Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger

Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger – Overly childish teaching assistant Mr Poppy learns that the Song for Christmas competition comes with a cash prize and chance for Christmas Number 1 single. Despite being told that the school can’t afford to enter, he enthusiastically and secretly gets his class of primary school students to write a song. New but anxious teacher, Mr Peterson, tries to impose some order back on the class but finds himself kidnapped when Mr Poppy takes the school bus without permission and drives the class to Wales in order to compete. But they are up against the pompous but skilled Mr Shakespeare. And even worse, world-class composer (and Mr Peterson’s twin brother) will stop at nothing to win…

Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger (2012) – Director: Debbie Isitt

By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35798773

Rating: U

Running Length: 105 mins

Starring: Marc Wootton, David Tennant, Jason Watkins

Genre: Comedy

REVIEW: ‘NATIVITY 2: DANGER IN THE MANGER’

The Nativity series of British Christmas seasonal films has enjoyed decent box office returns despite general critical mauling. After the runaway box office success of Nativity, (starring Marc Wootton and Martin Freeman) a sequel was inevitable. This time around David Tennant is swapped in for Freeman for another bite at the Christmas bauble.

Permanent man-child Mr Poppy, teaching assistant at St. Bernardette’s primary school, learns of the Song For Christmas competition. He throws his class immediately into efforts to win and when new anxious teacher, Mr Peterson (Tennant) arrives, any effort to regain control of the class is lost. Wootton’s performance as Mr Poppy is one geared purely to appeal to children. His over-the-top behaviour and lack of intelligence essentially make him an adult child and therefore the sort of character than only a child can enjoy. However, Tennant is ever watchable and his increasing exasperation (which slowly succumbs to acceptance) makes the bulk of the movie bearable.

Perhaps wisely considering their young ages, the children themselves are more of a group with no real standouts and they are inarguably cute and endearing throughout. Indeed. the pompous Mr Shakespeare (Justin Watkins) is also fun as an insecure little man who nonetheless knocks up a gloriously musical theatre entry to the competition.

The movie has an in-your-face start that goes from zero to 100 and stays there for half an hour. Scenes rush past at breakneck speed until the middle Act, where the class are lost in the Welsh countryside and meanders around as a series of ‘bits’ rather than any coherent plot. However, once the group get to the competition itself there is plenty of chuckles to be had at the various parodies of song styles. Overly sincere Irish entry? Check! Cutefest? Yup! Crass American commercialism? Of course! Super cool street version? Of course! In fact the movie loves this section so much that it just keeps on going and going.

‘Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger’ is not by any stretch a good film. However, it hits you with a sweet sappy ending and contains a good enough smattering of funnies, and a couple of genuinely touching moments, that it certainly fills a shallow seasonal film need. Children will likely love the daftness on display for the first half whilst adults will grit their teeth until the more subtle humour jabs of the second half. But it does the job fine for an afternoon movie whilst full of too much food and over indulgence.

CONTENT: IS ‘NATIVITY 2: DANGER IN THE MANGER’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

An early scene uses a lot of breaking wind humour from the children in class led by the childish Mr Poppy, teaching assistant.

One stern teacher is holding auditions for the ‘Song for Christmas’ competition. He insults some of the students and shouts at one girl aged roughly 7 that, “this is a national competition!” The girl looks upset but the scene is short.

Mr Poppy leads his class in a chant of ‘teachers are losers!’ Later, as he leads them out of the classroom they are singing a version of ‘Jingle Bells’ with rude lyrics such as ‘Uncle Billy lost his willy’. Mr Poppy then childishly pretends not to be able to understand Mr Peterson’s Scottish accent and mocks his voice.

On a trip out to see Santa there is an argument between Mr Poppy and another teacher from a more prestigious school. The teacher starts his point by gesturing to Mr Poppy’s class and sneering, “Not only are you poor and thick..” In retaliation, and during a childish slap fight, Mr Poppy licks the teachers face briefly in order to disgust him.

During auditions, one child holds a baby on a skateboard and swings it back and forth. This could be imitable. Another plans to cover a baby in meat, “like Lady Gaga”.

One boy in the class is described as not having spoken a word since his father left.

Mr Peterson’s father arrives uninvited and berates Mr Peterson by negatively comparing him to his more successful twin brother.

One character talks about a student called Pixie and says, “Pixie’s just lost her Grandma”.

Mr Poppy is in a school bus and asks a student to tell the truth. He then asks, “Do you think I’m ugly?” to which the student replies, “Yes.” He complains that that ‘isn’t very nice’ but the student protests that he was telling the truth. Shortly after, Mr Poppy throws Mr Peterson’s mobile phone out of the moving bus window.

Mr Poppy and Mr Peterson are on their way to take part in the Song For Christmas competition and get lost. They come across a donkey, which Mr Poppy decides to steal as it is a ‘sign’.

Mr Poppy asks Mr Peterson why he is scared of water. Mr Peterson tells him about his childhood where his father would throw him in the deep end to teach him to swim, and that his father was fixated on training him to be able to hold his breath for a long time and used to hold his head underwater. This is an emotional scene and may be upsetting for children with fears of the water or of dominating authority figures.

One child sings a song with lyrics such as “Everybody’s got a Dad, but me”. Other characters express sympathy.

The class have to abseil down a cliff with the adults holding the rope at the top. This scene is treated mostly comically so we mention it in case children find using a rope to descend a height imitable.

As the group have a baby with them there are several mentions of poo. During one nappy changing scene Mr Peterson is urinated on in the face.

During an argument the headteacher of Mr Poppy’s school tries to force her way past someone blocking her path. She bites into their arm before being dragged away.

Mr Peterson’s twin takes a baby to use it for sentimentality votes for the competition. The class are distressed by this and shout for the baby to be returned.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘NATIVITY 2: DANGER IN THE MANGER’ FOR KIDS?

With its silly humour and walking man-child lead ‘Nativity 2: Danger In The Manger’ is absolutely designed with kids in mind. So much so that adults may want to busy themselves around the house for the first half! There is some cheeky and immature humour plus some behaviour that could be imitated but we recommend ‘Nativity 2’ as suitable for children aged 5 and above.

• Violence: 1/5 (One very ineffectual fight. One adult biting another)
• Emotional Distress: 1/5 (the scene where Mr Peterson describes his father ‘teaching’ him to swim could upset. There is an reconnecting of characters at the end who have been against each other throughout the movie which is brief but emotionally done)
• Fear Factor: 0/5
• Sexual Content: 0/5
• Bad Language: 1/5 (childish insults)
• Dialogue: 0/5
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of ambition, the effect of removing emotion, aspiration to win competitions, childish adults, not letting obstacles get in your way, leading by example, and standing up to emotional bullies.

Words by Mike Record

[amazon_link asins=’B00HODKQNM,B013OUGLDW,B077SM3PM3,B0176K0PVU’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’isthimovsui-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’a3a7addd-f67d-11e8-a404-5ba8f7309bcf’]