Charles Dickens’ (Kenneth Branagh) live theatre performance of his famous play, A Christmas Carol, is going well until he is interrupted by his children and their cat. His son, Walter (Roman Griffin Davis), would prefer the show featured sword fights and kings slaying dragons. When a frustrated Dickens returns home, his wife, Catherine (Uma Thurman), is waiting for him. Although Dickens is tired and somewhat disappointed by the evening show, Catherine encourages him to talk to their son and share the play Dickens has been working on with him before bed. She is sure it will capture their son as it features a king who saved the world without resorting to swordplay.
When Walter hears about Dickens’ offer to tell this story, he seems unimpressed, as he thinks it will be uninteresting. However, he agrees to let his father tell the story since he is still awake and full of energy. Dickens begins to tell a tale unlike any other—the story of the King of Kings, the life of Jesus Christ. Starting from his birth in a stable in Bethlehem, Dickens leads Walter through the significant moments of Jesus’ life, including his death and resurrection. As they share this heartfelt moment, both father and son are reminded of the power of love and the wonders of forgiveness.
This directorial debut by Seong-ho Jang also features a screenplay by him, with additional writing provided by Rob Edwards, Jamie Thomason and Hoseok Sung. While this film marks Seong-ho’s first time directing, he has extensive experience in visual effects, having worked on several notable films. These include Joint Security Area (2000), The Isle (2000), Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002), and Last Knights (2015), among others.
The King of Kings is a film that recounts key moments from Christ’s life through various short clips and stories. Some of these significant moments include Christ’s birth, baptism, the healing of a blind man, the Passover, and, of course, Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. This film is designed for young audiences, making it highly educational and informative. While adults may also find value in the movie, it is essential to note that it is primarily intended for children.
The animation work in this project is, unfortunately, a disappointing aspect. Made as if it were for free-to-air television, it features strong animation for characters like Jesus Christ, Charles Dickens, and young Walter. However, several of the background characters were distracting at times due to their oddly shaped noses. Similarly, the voice acting is questionable. Despite the film featuring a wide range of talented actors, their performances often seem lacklustre, as if they were merely reciting lines from a script. I felt that Kenneth Branagh provided the most compelling performance, while Oscar Isaac, who portrayed Jesus Christ, delivered some powerful lines in several scenes. Still, I wished the overall execution had been much stronger. I was particularly surprised by the rushed portrayal of specific moments in Christ’s life, which could have been more powerful and clear, especially in scenes like The Last Supper.
Overall, The King of Kings shows the various key moments of the life of Jesus Christ. This is highly suitable for young children given the visuals, and the film’s primary focus is to show multiple key moments of Jesus Christ’s life, including his death and resurrection. That being said, I feel adults can take away something here, too, depending on your beliefs and current situation around faith. While the film consists of a vast lineup of talent, the voice work is hit and miss and key lines of dialogue come across as bland and done without effort. The visuals are, again, hit and miss, with intense effort going into the look and design of Christ while background characters are often distracting. As a plot, there isn’t much there other than key moments of Christ’s life. Some moments are recreated well, while others are somewhat watered down or rushed through, missing what could have been a more significant impact opportunity, including The Last Supper and, again, the death and resurrection of Christ. Nevertheless, it remains informative, and sticking to key moments helps the film stay on a path that feels biblically correct.
The King of Kings (2025) is available in Australian Cinemas starting April 10th!
6.0/10
Published: 8th April 2025
Written by: Peter Walkden
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