"The Three Wise Men" is an American animated short film from 2020, actually made for the holiday season in 2020, so this one is not even a year old. No surprise given the occasion either that this is of course about the Three Kings. But let's focus on the basics first. Writers and directors are spouses are Carrie and Yarrow Cheney, most likely not related to Dick, and these two have been in the industry for a long time and also started working together a long time ago as they were study buddies initially apparently. Carrie has not been super prolific, but Yarrow has worked on some really successful high-profile Hollywood animated films in the past, sometimes as the one in charge behind the camera. Or one of the men in charge. This includes The Grinch and The Secret Life of Pets, but also, when not in charge, Despicable Me 2 for example. His biggest success as well as his wife's happened over 20 years ago already when they won a Primetime Emmy for Dilbert, a show that not too many remember today I guess. Their work here also has connections to the past because this is basically the exact same movie they released back in 2006 as "The Very First Noel". The only change is that apparently a new song was added for the closing credits and the performer there is Jonas Myrin. Doesn't make an impact at all for me to be honest. Sounded like utterly generic pop music and I definitely prefer the music from the Brothers Cazimero early on. All their songs basically, but most of all "Angels we have heard on high". Their voices work very well with the overall tone of this little film.
It runs for under 27 minutes by the way and that already includes over 10% closing credits. So, to be honest, you could go for the version from almost 15 years earlier without that forgettable song in the end. As for the animation, some of it I like, other stuff not so much. Taking into account that this is not from 2020 in terms of looks, it's alright. To be honest, I would have liked the key character here, one of the Three Kings, look a little better. The "non-royal" characters also did not do too much for me in terms of what they looked like. But I did like the King who had this yellow dress. Not just his looks, but also his behavior, like when he thinks something alonge the lines of "what a sissy" when the third King tells someting about a pretty town. That was funny for sure. Story-wise, it was decent too. The Caesar inclusion seemed a bit random and also the king (not one of the three) who was the closest to an antagonist here could have been used better. But after being told by the narrator that he is evil, that is all we get basically and he does not do anything in the end which you could think he would with how he is presented to us on the conniving side. But the story is the story I guess.
Finally, I must certainly also mention the narrator here. That would be Andy Griffith, known to most from the successful series Matlock. He is doing a fine job and he was sadly also not alive anymore last year, which further adds to this not being a 2020 film in fact. I still cannot be as enthusiastic as the other reviewer here who made it sound as if this is the best film ever made. Come on. Probably a slightly better watch in December than in May, but I ennjoyed it nonetheless today. Those parts when they were walking through all these different geological landscapes was kinda memorable too. I give the outcome here without much hesitation a thumbs-up, even if I think there was no necessaity to really "remake" this with this weak song in the end, but if it helps in getting people to watch it, people who would not have watched otherwise, then I'm perfectly fine. Could have needed more animals though as a whole. But yeah, I also think it's good that this is a religious story that in no way feels as if it pushes an agenda onto viewers. Maybe the best thing about it all to show us that neither Bible nor Church are evil at its most essential. Thanks to the Cheneys for making this. Go see it!
It runs for under 27 minutes by the way and that already includes over 10% closing credits. So, to be honest, you could go for the version from almost 15 years earlier without that forgettable song in the end. As for the animation, some of it I like, other stuff not so much. Taking into account that this is not from 2020 in terms of looks, it's alright. To be honest, I would have liked the key character here, one of the Three Kings, look a little better. The "non-royal" characters also did not do too much for me in terms of what they looked like. But I did like the King who had this yellow dress. Not just his looks, but also his behavior, like when he thinks something alonge the lines of "what a sissy" when the third King tells someting about a pretty town. That was funny for sure. Story-wise, it was decent too. The Caesar inclusion seemed a bit random and also the king (not one of the three) who was the closest to an antagonist here could have been used better. But after being told by the narrator that he is evil, that is all we get basically and he does not do anything in the end which you could think he would with how he is presented to us on the conniving side. But the story is the story I guess.
Finally, I must certainly also mention the narrator here. That would be Andy Griffith, known to most from the successful series Matlock. He is doing a fine job and he was sadly also not alive anymore last year, which further adds to this not being a 2020 film in fact. I still cannot be as enthusiastic as the other reviewer here who made it sound as if this is the best film ever made. Come on. Probably a slightly better watch in December than in May, but I ennjoyed it nonetheless today. Those parts when they were walking through all these different geological landscapes was kinda memorable too. I give the outcome here without much hesitation a thumbs-up, even if I think there was no necessaity to really "remake" this with this weak song in the end, but if it helps in getting people to watch it, people who would not have watched otherwise, then I'm perfectly fine. Could have needed more animals though as a whole. But yeah, I also think it's good that this is a religious story that in no way feels as if it pushes an agenda onto viewers. Maybe the best thing about it all to show us that neither Bible nor Church are evil at its most essential. Thanks to the Cheneys for making this. Go see it!
