Since so many so-called "Christians" are reviewing this movie and ripping it to shreds, I thought I should write a review to give a more balanced opinion. There will be spoilers in my review, so let me just start by saying that it was entertaining and it had its moments. If you are the kind of Christian who thinks that "Only the King James Version" of the Bible is correct, or anybody else who doggedly clings to their own "Traditions" then do not go see it, this movie is not for you.
The movie is, however, for the masses of people who have never heard of Jesus, or who have only heard about Jesus, but they've never read the Bible. About half the material in the movie comes from quotes from the Bible, sometimes juxtaposed around so they are not correct in a strict temporal sense (as most of us would put things in some timeline sense anyway) but it's alright, I won't fault the movie makers for that. The point is they put all that material in there and tried to get quotes accurate, whether they be from King James, or other translations is somewhat beside the point. Some are a bit liberal, and there a few minor issues with other claims made in the movie.
What else they threw in, generally, is the historical struggle between the Jews of Judea with the Romans at the time of the historical Jesus. My opinion is they did a credible job of adding drama and historical fiction (extrapolated dialog) between the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling Council) and the Romans, as well as the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. They also threw in another shady character which at least adds another dimension to the story, again based on a historical person named Barabbas.
While the movie was not "Epic" in scope or proportion, and certainly not in cinematography, I gave it a relatively high score (8/10) for its effective acting and tender moments. If you are a Christian, you better ask yourself: "Could I act and play Jesus?" Any Christian certainly had better answer "No!" first, and then say, well I could try. And I'm here to tell you that the fellow in the movie did a credible job. The book of Isaiah tells us that "We esteemed him not" and the meaning is that Jesus had nothing to distinguish Him as God. We could look at Him and see a perfectly ordinary person. It's only once you have met Him and gotten to know who He is that you worship Him.
So, in that sense, I believe this movie will introduce a lot of folks to the real Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible. I believe it will make them thirsty for more, which will make them want to read the Bible and get to know Him for who He really is. He is not dead, He is alive, and any person on this earth today can come to know Him.
The movie is, however, for the masses of people who have never heard of Jesus, or who have only heard about Jesus, but they've never read the Bible. About half the material in the movie comes from quotes from the Bible, sometimes juxtaposed around so they are not correct in a strict temporal sense (as most of us would put things in some timeline sense anyway) but it's alright, I won't fault the movie makers for that. The point is they put all that material in there and tried to get quotes accurate, whether they be from King James, or other translations is somewhat beside the point. Some are a bit liberal, and there a few minor issues with other claims made in the movie.
What else they threw in, generally, is the historical struggle between the Jews of Judea with the Romans at the time of the historical Jesus. My opinion is they did a credible job of adding drama and historical fiction (extrapolated dialog) between the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling Council) and the Romans, as well as the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. They also threw in another shady character which at least adds another dimension to the story, again based on a historical person named Barabbas.
While the movie was not "Epic" in scope or proportion, and certainly not in cinematography, I gave it a relatively high score (8/10) for its effective acting and tender moments. If you are a Christian, you better ask yourself: "Could I act and play Jesus?" Any Christian certainly had better answer "No!" first, and then say, well I could try. And I'm here to tell you that the fellow in the movie did a credible job. The book of Isaiah tells us that "We esteemed him not" and the meaning is that Jesus had nothing to distinguish Him as God. We could look at Him and see a perfectly ordinary person. It's only once you have met Him and gotten to know who He is that you worship Him.
So, in that sense, I believe this movie will introduce a lot of folks to the real Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible. I believe it will make them thirsty for more, which will make them want to read the Bible and get to know Him for who He really is. He is not dead, He is alive, and any person on this earth today can come to know Him.