“The King of Kings” A Well-Made Animated Feature

“The Life of Our Lord” is a book about the life of Jesus of Nazareth written by English novelist Charles Dickens, for his young children, between 1846 and 1849, at about the time that he was writing “David Cooperfield.”

“The Life of Our Lord” was published in 1934, 64 years after Dicken’s death and is the story that “The King of Kings” is loosely based on.

A father tells his son the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life changing journey.

Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice.

“The King of Kings” invites us to rediscover the enduring power of hope, love and redemption through the eyes of a child.

This animated Christian film from Angel Studios has been receiving a lot of praise from audiences everywhere. “The King of Kings” delivers an engaging story that the entire family and the children can easily sit back and enjoy. The latest Angel Studios release is also a great way for children to learn and understand the Biblical narrative.

The film’s story, which is told from a father’s perspective to his son, follows the narrative of Jesus’ life from his birth to his crucifixion to his resurrection. Throughout the course of this animated journey, the film also incorporates the young boy and his cat getting so immersed in the story, which really makes the film more relatable to younger viewers.

“The King of Kings” also has quite a few stand out moments that are really memorable. The animated film delivers us some sequences from his infamous narrative, such as the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus walking on water, and most importantly, his crucifixion and resurrection.

The film also explores themes of hope, love and redemption, which connects with the viewing audience on an emotional, deeper level. The animation style the film uses does a decent job helping bring this story to life. It also gives us a unique perspective of telling the Gospel story through the eyes of a child and the literary lens of Dickens, which offers a fresh look to the narrative.

Cast: Pierce Brosnan (Pontius Pilate); Oscar Issac (Jesus Christ); Kenneth Branagh (Charles Dickens); Uma Thurman (Catherine Dickens); Mark Hamill (King Herod); Forest Whitaker (Peter); Ben Kingsley (High Priest Caiphas); Roman Griffin Davis (Walter Dickens); Fred Tatasciore (Pharisee Eleazar).

Writer/director: Seong-ho Jang.

Trivia: This film marks the first animated feature from religious studio Angel Studios. In November 2024, Angel Studios acquired the North American rights to this film.

MPA: Rated PG for thematic material, violent content and some scary moments   (running time 103 minutes)

• Charles Dickens really did write a children's book about the life of Jesus. He wrote it for his own children and read it to them every Christmas. It wasn't published until 64 years after his death.

• Oscar Isaac voices both Jesus Christ and Satan. This is to give the impression of an inner monologue, or Satan giving you impure thoughts.

• First animated feature film from Angel Studios.