The first Nativity is a reasonable merry film, the sequel Danger in the Manger! was disappointing, I knew that the critics were less than positive about this third instalment, but I was still willing to give it a chance when the festive period came around, directed by Debbie Isitt (Confetti). Basically Mr. Desmond Poppy (Marc Wootton) is excited to tell his pupils at St. Bernadette's Catholic school in Coventry they are going to enter a flash mob competition and win the chance to dance on top of the Empire State Building. But headteacher Mrs. Bevan, also his aunt, has been replaced by new headteacher Mrs. Keen (Celia Imrie), she knows he is not a qualified teacher, and she wants everything in order as she is expecting a visit from an inspector. Starting at the school is new teacher Mr. Jeremy Shepherd (Martin Clunes), who will soon be marrying his fiancée Sophie O'Donnell (Catherine Tate), he is not happy with the idea of Mr. Poppy using Archie the Donkey in their new nativity play. Then things go chaotic when Mr. Shepherd is kicked in the head by the donkey, he loses his memory and all knowledge about Christmas, so Mr. Poppy, Mr. Shepherd's daughter Lauren (Lauren Hobbs) and the other children work together to try to help him remember everything. The children perform their routine in the middle of London, along with many other flash mob groups, including that of old rival Gordon Shakespeare (Jason Watkins), his group win the competition, but Mr. Poppy and Mr. Shepherd manage to swindle their way onto the plane to the Big Apple, posing as the winning school. There Mr. Shepherd is reunited with Sophie, but he cannot show any love he may or may or not have for her, she does not realise it is because he cannot remember her, Mr. Poppy and the children do everything they can to help him prove he is still the man she loves, while also causing chaos in the hotel. The only problem is, the competition judge Bradley Finch (Adam Garcia), an ex-boyfriend of Sophie, is trying to woo her, when he realises Mr. Shepherd has memory loss, he uses this to his advantage. Eventually Mr. Shepherd tells Sophie he has lost his memory, she realises he is telling the truth, but this only increases her doubts in marrying him, which really upsets Lauren. It looks like Sophie has been convinced into marrying Finch, but then Christmas magic occurs, Mr. Shepherd blows some glitter from his hand, and suddenly he remembers being kicked in the head by the donkey, and all his memories return. In the end, Mr. Shepherd manages to stop the wedding of Sophie and Finch, he and she rekindle their love and get married, and Mr. Poppy and the children finally get to perform their dance on top of the Empire State Building, with Archie the Donkey. Also starring Ralf Little as Sophie's Brother, Coronation Street's Susie Blake as Sophie's Mum, Emmerdale's Duncan Preston as Sophie's Dad, Stewart Wright as Uncle Henry (Hotel Manager) and David Hunter as Mr. Parker. Clunes, following in the footsteps of Martin Freeman and David Tennant, is alright being the hapless teacher, but Wootton has become creepy as opposed to a loveable idiot, and still goes over-the-top that it is irritating, at least the children are still cute and talented. It has plenty of song and dance numbers, some good some naff, but it is a predictable and silly story full of dismal jokes, and it is too long and too childish, as a family film it is one to avoid, an awful seasonal comedy. Pretty poor!
