"And after that, our Nativity's got better and better" - Mr Madden's (Nativity)
While the first sequel with David Tennant in the lead was a fair sequel, the second (with a woefully miscast Martin Clunes) acted as a lovely showreel for Marc Wooton as Mr. Poppy and not much else.
I thought that would and should be the end of the franchise.
However, in 2018 we got 'Nativity Rocks!', which acts as a soft reboot of the franchise, I'm sure with the intention of there being more.
Gordon Shakespeare (who looked out of place in the 3rd film anyway) is retired, but sadly so is the original Mr. Poppy. In typical franchise style, we get a new one... a brother (played by Simon Lipkin)...with exactly the same name and personality...
It's Lipkin's show from start to finish, with Helen George (of 'Call the Midwife' fame) being very much out of her depth with this sort of comedy, and a very forgetable new actor playing the 'St Bernadette's' teacher), not that he's given much to do at all.
It is a soft reboot, so we get a repeat of the performance in the cathedral/nativity focusing on Herod elements from the first film, but oddly with a rock opera spin, that I don't think anyone really wanted/asked for.
It's not a complete disaster like the 3rd (save Wotton's performance), with some nice elements about refugees and finding your own family, but ultimately this is a franchise by this point that has run its course.
