ridiculous rating

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Quite possibly the worst Jesus movie I've ever seen. I know "artistic liberties" are taken in all movies, but this script molested the Bible, and the writer should be called before a Tribunal at the Hague for torturing Scripture.I didn't mind Jesus being considerably more light-hearted than in most movies (even though Isaiah describes Him as "A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief"), but I did resent the gratuitous liberties taken with actual Bible accounts.Whether it's the depiction of the Christ announcing his impending death to His mother, the death scene of His earthly father Joseph, the timing and method of choosing the 12, the extremely poor sound mixing ... well, it would take a pamphlet to cover every insulting aspect of this illegitimate facsimile of a "Bible" movie.The kindest thing I can say for this production is that Debra Messing made a drop-dead gorgeous hooker, Mary M. From all other errors in this movie, I wouldn't expect the writer to do a bit of research and discover that Magdalene actually wasn't a prostitute.I turned it off after Jesus told His mother that He would die in a couple days. So, I agonized through much of it, but enough was enough.I don't know what Suzette Couture is doing for a living nowadays, but it should be criminal if she is still trying to impersonate a writer.I don't want to sell the movie on Ebay; my conscience wouldn't let me do that. Maybe I'll sail it like a Frisbee and let the pieces fall where they may. I do know I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Shame on the makers of this film. I agree, this movie is an abomination! In this version, John the Baptist tells Jesus to repent of his sins. Jesus had NO sins! That's why He was able to redeem us of our sins when He was crucified. Mother Mary has to prompt Jesus to go out into the world to find His way??! WRONG! Jesus needed NO prompting to do God's will and accomplish His mission. Jesus knew exactly who he was from the time he was a small child, which is why he stayed in His Father's Temple at 12 years old. Nothing in this film is scripturally accurate! It's disgusting and pathetic. Watch "Jesus of Nazareth" starring Robert Powell, which is the closest-to-the-truth film version that you will find about our Lord Jesus Christ.

Where I did not like this movie's depiction of Jesus so much, I prefer its Roman scenes over "Jesus of Nazareth (1977)", which has the better Jesus but the weaker Pilate. Especially the theater scene was very original. And then there are the flash-forwards to the Crusades, inquisition and world-wide war. The costumes, style and scenery are nearly perfect.Actors: Jeremy Sisto does an okay job as Jesus, looks the way you'd expect him to. Thomas Lockyer plays a convincingly guilt-stricken Judas. Jeroen Krabbé as Satan fulfilled his duty as well. The one who steals the show and the movie's big selling point, of course, is Gary Oldman as Pontius Pilate. A most intriguing villain.The idea of Pilate plotting Jesus' death after the Jews' backs also worked for the movie, but it is not very Biblical. In fact, the gospels state that Pilate tried to have him freed (John 19:12). There are other nit-picks I could offer, but I'll refrain from it.Some other lasting images include the Last Supper scene and the movie's unconventional devil. Satan's presence in the movie is stretched out very inventively, but failed to convince me fully.But, then again, will we ever have THE perfect Bible movie? Still, I definitely recommend this one.

This film honors the last three years of Jesus of Nazareth, his crucifixion and resurrection. It is the study of a great man, and projects the consequences of His teachings into the present.Raised Catholic, I left the church at 16 after many missteps by both myself and the church. For instance, I was taught at an early age that anyone not baptized in the Church would suffer eternal damnation. I questioned the priests about the souls of the billions who had never heard of Christ, the millions baptized in other faiths. I never heard a logical answer. So I became a fallen away Catholic, searching years for a spiritual home. 10 years ago I found refuge in Red Tara practice, a branch of Buddhism that honors Tara, Mother of the Victorious Ones. That's a sidebar, but an important one as you read this review.Right out of the chute, it is very brave for storytellers to tackle a comprehensive biography about any avatar, and do it in a fair, open minded manner. Filming it is complicated further by all the behind the scenes politics, egos, financing, and Hollywood glamor. Consider also the legion of religious institutions that have sprung up in 2000 years staking claim as the one true faith of Jesus Christ, and the task is quite formidable.The production values are impressive. Perhaps the times are not presented as gritty and dirty as they must in fact have been, but the historical and anecdotal research has been extensive, and sincerely executed.Though there are CGI sequences, my imagination was gratefully allowed to rest in many "real" locations. Future producers of this Holy story be forewarned! Jesus did not deliver His sermons to computer generated crowds, and God willing never shall! There is a disappointing lack of racially diverse casting, a glaring fault compounded by many Western European accents, including a standout Scottish brogue in the mouth of John the Baptist.Despite these faults, the filmmakers show quite a bit of rapport for not only the Master and his followers, but His opponents, specifically Caiaphas, Pilate, Herod, and Judas. I was particularly taken with the script's focus on the "character" development of these antagonists in social and political contexts presented with painstaking clarity and compassion.One example: Judas' portrayal was a startling revelation of a man dedicated to the overthrow of Roman and Jewish authoritarianism. On his revolutionary course Judas crosses paths with the Master, who invites him to become one of His apostles. As Judas' sees it, if in fact there is a Messiah, and if Jesus proves to be the Messiah, that Messiah must lead the violent overthrow of the entrenched and corrupt status quo. Judas has reason to believe Jesus is that Messiah. After all, he witnesses incidents in which the Messiah's actions might favor such a revolution, i.e., the violence with which Jesus throws the money changers out of the Temple.As Jesus preaches, lives, loves, harmonizes, a schism widens between Apostle and Master that ultimately leads to betrayal. Well known as that betrayal is, what is thought provoking and even haunting here is that the complex relationship of Master and Apostle is developed and nurtured by the Christ, who knew (and did not keep it secret) that Judas would in fact betray Him. This film's portrayal allows the viewer to experience the complexity on a personal level, thereby opening up to the viewer a sense of freedom regarding interpretation of the Scriptures. (The film's greatest gift is this freedom to challenge the sacred text.) It explodes the myth of the Evil, Despicable, and Damnable Judas. Neither does it let him off the hook. One can reject the details; however, one cannot reject the sincerity with which the enigma of Judas is investigated. The film opens the way for the individual to test and surmise, even penetrate the betrayal of God by man in ways uncharted heretofore -- especially by the individual seeker.It is mentally exhilarating to explore with the filmmakers the historical currents and events in the background through which a person of New Testament times -- be it Jew, Roman, priest, gentile -- moved. Seeing Jesus negotiate those currents gave considerable weight to the Word Made Flesh doctrine; it gives Jesus substantiation, because he is vulnerable to what all human beings face regardless of space and time.Its one thing to tell me to love God and my neighbor, another to witness it in practice, and quite another to personally realize it's practice in the context of Roman occupation, civil unrest, and scriptural wrangling and money changing in the temple. The film gives me concrete clues as to how I might actively embrace the Golden Rule in my daily practice in a world equally chaotic.The strongest element in this film is the portrayal of Jesus (Jeremy Sisto) in script and performance as a person that I could not only relate to, but found I liked. Here's a person with extraordinary powers and insights, who lives moment to moment, embracing life. Too often the church(es) portray Him as a divinity without a clue about food, children, marriage, joy, finances, politics, and so on. Not this Jesus.He is no longer a mystical, mythical figure out of reach because of teachings and traditions and institutions and time long gone. Seeing Him walk so carefree and carefully in a tumultuous, dangerous era, gives me hope, confidence, and above all a God given sense of freedom on the road to spiritual awareness.