Plot: What’s it about?
OK, folks…this is going to be one odd story. Then again if you know me (and none of you do), then it might make a bit of sense. As of this writing, my wife and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary just a few months ago. We went out to the West Coast, California in particular, and spent a few days in Monterey followed by a weekend trip to San Francisco and ending up in San Diego. It was delightful (and not cheap). Having been to Monterey before, I’d found a nice outdoor mall where I got my Starbucks and walked around looking at some of the upscale stores. I’m up early, so none of these stores were open and it enhanced my experience as there weren’t a lot, hardly any actually, people walking around. I enjoy my time alone. I eventually ended up at the movie theater (which was closed, but I knew it existed) and decided to glance at what was playing. Doing this site has given me literally thousands of movies at no cost, so it’s either sacrilegious (pardon the pun, considering the title I’m reviewing) that I haven’t seen a movie in the theater in over a decade or it’s just common sense. You be the judge. I took a picture of what was playing and said to myself “Matt, make it a priority to review every one of these films this year.” I talk to myself. If you clicked on the link then you’ll see that with this review, I’ve accomplished my objective. There were a few on this list that I’d have skipped over (The Legend of Ochi and The Ballad of Wallis Island, which I actually enjoyed), but hey – what more appropriate title to end on that one that depicts the “greatest story ever told?”
The story of Jesus Christ has been told (and no doubt, will continue to be told) countless times. This time around a stellar cast of vocal talent has been assembled to accomplish this task and it ranges from Oscar Isaac to Mark Hamill to Pierce Brosnan. Yep, that’s right we’ve got Luke Skywalker and James Bond regaling us about the story of Jesus.
But, that’s only half the movie.
We meet a boy, Charles Dickens (voiced by Kenneth Branagh) who’s had his play ruined by the antics of a cat and a little boy. Convinced by his wife (voiced by Uma Thurman) to smooth things over with the little one, Walter (voiced by Roman Griffin Davis) by telling him a bedtime story. Walter is regaled with the story of “The King of Kings” which we know to be Jesus. Intercut with this tale are scenes in which Walter resists the story, but then starts asking questions about it. If you need a point of reference, think of The Princess Bride and you’ll have an idea as what to expect. The boy imagines himself and his cat in some of the famous biblical moments so we see the birth of Jesus, his crucifixion and everything in between.
Honestly, I don’t really think a description of the plot is warranted as most anyone knows the “highlights” of what was told. I will say that the manner in which they chose to tell us that tale was a bit questionable. The parts dealing with Christ’s life were told in detail and, coming from someone who’s not really that devout, made it interesting. It was the constant cutting back and forth to the kid that got a bit distracting and broke up the storyline. I’m certain that this can and will be shown to countless children, but I feel there are better ways for it to be told (if that makes sense).
Video: How’s it look?
Taking a look at this Blu-ray, the 1.85:1 AVC HD encode looks pretty darn good. And it better, considering the subject matter! While I don’t think this is Pixar-level quality, I was amply impressed with the detail, colors and overall definition of the presentation. There are little nuances like the fur on the cat, the hairs on the head and so forth. Some of the wider shots are downright beautiful to look at with broad, sweeping visuals that exhibit a nice bokeh (out of focus background) to them. Bearing in mind that the film is geared towards a younger demographic, there’s nothing too graphic. It’s a good-looking, yet not perfect, transfer.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This is one I haven’t seen in a while. The film comes with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Yep, you guessed it. I guess our lord and savior doesn’t merit a Dolby Atmos mix. (I’m awaiting a lightning bolt to come out of the clear blue sky and smite me, by the way). Having said that, it’s really not that bad. But one would assume that a new-to-the-format film would at least have a DTS mix. Nevertheless, as we might have guessed/assumed the main draw here are the voices and as I mentioned above, there is some top notch vocal talent associated with this movie. The various A-listers’ chops are easy to identify, though I have to admit that it’s a bit odd that the same actor who portrayed James Bond is now voicing the character who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus. How’s that for irony? Surrounds are used sparingly, yet effectively. It’s a nice, well-rounded mix and is proof that you don’t need a next generation (or previous generation) track to get the message across.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Behind the Scenes – Pretty much that. We get a look at some of the “work in progress” when it comes to the animation as well as some conceptual art – all set to music. Neat.
- Trailers – One for this as well as some other Angel Studios releases.
The Bottom Line
There are no shortage of films that tackle the subject matter here. As mentioned in my opening paragraph, I’d like have never even heard of this one, but it’s funny how little things make our lives interesting. The film has some top notch vocal talent, great animation and though the plot is a bit “out there” I have to say that it is a unique approach to this timeless tale.
