Review of Son of God (2014) by Marcus W — 04 Aug 2014

Christian viewers looking for a traditional retelling of the story of Jesus' ministry years will find this an excellent tale. The production values are good, the actors are better than good, particularly English actors Darwin Shaw as the intense and hotheaded disciple Peter, Greg Hicks as the most famous Roman prefect in history, Pontius Pilate, and Sebastian Knapp as the dearest disciple John. Jesus is played by the distractingly attractive Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado, whose dertiminate accent and on line readings make him more effective than Jim Caviezel in The Passion of the Christ.

Overall, the movie is a great adaptation of Jesus' ministry, with somewhat extreme close-ups and computer-generated depictions of ancient landscapes. One of the best parts of the movie is Hans Zimmer's swelling score, and ultimately this feels like a complete and memorable picture. Son of God is one of the most stirring depictions of Jesus' life. Jesus Christ Superstar and VeggieTales DVDs are slightly less memorable, and those familiar with Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical may find themselves singing it in their head as they watch along.