''Los Reyes Magos'' (''The 3 Wise Men'' in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

) is a 2003 Spanish animated film. It tells the story of the visit of the

Magi Magi (; singular magus ; from Latin '' magus'', cf. fa, مغ ) were priests in Zoroastrianism and the earlier religions of the western Iranians. The earliest known use of the word ''magi'' is in the trilingual inscription written by Darius t ...

to the baby

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religiou ...

and the wrath of Herod. The film was directed by Antonio Navarro, who was nominated for a

Goya Award The Goya Awards ( es, Premios Goya) are Spain's main national annual film awards, commonly referred to as the Academy Awards of Spain. The awards were established in 1987, a year after the founding of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sci ...

for this film. The film contains the voice talents of

José Coronado José María Coronado García (born 14 August 1957) is a Spanish film and television actor and former model. His performances playing (often corrupt and/or morally dubious) law enforcement officer roles have brought him some of the greatest succ ...

Juan Echanove Juan Echanove Labanda (born 1 April 1961, in Madrid) is a Spanish actor. At Gijón International Film Festival in 2002, he received the Nacho Martínez Award. Selected filmography *'' Manolete'' ( Menno Meyjes, 2008) *''Alatriste'' (Agustín ...

and

Imanol Arias Manuel María Arias Domínguez (born 26 April 1956 in Riaño, León, Spain) better known as Imanol Arias, is a Spanish actor and film director. Career Imanol Arias began his career with a travelling theatre group performing in the Basque Co ...

in the original version and the voice acting of father-son actors

Martin Sheen Ramón Antonio Gerardo Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. He first became known for his roles in the films ''The Subject Was Roses'' (1968) and ''Badlands'' (1973), and later achieved wid ...

and

Emilio Estevez Emilio Estevez (; born May 12, 1962) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the son of actor Martin Sheen and the older brother of Charlie Sheen. Emilio Estevez started his career as an actor and is known for being a member of the acting Br ...

in the English dub.

Summary

A bright star guides Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar toward a treasure meant for the unborn King of Kings. To make the three wise men's quest even more difficult, King Herod's evil counselor, Belial, is among them in disguise, trying to sabotage their mission!

Plot

Jimmy, a boy disillusioned about Christmas, visit's his uncle Alfredo at his shop, who recounts the story of the Nativity Story in a different point of view. In ancient times, Herod the Great with his advisor Belial are searching for the Royal Treasures. Meanwhile, three powerful

– Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior – follow the

Star of Bethlehem The Star of Bethlehem, or Christmas Star, appears in the nativity story of the Gospel of Matthew chapter 2 where "wise men from the East" (Magi) are inspired by the star to travel to Jerusalem. There, they meet King Herod of Judea, and ask hi ...

after its light shines upon them, hoping to find the King of Kings (Melchior hopes for it to lead him to a Valley of Gold). They cross paths in a small village, saving the villagers from bandits and rescue a young revolutionist Sarah, who joins them on their journey. Herod finds out about this and he and Belial arrange Tobias, son of late general Jason, to act as a spy. In

Judea Judea or Judaea ( or ; from he, יהודה, Standard ''Yəhūda'', Tiberian ''Yehūḏā''; el, Ἰουδαία, ; la, Iūdaea) is an ancient, historic, Biblical Hebrew, contemporaneous Latin, and the modern-day name of the mountainous sou ...

, the Magi visit Herod, the latter requesting have them return when they find the child so in secret he can kill him. One of his advisers, Baruch, reveals their destiny: they are to find the royal treasures consisting of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

, frankincense, and myrrh, and bring them to newborn baby Jesus, warning them of Herod and Belial's scheme. They are chased by the palace guard. Tobias helps them escape and gets wounded. They are forced to let him come along as they head for the

City of Salt The City of Salt or Ir-melah (עיר המלח in Hebrew) is a town referred to in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. According to the Book of Joshua 15:62, the town was located in the wilderness of Judah, otherwise known as the Judaean Desert. It i ...

along the Dead Sea. Belial has Tobias lure them to Black Crow Canyon, but the group manage to escape his spells. The group manage to get along during the journey, where Sarah and Tobias stumble upon a slavery mine. Sarah reveals that when she was young, Herod ordered all of the villagers and one of his generals executed because they offered slaves sanctuary. Before she could reveal the general's name, she is bitten by a scorpion and falls ill. The magi find the city and uncover the Temple of Ashta. Tobias turns his back on Herod when the general is revealed to be his father. Inside the temple, each magi is tested and finally given a treasure when they pass them. Herod's forces arrives as the moon blocks out the sun; however, the henchmen disintegrate and the temple conceals itself once the magi exit as the surviving soldiers flee. Belial transforms into a gigantic monster. Eventually, they are able to defeat him in the same manner King David defeated Goliath, destroying the enchanted moon and blinding Belial as he falls to his death. Herod gives them an ultimatum: the treasures or Baruch's life. Herod is soon defeated and Melchior punishes Herod with coal. In the end, they reach

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

and offer the treasures to the newborn baby Jesus. Back in modern times, Jimmy received a visit from the Three Wise Men. He is given Aristobulus, Sarah's kangaroo rat.

Cast

Home media

The film was released on DVD on November 1, 2005.

References

External links