoons. Without spoiling the movie, It was a disappointment to someone like me who holds those saints in the highest regard. The music and dancing were the only redeeming qualities.
I have a feeling the writers are people who have heard about the nativity and wanted to bank on it by appealing to the lowest common denominator. They ripped out the heart and soul of the holy story and turned it into an agnostic musical. Sad and disrespectful.
I have a feeling the writers are people who have heard about the nativity and wanted to bank on it by appealing to the lowest common denominator. They ripped out the heart and soul of the holy story and turned it into an agnostic musical. Sad and disrespectful.
Well, I'm absolutely gobsmacked!
zennith12 November 2023
I don't mind musicals, but they aren't necessarily my favorite genre of film. I saw the trailer for this movie and thought it looked corny, however, a friend wanted to see it so I thought I'd give it a chance. I have to admit I was blown away. Yes they do take artistic license with some of the nativity story, but the most important aspects are featured so I don't think anyone would say it was heretical. What really captured my attention though was the musical performances. The singers were amazing. The musical score was top notch. As I was watching it other artists and productions came to mind to compare it with. One of the early songs Antonio Banderas sang reminded me of the Imagine Dragon song Believe (it wasn't exactly like it, just gave me that strong hard edge vibe that fit the horrid King well). A song that Mary sang reminded me a little of the film The Greatest Showman. I even got Evita and Yentl vibes. The quality of the performances were that good. If you like musicals you should like this one. And, it doesn't stop there. The cinematography was done well and the production value was high quality. Great costumes, make-up, and set design. I couldn't find how much their budget was, but if it was low you sure couldn't tell it. I hope people give it a chance. The more people who go the longer it will stay in theaters. I might even go again if it doesn't leave theater's too quickly. It's a good family friendly movie, just right for this time of year.
perspectives
Kirpianuscus30 December 2023
My effort was to like this film. Maybe because it is a profound bizarre one. Sure, modern, sure, low budgeted, sure, modest at whole. A pleasant, in some measure, musical, a provocative - eccentric Irod, nice crafted by Antonio Banderas and a very interesting donkey , both being the good reasons to see this film.
I do not thing be a bad movie but it is , I suppose, tooo free in exploration a sensitive subject for so many assumed Christians like naivety.
But , sure, fair to not expect too much. It is one of Christmas films, precious for return to true significance of Christmas, in some measure, sweet for attempt to offer courageous and not so polite perspectives about familiar things, maybe for humor, silly to childish in too many moments.
I do not thing be a bad movie but it is , I suppose, tooo free in exploration a sensitive subject for so many assumed Christians like naivety.
But , sure, fair to not expect too much. It is one of Christmas films, precious for return to true significance of Christmas, in some measure, sweet for attempt to offer courageous and not so polite perspectives about familiar things, maybe for humor, silly to childish in too many moments.
This is true Christmas!
marvelliam14 December 2023
I hate musicals, but Journey To Bethlehem was a really pleasant surprise. The cast were all great, funny and portray very human reactions to this heavy burden. Especially Fiona Palomo who is great as Mary. The creative liberties the movie takes work. I'm so glad that a movie like this exists, that glorifies Jesus and The Greatest Story Ever Told in a new and creative way that hasn't been done before. Though the movie can be silly and the low budget is evident, but the production worked effectively with what they had. Of course I have to mention the music, it has a good selection of traditional hymns and the original are great. I am not a musical fan and I still loved the songs. Go see Journey To Bethlehem! This is true Christmas!
Warning - Un-Biblical Liberties
maklava23 December 2023
The actors and song were very entertaining, but just a warning when you watch it with your family. They chose to be more liberal than sticking with the Biblical text:
1. Mary is not biblically rebellious in any way. This is not only Antilles cultural but would have caused her to be stoned by Old Testament law.
2. The musical side of the story takes away from biblical account.
3. Mary wants to live her way and for love instead of obeying her family and culture, a western mindset of finding love, again not in the Biblical text.
4. The movie can make you cringe when you know the Biblical text, and cannot recommend it to friends or family due to the liberty by which the movie went.
Do you agree if you have seen it?
2. The musical side of the story takes away from biblical account.
3. Mary wants to live her way and for love instead of obeying her family and culture, a western mindset of finding love, again not in the Biblical text.
4. The movie can make you cringe when you know the Biblical text, and cannot recommend it to friends or family due to the liberty by which the movie went.
Do you agree if you have seen it?
