Between 1846 and 1849, Charles Dickens wrote The Life of Our Lord to tell his children the story of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. Although it wasn’t published until 1934, 64 years after Dickens’s death, it is said that the family’s reading of this story was a yearly Christmas tradition.
This Easter season, Angel Studios has brought Dickens’s tale to life in its new animated film, King of Kings, for children of all ages to enjoy.
This movie begins with the introduction of the Dickens family. Charles is having a night of onstage dramatic reading of his beloved work, A Christmas Carol. However, things get messy when Charles’s youngest son, Walter (who is pretending to be King Arthur), and Walter’s cat, Willa, cause a ruckus backstage, sending Charles’s newest manuscript pages flying all over the place.
Sent home to go to bed, Walter waits for his dad to return so that he can tell him a story. When Charles arrives, his wife encourages him to tell Walter (and Willa) the new story he has been working on.
Walter replies, “If it’s not about a king, I’m not listening.”
So, Charles takes this opportunity to tell young Walter the world’s greatest story about the King of Kings, Jesus Christ.
And tell that story, he does.
Starting in Bethlehem, Charles tells Walter all about the life of Jesus.
While he accomplishes this, Walter and Willa remain on the edge of their seat – even imagining and placing themselves right in the middle of some of the Bible’s most well-known stories.
Walter’s interest grows stronger as his parents actively tell this powerful story.
Their faith-filled retelling covers many of Jesus’s miracles and His earthly ministry. A few of these stories include:
- Jesus teaching in the temple as a child
- John the Baptist baptizing Jesus
- The 40 days Jesus was tempted
- Jesus gathering the disciples to follow him
- Healing the blind man
- Lazarus being raised from the dead
- Peter walking on water
- The feeding of the 5,000
- The forgiveness of the woman caught in the act of adultery
- The friends who tore down the roof to see their friends healed
- Legion being freed of demons.
Following these examples, Charles takes the story one step further and covers the events of Passover and Jesus’s final days and moments on Earth.
All the while, Walter is still fully engaged in this story of the King, asking his father many questions about what and why Jesus is dying.
Charles responds by telling him about Adam and Eve and the fall of man and shares that this is why God sent His son to die.
Again, throughout these parts of the film, Walter and Willa interject themselves in the scenes of Jesus on the cross. Meanwhile, his eyes fill with tears as he watches how they have treated the sinless man his father has told him about. Then, the once rambunctious Walter realizes that Jesus, the true King of Kings, came and died for him.
“We’re alive again because He is risen,” Charles shares.
By the film’s end, Walter can’t wait to share this incredible story with his siblings.
The movie features the voices of many well-known secular actors, including Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Mark Hamill, Pierce Brosnan, Oscar Isaac, and more.
But don’t let these names discourage you from the film’s biblical accuracy. While some theatrical elements were added and could be open for debate, most of its content, even minor details, were taken from Scripture.
While not gory, it is worth noting that the film does show Jesus dying on the cross, crowned with the crown of thorns, as well as Peter cutting Malchus’s ear off and (off-screen) the soldiers whipping Jesus.
Last weekend (the movie’s opening weekend), the film brought in $19 million and received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, marking its enormous success.
“The CinemaScore for The King of Kings says it all. The film is one of only 128 films to achieve an A+ CinemaScore, and only the 5th animated film to hold that title that isn’t a Pixar/Disney production,” said Brandon Purdie, global head of theatrical distribution and brand development at Angel. “Families want quality films to see together in theaters. This weekend simply reflects what audiences are craving.”
It’s rated PG, and King of Kings is now playing in theaters across the nation. It is family-friendly and offers a fun way to learn more about the Savior’s life, death, and resurrection this Easter weekend.
Note: The image used in this blog was sourced from the press kit on the official King of Kings website.
