The 3 Wise Men (2003) User Reviews

Really a mixed bag

[AliceKingsley2 · 6/10 · 23 December 2023]

I sat back watching it just in time for the holidays. Then, I read reviews saying that it has almost nothing to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. There were times when I thought I enjoyed it and times when I didn't. It's more of an epiphany movie than it is a Christmas movie. The character designs have a Disney-esque look. Not a great film, but not a bad film either. There are times when things start to happen with any of the three wisemen. It has this cliché where any of them were turned into stone or are killed by Herod when you know deep down that it wouldn't be the three wisemen without any of them. You know, without one wisemen, it would be two wisemen.

It's Ight

[johnnyfuentes91 · 6/10 · 6 January 2022]

I would say it's a mid. It ain't no Coco but it has its moments. It ain't no banger but it ain't a snoozer either. The music is actually not bad actually! The movie can get kind of cheezy. I hate the character Midas, always wanting chicken and S*** lol.

very poor movie

[micha-114-319623 · 1/10 · 6 September 2015]

I watched this movie together with my children, because I like to watch a biblical story. My children are able to apprehend some new stories from the bible. Well, 95% of this movie has nothing to do with any biblical story. Instead it's a bad made cartoon about magic, the all seeing eye and the pyramid. The message is: the power you need is in you.

But to say something positive, they are spelling the names of the biblical kings as well as the gifts of the kings correctly and they are on a journey to bring gifts to the king of kings, Jesus. To proof that the power you need is all in you, they also refer two times to the story of David and Goliath.

Thumbs down!

Amusing adventure about three Magician Kings Melchior, Gaspar and Bathasar looking for Jesus, Son of God

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 24 February 2013]

The story of the three wise men is as well-known as most from the Bible, but many of the details widely passed on from generation to generation never actually appear in any of the four Gospels. A story well known and sacred that starts when birth of Jesus is announced , as at the time that Mary is due to give birth, she and her husband Joseph travel from their home in Nazareth about 150 kilometres south to Joseph's ancestral home in Bethlehem to register in the census ordered by Herodes the Great . At about the same time, three magi in Persia, who have also been studying prophecy, decide to travel to Judea because the alignment of a star with two planets tells them a new king will be born there , as nothing will be impossible with God . They load up some camels and take off across the desert . At a stopover in Jerusalem, they tell Herod the Messiah king will not be a grown man, but a little baby . The Kings brings him good news of great joy but Herod has other plans . The iconic Nativity image immediately conjured by the phrase "wise men" is that of three learned males who traveled afar, following a star to witness the birth of Jesus in a Bethlehem manger, for which they bear gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Many people know quite a bit more about these figures than Matthew or any of the other evangelists have told them , as a lot of films have been shot dealing with Magician Kings but acting as supporting cast , such as Ben Hur , King of Kings ,The Greatest Story Ever Told , The Gospel According to St. Matthew , Jesus of Nazareth and many others ; this time they are protagonists . Most of mankind has established that there were exactly three wise men , logical with the assumption that each man brought one of the mentioned gifts, and that they were "magi", which can be read as anything from magicians to astrologers, kings to priests.

As the title suggests, Spain's 2003 traditionally animated film The 3 Wise Men uses the largely-accepted count and understanding of the vague Biblical reference as its setup. It then proceeds to create even more dramatic aspects about the central trio's journey to Bethlehem. Depictions of the magi in art typically distinguish the noble three by age and nationality. Such a device is again employed here and the men are assigned the names they frequently are. The film aptly sets up its titular protagonists via inter-weaved scenes early on. They are: the tall, mostly serious professor Gaspar (voiced by Jose Coronado and Martin Sheen in the English version), the plump sorcerer Melchior (Juan Echanove and international version by Marcos Witt) who is consumed by the possibility of a Valley of Gold , and the levitating meditator/action hero Balthasar (Imanol Arias in Spanish version and English language by Rivera) , furthermore the nasty Herodes (voice by Javier Gurruchaga) .

This agreeable film focuses the Nativity story in an imaginative style but also accompanied with beautiful images, as there are shafts of lights, a wonderful star that guides Magician Kings and extraordinary drawn landscapes. It packs marvelous cinematography who reflects splendidly the colorful scenarios . Atmospheric and emotive musical score adding oriental sounds by José Battaglio and Caelo del Río . The motion picture lavishly produced by Gerardo Herrero was well directed by Antonio Navarro . Antonio is an expert on various animation departments as well as background designer, layout artist, background artist , among others . He has been working in several known films such as Tarzan , The emperor's new groove , Hercules , American tail : Fievel goes to West , Gulliver's journeys , Smurfs series , Lucky Luke TV series , among others .

Better Known as "The 3 Wise Men"

[Hollywood_Yoda · 9/10 · 26 December 2005]

This is a little known Animated Christmas film, released through the Disney company and Wal-Mart in 2005. Originally, the film was released in Spain in 2003. For the English voice over cast, which included such actors as Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez for very different roles. Sheen voiced one of the three Kings, while Estevez, doing very well, voiced an evil magician like guy, who was in the realm of King Herod as a vizier.

This film is very well animated, and tells the story of Jesus' birth at Nazareth, in which the three Kings come bearing the three gifts; gold, myrrh, and frankincense. King Herod on the other hand, wants the new born dead. Everyone should watch this movie if they like the story of the Three Kings. But, don't take my word for it. Experience this film for yourself. You are sure to enjoy. It definitely deserved a 9/10 rating.