JOURNEY TO THE CHRISTMAS STAR is a fun and fantastical holiday tale that hits a lot of the right notes. It's dark without being too scary, with fun side characters (such as the gnome Mose) who lighten the mood when it starts to get too intense. It's also visually very well done and wonderfully creates a magical fairy tale world cloaked in winter. If you enjoy fairy tales, you'll love how the film nicely blends elements from traditional tales with Christmas traditions.
The film's main flaw is the overdubbing. If you were to watch it in the original Norwegian, it most likely would be excellent. But the overdubbed dialogue is inconsistent and a bit distracting. Some of the characters' dialogue blends in quite well (as with Sonja and the witch), but other parts are over the top and don't seem to match with the actor playing the part. It's a disappointing distraction in an otherwise lovely film, which will probably annoy parents more than it will kids.