Well, everyone, today, we review one of the very first major animated films to be released in theaters by a Christian company by the name of the Salvation Poem Project. How about theatrical film being released by that company, eh? And just think, this is the second animated film released in theaters this year alone, after The Kings Of Kings. Anyway, with all of that said, let’s discuss the one, and only Light Of The World.
Plot: The film centers on the Apostle John (Benjamin Jacobson), his brother James (Dylan Leonard), and Jesus (Ian Hanlin), along with the other disciples, as Jesus is baptized just John The Baptist/Baptizer (Jesse Inocalla), begins His public ministry, and many other events occur in this adaptation of the life of Jesus that is mostly based on the Gospel of John.
So, before we dive into this review, I want you all to know that one of the animators that helped work on this film, Tony Bancroft, used to work for Disney. As a matter of fact, he helped work on Disney films like 1994’s The Lion King, and was one of two directors that directed 1998’s Mulan. Anyway, below is a link to a video in which Tony explains why he left Disney to go work with Salvation Poem Project! Now, onto the review itself!
With all of that said, how was this adaptation of either the Gospel of John, or any of the other three Gospels? Well, actually, it was a very good film. Sure, in some ways, The King Of Kings, which, of course, was released earlier this year, might have done the story justice a little better. In others, however, Light Of The World was the one to do things better. That being said, what makes Light Of The World good? Well, first of all, even if, like other adaptations of an event, be it a historical event recorded in the Bible, or from a point in history period, takes some liberties, it remains a very faithful adaptation as well. Whether it’s keeping Andrew, and Peter as brothers, or John, and James as brothers, incorporating many of the miracles that Jesus performed in this movie, and more, Light Of The World does well with retelling what is in fact the greatest story ever told. Again, yes, there were liberties, and artistic licenses taken in the process of making this film. And yeah, maybe because of reasons like the Apostle John being portrayed as a teenager in this version, Light Of The World can have the feel of older animated films like Aladdin for instance. Still, especially for kids that may not be as familiar with the Gospels, they will likely be more curious about it after seeing this film. In addition to this, even if Light Of The World may feel geared a little more to kids, and maybe even teenagers, with this one feeling more like a coming of age story, adults will still find themselves enjoying this movie too, especially if they’re Christians, and are especially familiar with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Honestly, considering that Tony Bancroft was one of the people that was involved with this film, and he used to work for Disney, it’s easy to see why this film was as good as it was. Would this film have seen the light of day if neither he, nor his brother, Tom Bancroft, who was one of the directors of this movie, become part of the Salvation Poem Project? Maybe, maybe not! Still, again, with Tom Bancroft being one of two directors, along with John J. Schafer, at the helm of this animated project, it’s most definitely a miracle that this film was very good. Now, how was the animation? Well, though it may not have always been great, it was very good. There were times in the film where the animation made this film feel like it was made more for a TV show, or series. However, there were more times when you can tell that the animation made this film feel like it was made more for theaters. I mean the way that say the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus, for instance, or the way that the Apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit was depicted, for instance, that aspect of the animation was like, wow. Yeah, wow, is what I have to say. Same goes for lighter scenes like Jesus being baptized by John, Peter walking on the water, or even darker scenes like Jesus in the Garden Of Gethsemane, His crucifixion, and scenes like those. And what’s even more is that the animation here truly helps depict the good versus evil that was shown throughout this film. I’m not sure how to fully explain it, except that it helped depict Jesus’ love for others, His miracles, and even the darkness going on within the hearts of people like Caiaphas, and many of the religious leaders. Then, there’s the characters. Man, they are done really well. Whether it’s John, and the Apostles, Marys like Mary the mother of Jesus, or Mary Magdalene, Caiphas, Joseph Of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, three of the religious leaders, John the Baptizer, and, of course, Jesus Himself, though maybe some of them could have been fleshed out as much others, they are overall done very well. Another thing to like is the score by Alex McKenzie. Man, his score is really good. He truly did seem to understand what music was, and likely still is, like in places of the Middle East like Israel, because he really helps capture the culture of the nation. I mean the fact that this film doesn’t even have any songs in it, except for one during the credits, that is really good. I mean seeing as many animated films are made into musicals (which, I’m usually a sucker for those), this film didn’t go in that direction, and it definitely worked out for the best in this case. Instead, we just have a movie with all dialogue, and really good instrumental pieces that play throughout the course of this film. Finally, whether you’ve read the Gospels, or not, there are some valuable lessons to take away from this film. I mean there were even some lessons that I don’t recall hearing, or learning from any of the Bible, but was glad to hear about in this film, and, I’m sure other people will be glad to take away after seeing this film.
The only other flaw I will say there may be to this film, besides some of the animation being a little weird for a theatrical release at times, and some of the characters not being quite as well fleshed out as others would be that this film probably could have been an extra ten minutes longer, if not more. That way this film probably might not have potentially come off as a little fast-paced at times.
And that’s my review for Light Of The World. Honestly, seeing as this was about the life, and death, and resurrection of Jesus, I’m not sure that releasing it around September was the best idea. Personally, I think the filmmakers should have waited until maybe around Easter of next year, 2026, to release it. It’s just tragic that this film wasn’t much more popular either because of it not being promoted as much as it should have been, or some other reason. Seeing as this film seemed to bomb, it’s too bad that we may not see another Bible-themed film from Salvation Poem Project. But I hope I’m wrong about that. I do hope that the company will still release more projects that are Biblically based, and do a better job of promoting them. But we shall see. Even if this film could have been a little better, still go see it. You’ll still be glad to have seen it, and wish that it was more popular. And yeah, with the studio having a couple former Disney animators included in the mix, hopefully any future animated films that might come out from Salvation Poem Project will get better from here! So again, definitely go see it, and see what you think!
Final Rating: 8.5/10
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 