Having enjoyed the original Nativity film, my children asked me to take them to see Nativity 2 today and to sum it up in one sentence: 'David Tennant commits career suicide.'
The film stars David Tennant (Dr Who, Harry Potter and Fright Night) as Mr Donald Peterson (he also plays Roderick Peterson, his famous twin brother) the new teacher for the children of Mr Poppy's (Marc Wootton from the original Nativity) the classroom assistant's class. Even though the headteacher tells Mr Poppy that they cannot enter the 'Song for Christmas' competition, Mr Poppy does everything in his power to ensure that they do. I wish I could say with hilarious consequences, but this film was just plain dire. I had expected it to be worse than the original, due to reviews I had read but wasn't expecting it to be this bad. For a children's film, it was irresponsible and totally devoid of coherent plot. The best thing about it were the songs, but even they do not stay with you. What does, however, is the plot holes (not that there was a plot particularly, but how does Mr Poppy get the London Duck Tour bus when the school is meant to be in Coventry?) and the total lack of sense. The children are sent down swollen rapids in a dinghy, walked through miles of admittedly beautiful Welsh countryside, hung off a mountain-side by a single rope and at one point, a baby is thrown high into the air by Mr Poppy (anyone recall the outcry when MJ tried something similar?). I am sure Mr Tennant tries his best with the script, as does Jason Watkins (Gordon Shakespeare, also from the original), but there is just no saving this donkey. It was heartbreaking to see such classically trained actors trying to unsuccessfully pull themselves out of the mire.
It was 105 minutes of my life I will never get back, not to mention the cost. Even my youngest couldn't tell me something positive I could put in my review and he loved David Tennant as Dr Who, so should be biased. 2/10 for the countryside
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