Everyone, today we review an animated film that was just released by the Christian-themed studio, Angel Studios. Oh, and not just any animated film. It is one that was just was just released around the time of Palm Sunday, and Easter. And wow, what a great time for this film, an adaptation of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, to happen. And yes, definitely a great time to review this film because of that. So now, let’s discuss the one, and only animated film from this studio, The King Of Kings.
Plot: Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh), the author of stories such as A Christmas Carol, tells his son, Walter (Roman Griffin Davis) of the account of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
First of all, it is definitely a perfect time for this film to be released, with Easter coming up here shortly. That being said, was this film good? Well, for apparently being the first animated film, from Angel Studios, to be released in theaters, yes, very much so, it is. Honestly, when I first saw the trailers for The King Of Kings I honestly thought that this film might have more of a feel of something like a Veggie Tales with more a TV quality type of story rather than a feel of something good even in a theater setting. However, after hearing many great things about The King Of Kings shortly before, and after this movie was released, I was looking forward to giving this film a shot even more. Well, after seeing it, here’s an example of why one should not judge a movie by its trailer. I mean, yes, this film can feel like it can be more of a kid’s movie at times. However, at other times, even adults will most definitely be glad to have seen this movie as well. First of all, one of the things to enjoy about The King Of Kings is that, even if the film takes liberties, it also does well with remaining as faithful to the account of Jesus as possible. And what’s more, not only are Charles Dickens, and the rest of his family well developed, but so are Jesus, and most of the disciples. The setup of the story was also really good, particularly with using Walter’s love for the story of King Arthur, and tying it with the life, and ministry of Jesus (apparently the story of King Arthur originated from the real account of Jesus). I’m not sure how much of this is true, and accurate with the actual life of Charles Dickens, and his family. Regardless, it was great to see Walter get invested in the life, and ministry of Jesus that his father would tell him about. I mean to see him imagining himself being present with Jesus (kind of like how in shows like Superbook, and The Greatest Adventure: Stories From The Bible, where both series had time travelers actually travel back in time to meet Biblical figures like Adam, and Eve, Moses, David, and Jesus, and witness events that occurred during the time that they each lived), the disciples, and some of the events that were depicted in this film, as well as being sad when hearing of the His Crucifixion, and more, it likely helps make this film all the more enjoyable. Additionally, even if the film doesn’t depict scenes, such as Jesus’ crucifixion, to be as brutal as it actually was (which is what more adult adaptations like The Passion Of The Christ are for), this movie is not afraid to show scenes like that in one capacity, or another. It was also great to see other scenes like Jesus feeding the five thousand, Peter getting out of the boat to walk on the water to meet Jesus, and scenes like those being shown in this film as well. It was also amazing how well this film was able to include some very important moments of Jesus’ life included in this movie. That being said, there were some points that might have felt a little glossed over, and could have maybe been done a little better. Other than that, you can truly tell that the filmmakers were doing their best to make this film well done, and as well depicted as possible. Oh, and did I forget the voice cast in this film? Well, that was really great too. You have Oscar Isaac as Jesus, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens, and other actors, and actresses in their respective roles for this film. I will say definitely interesting choices for voice actors, and actresses, and also really great too. Finally, for this being the first feature-length film to hit theaters, The King Of Kings is overall really well done, and has really great animation. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if, sometime in the future, the animation of this studio were to potentially rival that of other companies like Disney, and DreamWorks, for example.
And that’s my review for The King Of Kings. Overall, is it bound to be a classic like other Christian-themed films like The Ten Commandments, The Prince Of Egypt, and The Passion Of The Christ? Well, I’m not sure if it will be quite in the same league as films like those. That being said, The King Of Kings is most definitely bound to be a classic in its own right, and tier. People who see this film will not only be glad to have seen this film, but may also consider it a tradition to watch it around Easter in the years to come, or even at other times of the year. Though this film may have felt a little fast paced at one, or two points, The King Of Kings is overall well done, and proof that there are filmmakers out there who invest in their craft to make as good of a film as possible. Hearing brief parallels between King Arthur, and the life of Jesus, seeing scenes of the account of Jesus being depicted as well as possible, and seeing really good animation for this film make it all worthwhile. If you’re looking for a Christian-themed film to see either with a date, with your family as a family outing, or something along those lines, then all the more reason to see it. You will definitely be glad, and pleasantly surprised by how great this film is in the end. So, go see it if you haven’t yet. It will make for a great Easter treat, or even after if you’re not able to see it until after Easter.
Final Rating: 9.5/10
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