In the Holy Land, the Roman occupation has produced a cauldron of oppression, anxiety and excessive taxes levied upon the Jewish people. Fearing the wrath of Roman governor Pontius Pilate , Jewish high priest Caiaphas tries to keep control of his people. That control is threatened when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, performing miracles and spreading messages of love and hope. Those who fear that Jesus will inspire a revolution decide that he must die.
Aimed at a devotional middle-American audience, this never risks the sort of individual perspective necessary to bring the story to life onscreen, for good or ill.
– J. R. Jones,
Chicago Reader,
6 Mar 2014
rotten:
At best, this version succeeds as a Sunday school supplement. But the blandness is enough to make you long for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
– Stephan Lee,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Mar 2014
fresh:
People will always want to spend money for this sort of thing, even if they've already seen it. And in this case, they've literally already seen it.
– Wesley Morris,
Grantland,
28 Feb 2014
rotten:
The film goes wild with helicopter shots of Jesus and his followers traveling through the hills. Who knew Christ was lord of the rings?
– Ben Kenigsberg,
AV Club,
28 Feb 2014
rotten:
The target evangelical audience may well respond enthusiastically, but, unless your own salvation is riding on it, the film is mostly a slog.