Review of Son of God (2014) by Net N — 11 May 2014

A Personal Journey for Viewers.

The 'Son of God' movie is difficult to describe because it offers something different to each individual. It cannot be measured by laughs from the audience, a well-developed surprise ending, or even by the culmination of a relationship between two leading cast members...no, 'Son of God' is a much more personal film and will resonate differently and specifically with each viewer. Moviegoers will get out of 'Son of God' what they put into it--audience members can make it as introspective as they're willing to endure.

It's been ten years since Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ' prominently displayed Christianity on the big-screen, providing audiences with a very graphic and rated R version of the journey by Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem. 'Son of God' now rises with only a PG-13 rating and brings less violence and harshness than Gibson's 2004 film. This should allow 'Son of God' and its message to reach more, younger people--and that's welcome news for a movie that preaches forgiveness and tolerance.

'Son of God' portrays the life of Jesus from birth all the way until his Resurrection. The movie highlights the many miracles along his path from the Sea of Galilee to Jerusalem, where he gathers more followers at each stop. The pace of the film needed to be brisk in the interests of time, but that quickness didn't allow more than just a snippet into many Biblical scenes. Unfortunately, the picture's limited depth fell well short of its vast breadth. This forced several characters' backstories to be barely touched upon and will leave viewers needing to appreciate them at another time.

Many viewers will focus on the film for how it depicts the son of Mary, the resistance He faced, and the state of Jerusalem in the hands of the occupying Romans; all interesting and deserving of acclaim and screen time. However, the true blessing of 'Son of God' is in how the message of forgiveness towards one's sins and providing another with a second chance, comes off the screen and into the viewer. What we decide to do with that message is up to each of us, individually. It's this individual journey that makes 'Son of God' as much about Jesus' life and how he lived, as it is about us and how we decide to live our lives.

Grade: B+.