Nativity Rocks!

"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.

Which figures, as the film is a dogs dinner. Glad I only paid for it a r kids club

Utterly terrible. The first three atleast had something to like about them. The new Mr. Poppy is utterly irritating throughout, and the children don't really have a part to play like they did in the first three. Lazy writing and irritating plot flaws all the way through the film. Started laughing about how bad it was near to the end.

Refugees from Syria; father and son, find sanctuary in the UK's midlands but get separated on the way.

All the elements are here for an uplifting family comedy. There is a great gang of kids, enthusiasm and some good gags. I can forgive the comedy farce elements that were over played for my taste. But the story is too complicated for the time given to it; the threads have been cut to pieces leaving it all in a midland muddle.

The brutal story editing makes sense when we get to the final act to which a lot of the movie time is devoted. We're given a long concert of songs staged in Coventry cathedral. It's really well done and does somewhat redeem the film. Sadly by then the movie had already lost the attention of most of the children in the audience who were fidgeting with boredom.

I liked the references to Coventry's own devastation to bombing in 1939 that made a connection with the young refugee.

Two things: 1) My five-year-old loved it 2) This film gives all amateur film-makers hope. If this can be made then anything can, so for that reason it should get decent marks.