Plot: What’s it about?
This is a story that has been told millions of times, but this time around, the whole epic is set to music. Although the feature film edition of Jesus Christ Superstar enjoyed success, this release marks the home video debut of the stage version, which also packed the houses with viewers. The story revolves around Jesus Christ, who is spreading his message around the land, but his actions have started to raise eyebrows with the local authorities. It seems as though some of his followers have begun to call him God, which does not sit well with the authorities and if nothing is resolved soon, they may have to step in and end the matter themselves. Jesus knows about this, but doesn’t pay it much mind, even though his right hand man Judas warns him and tries to get him to lay low for a while. But of course, Jesus knows he is doing no wrong and as such, continues his crusade and soon enough, he is taken into custody and taken before Pilate. In this forum, Pilate sees no reason to condemn Jesus to death, so instead sends him to King Herod, who has local rule in the area. The rest of the story is of course, well known, but I will end my synopsis here.
I love the feature film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, from the excellent cast to Norman Jewison’s direction, so I was unsure of how well this new edition would measure up. In the end, this new version was good, but just couldn’t compare to the previous edition, which is pretty much what I expected. So while it was worth a look and had some good moments, it won’t replace the feature film version in my collection. The cast is where my main complaints rest, as this group is very good, but pales in comparison to Ted Neely, Yvonne Elliman, and the rest of the superb feature film edition’s cast. But this selection of performers is still good and deliver a good presentation, so fans of the movie version would be well served to view this once, at least. The production values are top notch as well, a very visually impressive package here, especially when you consider the limits of a stage production, as opposed to feature films. I do think this comes in a distant second behind the previous movie version, but fans of the production will want to give this one a rental, just to give it a once over and see how it is all presented here.
Video: How does it look?
Jesus Christ Superstar is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a filmed version of a stage production and it shows, but this is still an above average presentation. The production’s color and light schemes come across well here, with no flaws such as smears or bleeds, while the flesh tones seem natural and consistent too. No issues in terms of contrast either, as shadows look accurate and I saw no evidence of detail loss in the least. This transfer measures up to the best filmed stage productions I’ve seen, so I am leaving some high marks here.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a stage musical, so the audio needs to be impressive and in this case, the included Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks never disappoints. This production is soaked in music and as such, this track has lots of chances to shine and it always does. The musical pieces sound excellent in this mix, very powerful and immersive, but always natural in tone, this is a well mixed track in all respects. The normal dialogue scenes also come off well, with crisp vocals and no signs of volume errors in the least. This disc also houses subtitles in English and French, in case you’ll need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes some talent files, production notes, and the film’s promotional trailer, but it also includes a good behind the scenes featurette. This thirty-four minute piece includes a wealth of interviews with cast and crew members, as well as a lot of behind the scenes shots, very cool indeed. The interviews discuss the characters, such as why the actor was chosen, how the actor approached the role, and other insight into the characters. This is by no means a promotional fluff piece, as we’re shown a lot of interesting interviews and production footage, all of which is a real treat to view here.
