The King of Kings
April 10th, 2025
MOVIE: THE KING OF KINGS
STARRING: KENNETH BRANAGH, UMA THURMAN, OSCAR ISAAC, BEN KINGSLEY, PIERCE BROSNAN
DIRECTED BY: SEONG-HO JANG
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 1 ½ STARS (Out of 4)
RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 104 MINUTES
The story of Jesus Christ has been told countless times, in a wide range of ways. Films like Ben-Hur, Jesus Christ Superstar, and even Monty Python’s Life of Brian have all put their unique spin on what’s often referred to as The Greatest Story Ever Told. Now comes The King of Kings, Angel Studios’ latest animated offering, arriving just in time for Easter — and landing squarely in the present with messaging that feels anything but timeless. Aimed at churchgoing families and children, the film tries to introduce Jesus’ story while quietly pushing a religious agenda that feels as hollow as the empty tomb it exalts. If you’re not already a believer, The King of Kings won’t change your mind.
The film opens with an odd narrative device: Charles Dickens (voiced by Kenneth Branagh) is performing a live reading of A Christmas Carol, with his wife (Uma Thurman) and their three children watching from backstage. The youngest, Walter (voiced by Roman Griffin Davis), is a rambunctious boy obsessed with knights and swordplay, and his antics end up disrupting the reading. Back at home, Dickens is persuaded by his wife to tell Walter a different kind of story — one filled with magic, evil kings, and people rising from the dead. What follows is a straightforward retelling of Jesus’ life, from his birth through resurrection, voiced by Oscar Isaac. As someone who spent 16 years in Catholic school, I’ve heard this story more times than I can count, and this version brings nothing new to the table.
What struck me most while watching The King of Kings was the glaring contradictions between the film’s messaging, its cast, and the studio behind it. How are audiences supposed to connect with a story about compassion for the homeless or a desperate immigrant couple seeking shelter, when the very groups this film targets often turn a blind eye to those same struggles? Immigrants are demonized, the unhoused are dismissed, and political figures like Trump are treated as messianic figures by many of the faithful. That hypocrisy lingers in every frame.
Then there’s the cast and director Seong-ho Jang, who collectively give off the impression of people cashing a paycheck rather than engaging with the material. Their performances feel misaligned with any deeper conviction. And Angel Studios, known more for political posturing than storytelling innovation, makes things worse by closing the film with a plea to buy more tickets for others — a thinly veiled attempt to boost profits while preaching about spiritual truth. It feels less like faith and more like a sales pitch.
Visually, the film is unimpressive. The animation is on par with a mid-tier children’s TV show — think Paw Patrol without the charm. The storytelling is so old-fashioned and sluggish that even the most devout Sunday school student would find it dull. As someone who’s endured more Stations of the Cross than I can count, I know this material, and yet this retelling lacks energy or inspiration. Walter’s wide-eyed excitement for the tale feels entirely unearned.
The truth is, The King of Kings is made for a very specific crowd. Believers might leave feeling uplifted. The rest of us will leave rolling our eyes. I genuinely want people to embrace what Jesus actually taught — like treating others the way you want to be treated — because those are values worth living by. Sadly, that message seems lost on the very people who need to hear it most. Their ears, it seems, are stuffed with wads of cash.
Jesus Christ.
1 ½ STARS
THE KING OF KINGS IS IN THEATERS ON FRIDAY, APRIL 11TH, 2025.
Written by: Leo Brady
