The Nativity Story **1/2
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Issac, Hiam Abbass, Shaul Toub, Alexander Siddig, Shohreh Agdashloo, Ciaran Hinds
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Running Length: 1:35
MPAA Classification: PG

When teenaged Mary (Castle-Hughes) finds out that she has been betrothed to Joseph (Isaac), she is not happy. A visit from the Archangel Gabriel (Siddig) informs her that she will be impregnated by the Holy Spirit and will give birth to Jesus. Upon returning from visiting her cousin Elizabeth (Agdashloo), she is in the midst of a scandal. She is pregnant, but not with Joseph’s child. Gabriel visits Joseph, and he claims the child as his own. Meanwhile, King Herod (Hinds) calls for a census, forcing Mary and Joseph to travel to Bethlehem. The king also fears the prophecies telling of the birth of the King of the Jews, and that will only make things more difficult for Mary and Joseph.

You know the story…there is nothing new here. It is, in many ways, like watching the local Christmas pageant in church. The production is not as good as it could have been, and that is what just makes this an OK movie. The acting is allright as well, with no real standouts. I suppose that the wise men are pretty interesting, but they mostly provide comic relief. “The Nativity Story” is a harmless film, that will probably do better on DVD. My suggestion is to wait until that time to see it.