Nativity Rocks! is a 2018 British Christmas comedy film and the fourth and final instalment of the Nativity film series by Debbie Isitt. It stars Simon Lipkin, Celia Imrie, Craig Revel Horwood, Helen George, Ruth Jones & Daniel Boys. Like its predecessors, it was distributed by Entertainment One. The only people who reprised their roles in this film were Celia Imrie (who portrayed Mrs Keen, the headteacher of St. Bernadette's who took over from Mrs Bevan after Pam Ferris did not reprise her role in Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?) and Jessica Hynes (who portrayed Angel Matthews in Nativity! 2: Danger in the Manger).

Nativity! 4: Nativity Rocks!
Directed byDebbie Isitt
Written byDebbie Isitt
Produced byNick Jones
StarringSimon Lipkin
Celia Imrie
Craig Revel Horwood
Helen George
Ruth Jones
Daniel Boys
CinematographySean Van Hales
Music byNicky Ager
Production
company
Mirrorball Films
Distributed byEntertainment One
Release date
  • 23 November 2018 (2018-11-23)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$4.1 million[1]

Plot edit

Five years after Dude, Where's My Donkey?, Doru, a child refugee from Syria, is separated from his father as he arrives in the United Kingdom having been smuggled in illegally through boat and under fire. He hides in a truck and accidentally arrives in coventry, he is helped by a supposed lorry driver get to safe place and get help. He is moved to Coventry by social worker Miss Shelly and joins St Bernadette's Primary School, where he meets new teaching assistant Jerry Poppy, who assists him in his search for his father, amid another Christmas musical production for the school, led by impresario Emmanuel Cavendish.[2] Jerry is immediately suspicious that Cavendish and he have met before, believing that his mother used to clean Cavendish's parents' house before Cavendish framed Jerry for stealing a brooch.

With nowhere to stay, Jerry and Doru end up staying with Barnaby, a lonely boy with rich parents who are often away (this is due to nefarious means by the father). After Jerry helps Barnaby decorate the house, he prompts Barnaby's mother Clara to start making more of an effort to be there for her son emotionally rather than just providing for him financially. Cavendish's auditions for the show initially go well, but when Cavendish starts trying to take all the major parts for himself, he is fired by the schools so they can do it themselves. Doru’s father goes looking for Doru, and hitches a bus to Coventry.

Cast edit

Reception edit

The film has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 0% based on eight reviews.[3]

When the film was released in the United Kingdom, it opened at #5, behind Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, The Grinch, Bohemian Rhapsody and Robin Hood.[1]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Nativity Rocks! - International Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  2. ^ Collin, Robbie (22 November 2018). "Nativity Rocks! review: ear-splitting proof that Mr Poppy and politics don't mix". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  3. ^ "Nativity Rocks!". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved October 30, 2021.

External links edit