The King of Kings sets out to bring the life of Jesus to a younger audience through a whimsical, child-friendly lens, but ends up feeling more like a Sunday school PowerPoint than a meaningful cinematic experience. Inspired by a Charles Dickens short story which he reportedly read yearly to his family at Christmas (though it wasn’t published until 1934, decades after his death), this film trades emotional depth for glossy sentimentality, and artistry for awkward animation.
The concept has promise: a theatre performer (voiced by Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens) shares his in-progress children’s novel about Jesus with his disruptive, King Arthur-obsessed son Walter (Roman Griffin Davis). As Walter and his cat, Willa, listen to the tale, the story springs to life in the boy’s imagination, and the viewer sees them pop in and out of the Biblical scenes. The framing device, though intriguing on paper, ultimately adds little but distraction. While it clearly aims to help young viewers relate, it instead feels like insulation padding, and the scenes of unnecessary slapstick undercut any moments of emotional weight.
Beyond that, the visual story itself is unappealing: the majority of the animation is flat and soulless, with character designs so awkward they border on off-putting. While some very short sequences – done in a painterly, hand-drawn style – hint at what the film could have been, they’re far too brief to leave a lasting impression.
The real saving grace is the voice cast, particularly Oscar Isaac as Jesus. He brings a quiet authority to the role, delivering some surprisingly affecting moments, especially in moments of righteous anger. Forest Whitaker as Peter and Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate are also solid, but their performances are trapped in a film that never lets them breathe. Mark Hamill‘s Herod feels more like a pantomime baddie than a potent villain, and the rest of the cast (including Uma Thurman as Catherine Dickens) are largely wasted.
Worse still, The King of Kings feels less like a film or any single filmmaker’s vision, and more like a well-funded, faith-based educational tool – predictable, sanitised, and emotionally inert. Every beat follows its expected path, and nothing is allowed to feel either dangerous or raw. Even Jesus’ suffering feels light, smoothed over to the point of warm patina in an effort to remain child-appropriate.
For parents looking to introduce the basics of Christianity to their children, this might serve a purpose. But as cinematic storytelling, it lacks the inspiration, emotion, and artistry to leave any real impact. The King of Kings may tell the greatest story ever told, but here, it’s told in the most forgettable way possible.
The King of Kings releases in UK cinemas on April 11th.