A minister I worked for used to tell our church family how our faith should be childlike – without being childish. That feels like a good summary of King of Kings, the new animated retelling of the book Charles Dickens wrote for his children, The Life of Our Lord.
Here we have the gospel laid out for - and seen through the lens of - a wide-eyed, sword-wielding small boy. Simple truths are explained without becoming overly simplistic, and at the same time, despite being a PG, this film doesn’t shy away from the spiritual truths of sin, nor the pain of the resurrection. (Being a family film, there is no blood, but the crucifixion scene makes plain what is happening and may be too intense for some very small potential viewers).
This is a whistle-stop tour through the Gospels – getting through the life of Jesus, plus the additional sub-plot around Dickens and his son – in 90 minutes. The opening with Scrooge didn’t immediately pique the interest of my nine-year-old, who is sadly not yet a Dickens fan. But things quickly picked up with the introduction of difficult dynamics between father and son (and a very fat cat who was able to get the upper hand over Dickens).
Themes of fatherhood and forgiveness
This is a film focused from the get-go, at every level, on fathers and children, forgiveness and understanding. As Dickens (voiced by Kenneth Brannagh) retells the greatest story every told, his son Walter lives it all as if he was there, while we journey with him. He provides the vehicle to explain all sorts of details easily and in a visual way, from ‘what is a manger’ to a description of the first Passover.
There are of course some Hollywood cliches weaved in – one would expect no less. There is a wonderfully villainous Herod, voiced by Mark Hamill, wind seems to frequently whip characters hair around cheekbones so sharp they could cut cheese. But if you liked the Prince of Egypt (and don’t mind the mix of accents on offer from the all-star cast that includes Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, and Oscar Isaac as Jesus) then you’re going to love this film. The animation is well-done, with some wonderful visual story-telling and almost every scene a riot of colour and creativity.
'If you liked the Prince of Egypt... you're going to love this film.'
One short three-minute section provides a beautiful summary of the gospel that I can see being used in children’s groups for years to come. It unpacks how God made a beautiful and perfect world, but Adam and Eve ate the fruit, making God extremely sad and their relationship was broken; "since that day, we have lived separately from God and to be separated from God is to be separated from life". But that was not the future God wanted for us "and that is why he gave the world his only beloved son to die for our sakes". Dickens tells his son Jesus "was willing to suffer so we wouldn’t have to".
The crucifixion isn’t shied away from. Despite the fact that no blood is seen, my nine-year-old said it felt gruesome to him, although I suspect this was more about the desperately sad tone than the gore (as there wasn’t any) per se. The tone is a lot – this film is clear on the sheer weight of the sacrifice that was needed to atone for our sins. Then we see the resurrection, and some of the joy, relief and jubilation is captured. And what had been despair is turned to hope. John 14:6 is on screen at the close of the credits.
Appealing for children, not for adults
Unlike many family films, there isn’t a sub-narrative or in-jokes aimed at adults. With this one, what you see is what you get. And how did my child view it? He liked the cartoon aspect, thought it made the Bible stories come alive and feel more real, and thought the additional characters (and cat) made it more fun for kids. 4/5 stars he said.
To have my son sit there riveted listening to the gospel being so clearly articulated, I’d have to give it a 5/5. It might not have huge adult appeal, but this film is about retelling the gospel and simply seeing all its grace and wonder; childlike, without being childish.
