Review of Judas

In light of recent discussions, debate and research concerning Jesus' life, this attempt to tell this very familiar story from a different viewpoint would appear to be sincere, even if that viewpoint is not quite a compelling as one would hope. The more "modern" approach to the dialogue and social setting of these well-known stories, while novel, tends to seem artificial and somehow unsettling, though this may be more a reflection on the actors themselves, or the fact that few adaptations of Jesus' story have attempted to approach it in this modern fashion. Additionally, more than a little artistic licence seems to have been taken concerning Judas' (and even the other disciples) "expectations" of Jesus and their actions in response to him and his teachings. Perhaps in our modern age, it's not possible to truly understand how revolutionary the disciples WANTED Jesus to be, and how disappointed they were (initially) when he turned out to be an entirely different sort of "king" than they had hoped for.

Worth seeing, if for no less reason that for comparison and contrast with Mel Gibson's theatrical vision of Jesus' last 12 hours on earth.