Journey to Bethlehem Reviews

Peppered with modern songs and traditional Christmas melodies, Journey to Bethlehem focuses on the tale of Mary, Joseph, and the miraculous birth of Jesus. Directed and co-written by Adam Anders, with fellow writer Peter Barsocchini, this musical retelling sprinkles a bit of humor along with faith in order to tell the origin of Christ's humanity. Journey to Bethlehem stars Antonio Banderas (The Mask of Zorro), Milo Manheim (Thanksgiving, 2023), Fiona Palomo (Control Z), Geno Segers (Perfect Harmony), Omid Djalili (Gladiator), Rizwan Manji (Transformers), and Joel Smallbone (Priceless). There is a lot that happens between the bookend events of the narrative, from Mary's (Palomo) arranged engagement, to the birth of Jesus . This includes Mary and Joseph's (Manheim) plight; to the story of the mad king, Herod (Banderas); to the moral dilemma foisted on his son, Antipater (Smallbone); and finally the journey of The Three Wise Men (Segers, Djalili, Manji). Shoving all of that in 98 minutes is quite a feat. Can Anders give all parts of the story justice?Journey to Bethlehem contains elements that feel like a meet-cute between High School Musical and a Hallmark movie. That is, if the meet-cute is set at a youth group camp. That being said, it is marketed as a family-friendly movie, and it excels at that. The story only illudes to and mostly omits the bloody massacre of Jesus. The ending is a wholesome depiction of events with the main characters riding into the sunset with smiles on their faces despite the ordeals they have just faced and the dangers that lie ahead of them.Opening with a card that reads "Inspired by a true story…", Journey to Bethlehem adds humor and fun to make the film more engaging for a younger crowd. The Angel Gabriel (played by Christian rapper Lecrae) struggles with stage fright and the pressure of approaching Mary. Herod wears a "My-Chemical-Romance-amount" of eyeliner. A donkey dropkicks a soldier. It is if Anders is trying his best to say, "See. The bible can be fun too."Palomo's depiction of Mary is mesmerizing. She oozes charisma, tenacity, and spunkiness (traits that are rarely used to describe the mother of Jesus). Manheim does a good job with Joseph as well, portraying him as a conflicted but ultimately driven by his duty to take care of his betrothed. The chemistry between the two is decent, as are their performances. Banderas shines as Herod, singing and dancing with his boy band soldiers following suit. Segers, Djalili, and Manji completely steal the show as The Three Wise Men. At times they are a bit slapstick corny, but they have gleaming moments of wit and wordplay. They also pose important questions such as "What is myrrh anyway?" The film isn't without a couple hiccups. The script leaves a bit to be desired. Anders keeps the spirit of the nativity story while also mixing in contemporary dialogue, unfortunately most of it comes off as cheesy. Religious movies can often feel banal and low budget, and this film doesn't completely escape that. Most of the on-set locations add depth to each scene, however King Herod's throne room is a little too reminiscent of a high school play with the comically oversized lion head (complete with glowing red eyes).The film won't be for everyone, but if moviegoers are looking for an imaginative family-friendly version of the nativity story to share with their loved ones, this may be the one for them. As long as viewers don't oppose the flair and jazz hands that come with musicals, Journey to Bethlehem is a fun frolic into the spiritual story of Jesus' birth.