Barney's Christmas Star

Rating:
Summary: Non-religious, typical Barney show
Review: As usual, the show opens inside of Barney's Playhouse. There are four children: one African-American, one Asian and two Caucasian. There are two boys and two girls.

This show starts with Barney discussing the holidays and they show and sing about each of three tables: one with the nativity scene for Christmas, one for Hanukkah, and one for Kwanzaa. This is where all references to the religious aspect of the holidays and Christmas end. Then Barney sings a generic song "I love the holidays". A girl enters and announces it is snowing and they all go outside to play, they sing songs about winter and snow, and build a snowman.

The girl invites everyone to help decorate a big Christmas tree in a public park that her great-great grandfather planted many years ago. They are off to help out and sing "O Christmas Tree". Soon they realize the star for the top of the tree is missing. Grandma sends Barney and the children back to her house to look for it in the attic.

Once in the attic, Grandfather gives them free reign to search for the missing star. They sing songs and talk about what they find and sing non-religious Christmas songs. Classic toys such as Raggedy Ann, drummer boys (soldiers), and teddy bears are found with glee. Barney finds a copy of a picture book version of "The Night Before Christmas" and reads it aloud while images of Santa on his sleigh are shown. Santa comes down the chimney and eats cookies that have been left for him while two children watch.

BJ and Baby Bop appear out of nowhere and eventually they find the star. They take it to the park, sing a new song about the star to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and Barney helps put the star on top of the tree since none of the adults can reach it, even with a ladder. (Typical of Barney shows, Barney is more of an authority figure and more capable than the human adults, and "saves the day".)

Overall this show is very much centered on presents and decorations such as the Christmas tree. One scene asks what is best about the holidays and the boy says "wrapping presents, giving presents and opening presents". Christians may not like that the central focus of this Christmas show is not religious despite the title containing the word "Christmas".

Overall this is typical Barney fare: inclusion of many ethnicities, trying to be fair by showing multiple celebrations of various peoples, and making the main focus something that is not secular. The songs are new and old classics. It is very much like the TV shows in content and quality.

If your child loves the Barney TV shows then s/he will love this show. As for how much the adult finds this entertaining, it would be equal to how much the adult likes the television show. The best part of this show is that it is the typical innocence, song and dance we expect from the Barney programs, which I feel makes it a good choice for young children, or at least better than most programming that is out there for children! It is what it is: a Barney show!!

Rating:
Summary: Not for me.
Review: Barney's Chirstmas Star is one of the most boring movies I've
ever watched.I had to watch it with my child and I could not
sit through it. I know Barney is a very good movie/show for
young children and is very educational,but I'm not going to watch
it again.

Rating:
Summary: Good For Kids
Review: I think that Barney the purple dinosaur is a good role model for children 12-24 months.He teaches kids about hygiene, and how to treat each-other,etc.

Rating:
Summary: Worse than the previous one
Review: This DVD is made with new kids that are green. It's definitely worse than the previous one, "Night Before Christmas."

Rating:
Summary: unhappy
Review: This is another Barney DVD that has no menu. Once you put it on you must fast forward through the initial advertisements and then you can play the Barney portion. Without a menu it is basically a glorified VHS tape that the best you can do is fast forward to get to a certain spot. There is also no spanish sound track. If you want a VHS-like product that should last longer than a tape you might be interested in this. As far as the story goes I would opt for The Night Before Christmas. That story is more little kid friendly and more entertaining. The Christmas Star didn't hold the interest of my 3.5 or 1.5 y/o children. With The Night Before Christmas they request to see it all the time. The Night Before Christmas DVD also functions like a DVD.

Rating:
Summary: Cute and fun
Review: This is our first Barney dvd and my 22 month old daughter loves it. I just skip the "commercials" at the beginning by hitting the "chapter" button on my remote. The characters touch on the ways some different cultures celebrate the holidays and sing several songs -- some traditional Christmas songs as well as others like "Just Imagine" which my daughter and I loved. Its cute and fun and well worth the money I spent.

Rating:
Summary: Kids will probably love it, but...
Review: What is it about Barney that acts like ether on the toddler set? Just when you thought the big guy couldn't get any more annoying, he reappears with a whole new cast of wide-eyed stage brats entirely consumed with finding the star for the community Christmas tree. Along the way, your senses are numbed by an array of perky holiday songs sung by perky holiday kids, in whose dictionaries the word "overacting" apparently doesn't appear, Barney spewing a constant barrage of pithy, brilliant truths, merry-yet-creepy, nails-on-chalkboard chuckles, and the inevitable appearances of twin-lap-dogs-of-Satan Baby Bop and B.J. Attempt to watch this with your kids and you'll quickly realize you're on a slow trip to nowhere, your hair turning white overnight, inundated with the keep-it-simple-stupid philosophy of Barney's world, but one glimpse of the rapture in their eyes as they're riveted to the set, leaving you a few free moments to clean out the sink before something in there grows legs and runs away, somehow makes the price of this video all worthwhile. Anyone who's ever criticized the use of a television to babysit a kid has obviously owned neither. In spite of Barney being some sort of deity at my house, my dream is still to one day set him on fire. Live with it...

Rating:
Summary: Kids will probably love it, but...
Review: What is it about Barney that acts like ether on the toddler set? Just when you thought the big guy couldn't get any more annoying, he reappears with a whole new cast of wide-eyed stage brats entirely consumed with finding the star for the community Christmas tree. Along the way, your senses are numbed by an array of perky holiday songs sung by perky holiday kids, in whose dictionaries the word "overacting" apparently doesn't appear, Barney spewing a constant barrage of pithy, brilliant truths, merry-yet-creepy, nails-on-chalkboard chuckles, and the inevitable appearances of twin-lap-dogs-of-Satan Baby Bop and B.J. Attempt to watch this with your kids and you'll quickly realize you're on a slow trip to nowhere, your hair turning white overnight, inundated with the keep-it-simple-stupid philosophy of Barney's world, but one glimpse of the rapture in their eyes as they're riveted to the set, leaving you a few free moments to clean out the sink before something in there grows legs and runs away, somehow makes the price of this video all worthwhile. Anyone who's ever criticized the use of a television to babysit a kid has obviously owned neither. In spite of Barney being some sort of deity at my house, my dream is still to one day set him on fire. Live with it...