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‘The King Of Kings' Reviews: How Is Animated Biblical Film Being Received By Critics?

‘The King Of Kings' Reviews: How Is Animated Biblical Film Being Received By Critics?

Forbes10-04-2025

A scene from "The King of Kings."
Angel Studios
The King of Kings — an animated biblical movie starring the voices of Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman and Kenneth Branaugh — is new in theaters. How are critics receiving the film?
Produced by Angel Studios and directed by Seong-ho Jang, The King of Kings is inspired by legendary author Charles Dickens' classic novel The Life of Our Lord. Jang co-wrote the screenplay for The King of Kings with Rob Edwards.
The official summary for The King of Kings reads, '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.'
The King of Kings' voice cast includes Isaac as Jesus, Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Branagh as Charles Dickens and Thurman as Catherine Dickens. The voice cast also includes Mark Hamill as King Herrod, Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Roman Griffith Davis as Walter Dickens and James Arnold Taylor as Melchior/Matthew/Thomas/Phillip/Young Jesus.
The King of Kings has received a 68% 'fresh' rating from Rotten Tomatoes critics based on 25 reviews to date. RT's Critics Consensus and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are not yet available.
Among the top critics on RT who gave The King of Kings a 'fresh' review is Leslie Felperin of the Guardian, who writes, 'The whole package isn't on a par with the best biblical epics, but it's serviceable enough.'
In addition, top critic Linda Marric of HeyUGuys gave The King of Kings a 'fresh' review on RT, writing, 'With a creative narrative structure, a talented voice cast, and a sincere emotional core, it is a film that will resonate with families and faith-based audiences alike.'
Top critic Kevin Maher of the Times UK gives The King of Kings a 'rotten' review on RT, writing that the film idisconcerting s 'a faith-based South Korean animation with a top-tier voice cast and a penchant for interrupting pivotal moments from the Bible with nonsense slapstick involving a wacky 19th-century house cat.'
Rated PG, The King of Kings plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters in wide release on Friday.

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