Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Star Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 27, 2018

The Star blends together two of the most reliable performers at the box office today: the talking animal digitally animated movie and the faith-based feature. The film follows a handful of animals as they experience the time leading up to, and the moments during and immediately after, Christ's birth. It's a typical film on the cute-and-cuddly front, building towards a narrative goal but making sure to throw in plenty of (family friendly here, of course) zany moments, humorous dialogue exchanges, and fun interactions with other animals, people, and the world-at-large. Essentially, the film tells a familiar story from a new perspective, aimed at children but also satisfying less discerning adults considering its simple, effective structure and timeless (new) re-telling of a classic Biblical story.

Divine Intervention.

In the time before Christ, nine months B.C. to be exact, the virgin May (voiced by Gina Rodriguez), engaged to be married to a carpenter named Jospeh (voiced by Zachary Levi), is visited by an angel of God and told that she is going to conceive a child, who will be the Savior. Mary is excited, and Joseph, though he worries about the prospects of raising a holy king, comes around to the idea, too. Around the time Mary tells Jospeh what's going on, she meets a donkey she names Bo (voiced by Steven Yeun) who has recently escaped a life of hard labor. Bo dreams of doing more with his life, namely carrying a king. But when Bo discovers a plot by King Herod (voiced by Christopher Plummer) to kill the new king, he steps into action to save the baby boy and fulfill his dreams and destiny.

The film isn't particularly remarkable in terms of its essential, basic structure. It's a relatively simple talking animal animated film in which the characters interact with a serious story in a silly way. It's charming and funny -- though some jokes and scenarios are better than others -- and creative only insofar as their ability to fit into the nativity story allows. Of course the filmmakers take plenty of liberty, not with the essential story details but certainly with the happenings around it. The animals save the day, clear the path for Jesus to be born in that manger, and discover more about themselves and the world around them in the meantime, all the while bearing witness to history. There's plenty of humor along the way, of course, ridiculous scenarios that play out for comic effect and to propel the narrative forward. Truly, it's a transplant of a movie, barely distinguishable from many others beyond its novel setting around the time of the birth of Christ.

Voice acting is fine. Characters are performed enthusiastically, generally, with enough supportive depth to be of use to telling the story in a more straightforward, rather than comical, manner. But the cast nails the comedic ebbs and flows, too, matching the on-screen zaniness of the film's many comedy bits and wink-and-nod supports to the main story and the intensity of various chase and action scenes as the creatures help move along the story of Christ's birth. The film boasts solid digital workmanship, too. Environments are striking and many scenes are beautifully rendered and composed.

The Star Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's 1080p Blu-ray image for The Star boasts high-yield textural definition. Animal fur is complex, very sharp and well defined down to the individual strand, flowing well and seemingly capable of revealing the finest intricate nuances that the digital artists have created. The same goes for support details like piles of hay, grasses, sand, or tiles and carpets in King Herod's throne room. Woods, stone work, and other period structural necessities are sharp and naturally complex, as are character wardrobe selections, whether textured cloth or polished and scuffed armor. Colors are vibrant and well saturated. There's impressive pop to some of the blue Mary wears, for example, and it particularly stands out well from the earthen backgrounds that are often so prominent in the film. Bold reds and natural greens serve as additional color highlights. Banding and aliasing are so light as to be barely noticeable. This is a very satisfying 1080p animated video presentation from Sony and Affirm Films.

The Star Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Star features a very active, enjoyable, and complimentary DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is certainly one of the most prominent highlights. The opening Christmas tune is very well spaced, featuring quality dynamics and instrumental fidelity with fantastically defined lyrics. The track is never lacking wide-ranging stage usage for various fun action effects, but there's not a lot of heft to the proceedings; the subwoofer doesn't belt out in any prodigious way. It's disappointing to find a middling low end in support of some of the more dynamic effects, but there's at least plenty of clarity and fluid spacing to enjoy. Dialogue is clear and detailed, well prioritized, and positioned naturally in the front-center portion of the soundstage.

The Star Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Star contains a commentary track, featurettes, and music videos. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Director Tim Reckart and Producer DeVon Franklin share a solid track that covers both technical details and the story's structure.
• Star-aoke Sing Along! (1080p): Karaoke style presentations. Includes Sing Along with Bo & Friends! (2:33) and Sing Along- You're the Star! (2:19). With the latter, the audio button on the remote turns vocals off so singers can perform without the animals.
• Faith All Your Round with DeVon Franklin (1080p, 9:52): Franklin shares some faith tips and life lessons (as they relate to the movie) with a room of children.
• An All Star Cast (1080p, 13:02): A closer look at the voice actors in key roles.
• Creating the World of 9 Months BC (1080p, 2:10): A discussion of the filmmakers' vision for the film with emphasis on creating an authentic looking world.
• "Life Is Good" Dance Along (1080p, 3:03): A couple of kids dance to the music, and viewers are encouraged to join them.
• Animated Nativity (1080p, 21:11:16): A clip from the film's nativity scene on loop, set to various Christmas songs.
• Lyric Videos (1080p): Music videos with on-screen lyrics. Included are The Star by Mariah Carey (3:58), Can You See by Fifth Harmony (4:01), Children Go Where I Send You by Kelsea Ballerini (2:44), We Three Kings by Kirk Franklin (3:55), and Life Is Good by A Great Big World (3:09).
• Arts & Crafts (1080p): Video and text instructions on making Twinkling Star Ornaments (1:31), Sweet and Sparkly Stars (1:01), and Star Mason Jar Votives (1:10).
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

The Star Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Star doesn't do anything to degrade the story of Christ's birth. It of course plays fast and loose with the support pieces, but it remains essentially true to the essential nuts-and-bolts details. It's a fun little film, not particularly creative beyond the combination of talking animal and the nativity story, but children should find it an agreeable little adventure/comedy hybrid film while adults should be pleased with the good messaging and strict adherence to tasteful gags and action. Sony's Blu-ray release of The Star features very strong video, a quality 5.1 lossless soundtrack, and a nice assortment of extra content. Recommended.