Antonio Banderas stole the show!
dangerfox-901108 January 2024
Journey to Bethlehem is a good movie with the story of the old times when it was the beginning of Jesus whom I believe is not the song of god rather our prophet ( as a muislem )
Antonio Banderas played Herod in this movie whose the king that Loves to be king his acting and his character and his song and his voice and the clothing and everything was made really well for Antonio Banderas's character and I really liked him I actually like him in every movie he's ever been and Journey to Bethlehem is the newest addition to Antonio's great movies
The Set design here is very good some scenes are really good and the Soundtrack is good too
There were some funny moments too ! The three kings that wanted to help Herod are amazing too especially that guy his voice is very soothing and he would make a great villain in any movie idk but he has a good voice
Overall a good movie 7/10 it's good Antonio Banderas carried the movie for me.
Antonio Banderas played Herod in this movie whose the king that Loves to be king his acting and his character and his song and his voice and the clothing and everything was made really well for Antonio Banderas's character and I really liked him I actually like him in every movie he's ever been and Journey to Bethlehem is the newest addition to Antonio's great movies
The Set design here is very good some scenes are really good and the Soundtrack is good too
There were some funny moments too ! The three kings that wanted to help Herod are amazing too especially that guy his voice is very soothing and he would make a great villain in any movie idk but he has a good voice
Overall a good movie 7/10 it's good Antonio Banderas carried the movie for me.
What an extremely pleasant surprise.
richardtravers-9503120 November 2023
Like many reviewers I'd never heard of this film and had little interest in watching it .... until I read the other reviews.
Thanks so much in persuading me to watch this little gem of a film.
Clearly the best musical (by a very long way) in recent years, is The Greatest Showman.
This film however, on a mere fraction of the budget (only $6 compared to $84 million), has produced a brilliant soundtrack and thoroughly entertaining movie, that's at least 70-80% as good.
A modern retelling of the birth of Jesus and even though I'm in no way religious, leaves you with a big smile on your face and a glowing warmth in your heart.
Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to this little gem.
Thanks so much in persuading me to watch this little gem of a film.
Clearly the best musical (by a very long way) in recent years, is The Greatest Showman.
This film however, on a mere fraction of the budget (only $6 compared to $84 million), has produced a brilliant soundtrack and thoroughly entertaining movie, that's at least 70-80% as good.
A modern retelling of the birth of Jesus and even though I'm in no way religious, leaves you with a big smile on your face and a glowing warmth in your heart.
Do yourself a favour and treat yourself to this little gem.
Ridiculous
Sandra-durand8010 March 2024
Why would they make this into a musical?
We watched for 10 minutes and that was more than enough to say this is pure garbage.
The singing and dancing is disrespectful and it makes me angry that someone would make something so pure and precious into a joke.
That is not cool at all.
I was born and raised a Catholic and one thing I know is that you never mock the story of Virgin Mary and St. Joseph or anything to do with the Bible.
Generally speaking, religion should always be respected whether you believe in it or not.
The story of the Nativity should not had been made into a dumb musical.
We watched for 10 minutes and that was more than enough to say this is pure garbage.
The singing and dancing is disrespectful and it makes me angry that someone would make something so pure and precious into a joke.
That is not cool at all.
I was born and raised a Catholic and one thing I know is that you never mock the story of Virgin Mary and St. Joseph or anything to do with the Bible.
Generally speaking, religion should always be respected whether you believe in it or not.
The story of the Nativity should not had been made into a dumb musical.
Beautiful movie!. Fun, entertaining, touching.
simonamoda-6412112 November 2023
Finally an amazing beautiful earthwarming movie. The best musical since lalaland!
Beautifully acted. Beautiful songs and music.
A treat! The whole family enjoyed the new twists and we will go to the theatre to see it again.
Banderas is wonderful and so are the other actors. MARY and Joseph are a treat.to watch singing and acting.
The magis were fun and entertaining. Herod son... also a great actor besides being.handome...lol....but my favourite is Fig...the dinky!!!.a Great actor too! LOL
Beautiful picture and setting. Beautiful script.
I wish there were more movies like this one!
A must see.
Beautifully acted. Beautiful songs and music.
A treat! The whole family enjoyed the new twists and we will go to the theatre to see it again.
Banderas is wonderful and so are the other actors. MARY and Joseph are a treat.to watch singing and acting.
The magis were fun and entertaining. Herod son... also a great actor besides being.handome...lol....but my favourite is Fig...the dinky!!!.a Great actor too! LOL
Beautiful picture and setting. Beautiful script.
I wish there were more movies like this one!
A must see.
