The story of Christ has been told cinematically countless times, though in terms of feature animation, this is the first one I’ve seen so far. Created by South Korea’s Mofac Animation and later acquired by Angel Studios for US distribution, what’s unusual about this one is that it’s got Charles Dickens in it. Apparently, the renowned English novelist wrote The Life of Our Lord for his young children, and it was published posthumously. In this way, Dickens acts as a storytelling framework to narrate the tale of our Lord.

The story kicks off with the author, voiced by Kenneth Branagh, presenting his recently released A Christmas Carol on a stage in Victorian London. He soon gets sidetracked by his young son Walter (Roman Griffin Davis), who is busy putting on his own play as his cherished King Arthur backstage, with a little help from his chubby cat Willa. After a serious conversation with the mischievous boy, his wife Catherine (Uma Thurman) encourages Dickens to pull Walter away from a tale of Arthurian Legend by enticing him with a tale about an even greater king: the King of Kings, that is, Jesus Christ.

The film shifts back 2000 years to the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, showcasing significant moments such as His baptism, the temptations He faced in the desert, the calling of His disciples, various healings, miracles, and His ultimate sacrifice. This marks the directorial debut of VFX supervisor Seong-ho Jang, and the lighting and water effects are quite beautiful. I especially love the scene of Jesus’ baptism. Released right before Holy Week, it also features the Last Supper, His trial, crucifixion, and ascension.

The script is written by Jang, Jamie Thomason, and Rob Edwards. There’s a lot to fit into just 1 hour and 40 minutes, so the Gospel is presented through a series of quick vignettes, showcasing about a dozen of the most well-known stories in a fast-paced way. It’s tough for these stories to resonate deeply, particularly because the filmmakers blend Charles, Walter (and the cat!) into the narrative of Jesus, even having them interact with Biblical characters. At one point, the cat is even held by Jesus himself! Just as we start to let a miraculous story sink in, Charles jumps in to clarify things when Walter gets a bit lost.

Clearly this movie is aimed at young children, though I’m not sure if this ‘meta’ surrealistic style is effective in getting the message across. Perhaps kids would enjoy the cute character design, but it leaves much to be desired for adult viewers. The characters look like bobbleheads or Funko Pops with oversized heads, and while some facial features are more detailed than others, many suffer from a “dead-eye” look, giving them a soulless appearance. I suppose I can’t expect the same quality of animation as high-budget Disney/Pixar movies, or Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt in 1998, which is still the best faith-based animated film to date. I think it boils down to the character design itself, as generally the rendering effects of the Biblical setting are quite striking.

My biggest issue is the portrayal of Jesus, which plays into the same stereotype of featuring the Jewish savior as blonde and blue-eyed Caucasian, much like Jeffrey Hunter in King of Kings (1961) or Max von Sydow in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). He has a slim nose and smooth, straight hair, while the other Jewish characters have darker skin tone and more prominent features. It’s a bit strange, especially since Jesus is voiced by Guatemalan-born Oscar Isaac. I also wish the filmmakers would refrain from adding modern touches to the dialogue, such as in the scene when people are ready to throw stones at the woman caught having an affair. Jesus famously intervened and said, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” The movie added ‘Go ahead, I’ll wait,’ a famous meme on social media right now (cue eye roll). On the bright side, Isaac’s voice carries a calm yet commanding presence that fits the image of the Savior.

The one thing most people would remember about this one is likely the stellar voice cast. I wonder how they manage to get such a star-studded ensemble: Ben Kingsley as Caiaphas, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Jim Cummings as Pharisee Hillel, and Mark Hamill, who repurposed some of his Joker voice as King Herod.

In addition to the Gospel, the movie also features a simplified version of the Adam and Eve story, presented in different animation styles that have a hand-drawn, sketchy look. I appreciate that the movie embraces its deep spiritual themes, showcasing moments like Jesus’ anguish in Gethsemane and the touching scene of Him washing His disciples’ feet. I was a bit taken aback by the inclusion of the flogging scene, but they handle it sensitively by covering Jesus with a post and blurring the more graphic parts during the crucifixion. I wish that the movie elaborated more on the Ascension scene. After all, the core of Christianity is centered around Jesus’ resurrection, where he conquered death to free humanity from the bondage of sin.

As far as an introduction to young kids to Jesus and the importance of faith, I think this movie does a serviceable job. I believe the creators genuinely care and handle Jesus’ story with the respect and reverence it deserves. Despite its flaws that I’ve highlighted above, The King of Kings has the power to inspire future movie audiences with its enduring themes of redemption, grace, and forgiveness.

Happy Easter! Thoughts on this movie? I’d love to hear what you think!

///