The King of Kings (2025) - Film Review

      The King of Kings, 2025.

      Directed by Seong-ho Jang.

      Featuring the voice talents of Oscar Isaac, Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, Mark Hamill, Ava Sanger, Jim Cummings, Fred Tatasciore, Dee Bradley Baker, James Arnold Taylor, Vanessa Marshall, Mick Wingert, Imari Williams, Frank Todaro, and Millicent Miereanu.

      SYNOPSIS:

      The narrative of our Lord Jesus Christ as interpreted by Charles Dickens and viewed through the eyes of a child.

      Seong-ho Jang’s animated feature, The King of Kings (regrettably not a biography of WWE legend Triple H), presents the life of Jesus tailored for a younger audience, predominantly from a child's viewpoint. Running at 100 minutes, it serves as a Sunday school lesson that fails to engage its material in an entertaining, thoughtful, or visually striking manner (the animation is often flat and merely adequate) for younger viewers, instead mostly recounting Jesus Christ’s (voiced by Oscar Isaac, who imbues the character with a soft, gentle warmth) renowned miracles without a broader context. It follows a “then Jesus did this” format for about 80 minutes, leading up to the unavoidable crucifixion, which, while sanitized, remains a heavy topic for kids.

      At times, there are disconcerting messages implying that without faith in Jesus, one faces undesirable consequences (a ship captain struggling amidst a fierce storm is encouraged to walk on water toward Jesus but begins to sink for this reason), despite the overarching message being about kindness and forgiveness. While it aims to be suitable for children, the life narrative of someone ultimately betrayed and crucified presents an awkward scenario for PG-rated animation. It isn’t Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ, but it’s close.

      The filmmakers (with Rob Edwards and Jamie Thomason credited for additional writing, and Hoseok Sung as co-head of story) seem to believe that incorporating a narrative device derived from Charles Dickens—who would read his unpublished life story of Jesus to his children every Christmas—is sufficiently transformative for a children's movie.

      In this film, Dickens is voiced by Kenneth Branagh, married to Catherine (voiced by Uma Thurman), and attempting to calm his hyperactive son Walter (voiced by Roman Griffin Davis), who is obsessed with King Arthur, by recounting the life story of Jesus Christ, intended to inspire that book. This leads to frequent cuts back to the real world or inserting Walter into the biblical narrative to comment on whether Jesus will battle a dragon. This one joke quickly becomes tiresome for even young audiences. Additionally, the film aims to illustrate how many legendary tales have been derived from the story of Jesus, and how a child might respond to both the miraculous highs and the tragic lows, culminating in resurrection.

      There is a lack of depth in terms of narrative and character development. The film feels shallow and potentially epitomizes what an Angel Studios production is. Even notable voice cameos from talents such as Mark Hamill, Ben Kingsley, and Pierce Brosnan do little to elevate the experience. The focus isn’t on storytelling but rather on hastily covering all the material. The King of Kings lacks any trace of Charles Dickens’ narrative style and humor, suggesting that his storytelling to his children must have been far more engaging.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★

      Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He also serves as the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow on BlueSky or Letterboxd.