Another mockery of Christianity
robertrvn107 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The script is extremely regrettable. Everything transcendental, the substance of such a beautiful event, has been made ridiculous for the humor of the atheist, anti-Christian masses and even other religions. I can imagine if they did this with Islam... they would have serious problems for it. But since Christianity respects freedom of expression, nothing happens. A disgraceful film. At no time can other aspects such as photography, costumes or performances be considered, if the most important thing is infinitely far from what the Holy Christian Bible tells. A total nonsense. As a practicing Christian, I am very offended.
Mary
mckinneymary-1872411 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
My whole family enjoyed the movie!
The music was powerful and moving. The comedy was well timed and gave the movie a good flow.
I viewed Mary's character as being a strong and intelligent woman who obeyed her earthly and Heavenly Father in-spite of having goals and dreams of her own. I like that the mother of Jesus wasn't portrayed as weak. She would need strength to face all of the circumstances we read about in the Bible. It did a good job bringing light to the struggles that Mary and Joseph would have had to deal with because of the customs and politics of the time (like arranged marriage). This allowed for good conversation with my kids.
The ending was reverent, powerful, and uplifting.
It's my new favorite Christmas movie. If you're on the fence definitely go see it.
The music was powerful and moving. The comedy was well timed and gave the movie a good flow.
I viewed Mary's character as being a strong and intelligent woman who obeyed her earthly and Heavenly Father in-spite of having goals and dreams of her own. I like that the mother of Jesus wasn't portrayed as weak. She would need strength to face all of the circumstances we read about in the Bible. It did a good job bringing light to the struggles that Mary and Joseph would have had to deal with because of the customs and politics of the time (like arranged marriage). This allowed for good conversation with my kids.
The ending was reverent, powerful, and uplifting.
It's my new favorite Christmas movie. If you're on the fence definitely go see it.
Terrible Movie
mrjonahisfunny10 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Friends, if you are considering taking your children to see the movie: Journey to Bethlehem, we saw this as a preview movie a couple of months ago and I absolutely do NOT recommend. Just a couple of concerns out of many:
1. Mary is pictured as a rebellious teen who does not want to get married but instead wants to be a teacher and is angry with her father for forcing a betrothal on her.
2. Joseph is a flirty young man who is trying to woo a young girl in the marketplace even though he knew he was promised to Mary and the young lady tells him she's betrothed. Eventually it becomes clear he was actually accidentally flirting with his future wife, but still. No.
3. In this story Herod's son shows up at the birth of Jesus and because of Mary standing up to him, lets the family go free, even ordering his soldiers to help.
We had many more concerns with this film. Please do not be deceived and take young, impressionable children to see this movie.
2. Joseph is a flirty young man who is trying to woo a young girl in the marketplace even though he knew he was promised to Mary and the young lady tells him she's betrothed. Eventually it becomes clear he was actually accidentally flirting with his future wife, but still. No.
3. In this story Herod's son shows up at the birth of Jesus and because of Mary standing up to him, lets the family go free, even ordering his soldiers to help.
We had many more concerns with this film. Please do not be deceived and take young, impressionable children to see this movie.
Historical, hysterical, and heart warming.
malmevik7711 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I had absolutely no desire to see another retelling of a story I've been familiar with since birth. But when I found out it was a musical, my interest was piqued. So, yes, I went into the theatre simply because it looked like it had humor, some cartoon like villainy, and a love story that was all set to a fun musical score. It did include some songs that are well known, but others brand new to the story.
What sold me on the movie was the portrayal of the story that I've always been curious about. The scripture itself barely speaks of the events leading up to Bethlehem. These are very important details that were fleshed out in a more historical format.
Creative license is mentioned, but you know what, so were the stories themselves seeing as how there were different authors. Go into the movie with an open mind. Think about what it must have been like for these very real human beings leading up to Jesus's birth. And enjoy the singing and dancing, even when it gets silly, which it does.
Also, pay attention at the end. The opportunity to pay it forward is a personal decision, but was a cute idea to introduce.
Happy holidays!
What sold me on the movie was the portrayal of the story that I've always been curious about. The scripture itself barely speaks of the events leading up to Bethlehem. These are very important details that were fleshed out in a more historical format.
Creative license is mentioned, but you know what, so were the stories themselves seeing as how there were different authors. Go into the movie with an open mind. Think about what it must have been like for these very real human beings leading up to Jesus's birth. And enjoy the singing and dancing, even when it gets silly, which it does.
Also, pay attention at the end. The opportunity to pay it forward is a personal decision, but was a cute idea to introduce.
Happy holidays!
