The King of Kings

Some may disagree with me on this, but I oftentimes find religion and movies to be a rather messy combination. With a few exceptions aside, they typically come off as overly preachy and self-important while perpetuating negative stereotypes of others and even ourselves. Thankfully, the studio behind The Chosen has once again taken the greatest story ever told and put it to film with a unique spin: The King of Kings.

After tensions arise between Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh) and his son, Walter (Roman Griffin James), the famed novelist decides to tell him the life story of the greatest king who ever lived: Jesus Christ (Oscar Isaac). Numerous movies have depicted Jesus at different intervals in His life or ministry, but The King of Kings covers almost every highlight through the imagination of a mesmerized child. The animation and character designs are mostly appealing for a studio’s first outing in the medium; the rate at which they move can be a tad awkward at certain moments, though. The voice cast does a splendid job of utilizing both celebrity and professional voice actors; each are well cast in their respective roles, especially Branagh and Isaac. Finally, I’m so relieved the movie never stooped to pop cultural references.

While Jesus may have been perfect, The King of Kings falls short of Him in a few areas. The ending is rather sudden, cutting off before we’re able to see the Ascension to Heaven. I loved Davis’s performance in JoJo Rabbit, but I found Walter Dickens to be incredibly annoying throughout the first act. Lastly, the ending advertisement between credits felt very shoehorned in. It may not be the greatest movie ever made, but The King of Kings will remind you why Jesus is the only one worthy of that title.

Rating: 7/10