The Story of Christmas (1994) User Reviews

Deserves to come out of obscurity

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 19 January 2014]

The Story of Christmas was a childhood favourite that was seen without fail by all us five children every Christmas. Finding the video up in the attic after not being able to find it for a few years, it was just as good as remembered. Not perfect perhaps, it does drag at times and not all the voice acting is quite there, the little donkey is a little too over-eager, the Roman over-the-top and while menacing and regal King Herod at times one-note. Mary and Joseph are well voiced and compassionate and the innkeeper appropriately stern but accommodating but the best voice acting comes from the grey donkey(from whose perspective the story is told in) and the ox, the former superb and the chemistry between the two characters one of The Story of Christmas' highlights. The story has changes to what we are familiar with, like being told through the eyes of the donkey and a few additional characters(the roman character not really adding much though), but the spirit and the crucial parts are all there. And it is told with emotion like at the end and a degree of uncertainty like the journey from Bethlehem to Egypt. The writing manages successfully to not be too complicated or dumbed-down, it's simply and thoughtfully done and most of the characters are well-thought out, particularly the donkey and the ox. Jesus is a very cute baby too. The animation is also quite simple but not simplistic, it doesn't look too flat either and the pastel colours are really quite lovely. Another great asset, and the one that I always did remember at the times that I didn't see it, was the music, hauntingly beautiful stuff while giving off a Middle Eastern/Egyptian vibe. To conclude, a childhood favourite that still holds up, really does deserve to not be as obscure as it has become. 8/10 Bethany Cox

If you like Jesus he isn't in here

[sensaydude · 2/10 · 19 December 2022]

A cute story about animals first and Jesus who? Doesn't make sense as to why this movie is called "the story of Christmas" when Jesus is sidelined like Michael Jordan in his baseball career.

Also odd how a group of people In the Middle East all have light skin and British accents.

Like everyone even the animals I'm surprised the white baby Jesus did stand up and say "ello govnah quiet a day for tea and biscuits I do say so myself"

Also for some reason Mother Mary looks so unhappy to be anywhere in the film, and the animals are just plain rude to one another. And the people aren't better than the animals.

This movie takes a lot of liberties with the actual story portrayed in the Bible.

If you are not a Bible enthusiast and don't care about the story than this is a good movie for the kids.

If you do enjoy the Bible and the story of Jesus Christ our savior then I would suggest a different movie.

It's kind of like if you go in to drink water and it turns out to be flat Sprite. Yea it's Sprite but you wanted water.