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Once upon a time a little girl went out to find the Christmas star.
In “Journey to the Christmas Star”, a courageous young girl sets out on a hazardous journey to find the Christmas Star in order to free the kingdom from a curse and bring back a long lost princess, but some mighty foes will stop at nothing to prevent her from ever returning. It’s that time of year again when we deck the halls and sit down to watch TV and are inundated with many different Christmas-themed movies. Some are good and some are not. Some are filled with sentiment while others ooze with too much schmaltz (Yes, I’m looking at you “The Christmas Shoes”).
The first thing I noticed about this movie, was that it was made in Norway with a full Norwegian cast and crew. The movie is dubbed in English but that doesn’t detract from the overall sentiment and enjoyment of the film. The cinematography by Odd Reinhardt Nicolaysen was beautiful and he gives us a look at some stunning Norwegian landscapes. There was obviously a decent budget involved because some of the special effects were on a par with some of today’s big-budget spectacles, something that took me aback, albeit, pleasantly.
The story is perfect for children but has enough delightful elements to keep the older kids and adults amused. It features a fairytale castle and a gutsy young heroine, and it is lighthearted and whimsical in its approach for the kids. The cheerful and happy ending is entirely predictable, but then “Journey to the Christmas Star” is not about convoluted story arcs, it’s about encouraging children into believing in fairytale magic. I, for one, enjoyed this little gem of a movie and would highly recommend it, especially for this time of year.
In stores November 5th
