The King of Kings (dir. Seong-ho Jang)

By: Adam Freed

Angel Studios releases The King of Kings in time for Easter so that family audiences can witness the story of Jesus Christ told in a beautifully animated fashion.  Surprisingly though, this story of Christ begins as Charles Dickens performs his famous “A Christmas Carol” as a one man show to a packed 19th century Victorian London audience.  Using Dickens as a framing device for the story of Jesus may seem an odd choice without the prior knowledge that it was Dickens’ who wrote “Life of Our Lord” a story that has been historically overshadowed by his more canonized works.  The Victorian era Dickens, voiced by Kenneth Branagh (Murder on the Orient Express, Henry V), unravels for his Arthurian Legend obsessed son Walter, what Dickens calls the story of the greatest king of all time.  This is of course the story of Christ, at which point the film flashes back to Bethlehem and to the story of Mary and Joseph. The animated film directed by Seong-ho Jang, who is best known for his work in visual effects in Korean cinema, tells a story that is both very familiar to Christian audiences and yet quite possibly not what they would come to expect in a season steeped in tradition.

Although The King of Kings is far from the first film in pursuit of capturing the story of Jesus Christ in a family-friendly manner, it may be the first of this century victimized by the massive scope of the undertaking.  Seong-ho Jang’s animated film features iconic, yet condensed iterations from the New Testament, including the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  With an overwhelming collection of valuable lessons to teach, The King of Kings watches more like a Reader’s Digest version of Bible lore than it does a story following a cohesive plotline.  This being said, the impact of individualized chapters and verses shine in momentary glimpses of stories, that in isolation, can be of tremendous value in illustrating for a young faith seeking audience, the importance of Jesus’ word.  In this fragmentary way, Angel Studios has also produced a valuable tool for the introduction of Christian roots to audiences of all ages curious about the basics of New Testament biblical lore.  

Despite some of its narrative shortcomings, The King of Kings is impressively appointed with a king’s ransom of marquee vocal talent. In addition to Branagh, the voices of Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina), Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye), Uma Thurman (Kill Bill), Mark Hamill (Star Wars), Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) populate the various chapters of the biblical film.  The King of Kings is likely to find a foothold in global youth ministries to visually support the allusory images found within weekly sermons.  If one of God’s gifts is that mankind was created in his image, then part of  his blessing is the truth.  The truth in the case of The King of Kings is that it serves a clear purpose, yet as a standalone film, falls short of its potential.

Target Score 5.5/10 - The King of Kings offers a star studded cast of vocal talent in its aim to share the story of Jesus Christ with a youthful audience this Easter season.  The film works far better as a fragmentary teaching tool than it does a cohesive narrative, yet is likely to find the family audience that it seeks.