A mistake for me
sherylchilders8223 November 2023
Every once in awhile, I take a chance on something I'm not sure about, because sometimes it pays off. This time it did not. I knew this would obviously have Christian themes, but then I saw the director and writer did Glee and that Antonio Banderas starred. So, I didn't think it was going to be like the low budget overtly religious films, and I don't really pay attention to film budgets, anyway. But, I do despise cheesy fake Christian movies. As an atheist, I also sang in an evangelical church choir growing up, and I love musicals. I read the reviews carefully, but as usual, people don't say the obvious. So, I will.
This should not have been a movie - maybe a music album. The acting was terrible. Even Antonio Banderas was terrible. The only actor that stood out a little was the king's son, and one of the 3 wiseman. There were a couple times that the chemistry with the 3 kings was ok. The donkey bit was stupid. The visual effects were occasionally movie worthy. The actor that played Gabriel was good.
For a traditional Christmas musical, I expected more traditional music. But, almost all of this was original. Most of it would have made a fine Christian Christmas album. But, none of it was very memorable. The entire soundtrack is only 33 minutes. All of the rest is filler that isn't good enough to even be considered "dumb" good, like how sometimes you can enjoy something that's just silly. It just seemed like it was trying too hard to conceal its overt Christianity, like having Joseph cook and making Mary have "modern" views. It wasn't convincing at all.
The best songs are toward the end. "Three Wise Guys" was the only song, with the best acting (possibly the only movie worthy acting), with just a touch of Hallelujah chorus (not enough). "We Become We" is a beautiful duet that featured some pretty visual effects. "In My Blood" was the best song, also by the best actor (Joel Smallbone). This was a good performance, though on a second listen, kind of sounds like a rip off Thunder by Imagine Dragons. Finally, they do actually do Silent Night ("The Nativity Song"), which thank god, with a mash up of O Holy Night & more original music.
I honestly wish someone could do a secular movie well using bible stories, and I was hopeful. But, this was decidedly and annoyingly not that.
This should not have been a movie - maybe a music album. The acting was terrible. Even Antonio Banderas was terrible. The only actor that stood out a little was the king's son, and one of the 3 wiseman. There were a couple times that the chemistry with the 3 kings was ok. The donkey bit was stupid. The visual effects were occasionally movie worthy. The actor that played Gabriel was good.
For a traditional Christmas musical, I expected more traditional music. But, almost all of this was original. Most of it would have made a fine Christian Christmas album. But, none of it was very memorable. The entire soundtrack is only 33 minutes. All of the rest is filler that isn't good enough to even be considered "dumb" good, like how sometimes you can enjoy something that's just silly. It just seemed like it was trying too hard to conceal its overt Christianity, like having Joseph cook and making Mary have "modern" views. It wasn't convincing at all.
The best songs are toward the end. "Three Wise Guys" was the only song, with the best acting (possibly the only movie worthy acting), with just a touch of Hallelujah chorus (not enough). "We Become We" is a beautiful duet that featured some pretty visual effects. "In My Blood" was the best song, also by the best actor (Joel Smallbone). This was a good performance, though on a second listen, kind of sounds like a rip off Thunder by Imagine Dragons. Finally, they do actually do Silent Night ("The Nativity Song"), which thank god, with a mash up of O Holy Night & more original music.
I honestly wish someone could do a secular movie well using bible stories, and I was hopeful. But, this was decidedly and annoyingly not that.
I LOVED IT
karapjackson25 December 2023
As a long time Christian and lover of musicals I found this charming style of telling Mary and Joseph's journey to becoming the parents of Jesus so captivating! The music was fun a lyrically well written, Milo and the girl playing Mary were beautifully cast and great singers, Antonio was lots of fun, and the Prince played by For King & Country singer Joel Smallbone CRUSHED it. The costumes were so beautifully and clearly crafted with great detail and care, and the sets were gorgeous too. It's a beautiful movie all around! It will definitely be an annual thing for me. I would love to watch with kids even! I always said I wished the Biblical women had the kind of excitement and telling of their stories as the Disney Princesses do.
The Donkey stole the show
bryantmadeline14 December 2023
This was almost as bad as the Noah movie awhile back that had rock giants in it. Mary is protrayed as a back talking feminist. Theres so so much wrong with the movie. Adding a son into the movie did not work. Even if the son can sing and his musical number was good. ANTONIO B was great as well. I was suprised at how well he did. We loved the 3 kings they brought humor. They left out shepereds and went for just 1. The Angel says stuff to Angel he never ever did
Its one thing to add whats not already been covered as long as it mixes well but add words that change the whole momemt was not good.
The Donkey reminded my 13 year old of The Star movie and was part of the best of the moive. She said stick with it if u want a story about Jesus and what he is about.
The Donkey reminded my 13 year old of The Star movie and was part of the best of the moive. She said stick with it if u want a story about Jesus and what he is about.
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