By 
“YOU SEE, A TRUE KING SERVES
HIS SUBJECTS”
Within the grand tapestry of famous books and novels, the name of Charles Dickens standing out as a prominent author in classic literature. A British author from the 1800s (1812-1870), Dickens found his literary success after his serial publication of “The Pickwick Papers” in 1836; eventually launching himself to become an international celebrity writer that was famous for his satire, humor, and an acute observation of character and society. Additionally, Dickens’s novels were frequently (weekly or monthly installments), which pioneered the serial publication of narrative fiction, which was quite popular during this Victorian era of England as well as coming up with “cliffhanger endings” to keep a reader’s attention (and to purchase the next installment). Some of Dicken’s most famous has work have become classic pieces of literature (even in modern times), including Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, and A Christmas Carol, with many re-released publications since their inception as well as various adaptations (over the years) for both the big and small screen. Now, Angel Studios and director Seong-ho Jang present the latest film to adapted from Charles Dickens work with the release of The King of Kings, which is based of his children’s novel “The Life of Our Lord”. Does the movie find cinematic merit with is animated presentation or is it a shallow attempt on one of the most important figures in all of Christendom?
THE STORY
While in the middle of performing “A Christmas Carol” to paying theater audience, Charles Dickens (Kenneth Branagh) is interrupted by one of his three children, Walter (Roman Griffin Davis), who’s lost in his own imaginations of being King Arthur behind the scenes, joined by the family cat, Willa. As Walter’s antics ensues, the theater erupts in chaos and ruins the, with the feline companion destroying part of a manuscript for Charles’s latest book. Back at home, Charles’s wife, Catherine (Uma Thurman), encourage him to take special care with Walter’s imagination, inspiring the famous writer to perform his newest work for his son. He weaves the storied tale of Jesus Christ (Oscar Isaac), who grows from “the baby in the manger” to a man of spiritual power, bringing the word of God to the faithful masses, while jealous leaders seeks to squash his influence on the people. As Charles’s dramatic hold on the tale progresses forward, Walter becomes enthralled in the Jesus’s story, connecting with the powerful miracles and saddened struggles in dealing with salvation and resurrection.
THE GOOD / THE BAD
Borrowing the opening paragraph and this one from my review of The Man Who Invented Christmas…. Charles Dickens is one of the names that many (if not all) know of instantly. His books have had the staying the power and longevity that many author (both now and then) only dreamed of having with their literary works. His tales of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are some of his hallmark works, with many generations reading his novel as well as school to use them as “required reading” for students to read. Heck, what writer / author can say that they have their own word named after them (i.e. Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive character). As one can imagine, many variations and adaptations have been made from Dickens’s work, including several iconic films like 1951’s Oliver Twist, 1946’s Great Expectations, 1935’s A Tale of Two Cities, many others.
This brings me back to talking about The King of Kings, a 2025 animated film and the latest film project to be Dicken’s work. As stated above, Dicken’s literature is quite timeless and has endured for years, yet I didn’t know about his work on “The Life of Our Lord”, which was aimed to be a children’s book about the life of Jesus of Nazareth. I think that it’s a good idea for children to learn about such a religion in a way that isn’t patronizing, yet still respectful of the source material. Heck, it was also written by Charles Dickens, a great literary writer. As for this movie, I can’t actually recall hearing anything about it. It sort of “crept up” on me without warning. I didn’t hear anything about it going into production nor of the film’s voice talents attached to the project. It went “under the radar”. I think my first “real look” at the movie when I saw the film’s movie trailer once at my local theater during the “coming attractions” reel. At first glance, I had a feeling that this movie was going to be like 2017’s The Star, with slightly lower quality of animation yet bringing plenty of charm from its characters and voice talents behind them. I wasn’t exactly thrilled to see it (wasn’t exactly a “must see”), but, given the movie’s release being coming out around Easter 2025 (April 11th, 2025, to be exact), I thought I might try and give this film a shot. So, of course, I decided to check out the movie several days for the Easter holiday and decided to get my review and released on this religious holiday, which I do celebrate. So, what did I think of it? Well, it was good, and I enjoyed it. While there are some limitations in the movie, The King of Kings is still quite entertaining and respectful of its religious source material that is held together by its sincere nature to explore Jesus’s life and the morals that derive from it. It may not be the quintessential animated ever made, but it is still quite charming and enlightening to watch.
The King of Kings is directed by Seong-ho Jang, who makes his theatrical directorial debut with this movie. With a background of visual effects on such projects like Joint Security Area, Tidal Wave, and Last Knights, Jang does seem like an odd choice to helm a project like this, an animated retelling of Dicken’s children story that depicts the life of Jesus Christ in the guise of kid’s tale. However, to my surprise, Jang does do an admirable job in his capacity as director and does certainly know what he wants to say in this movie. As to be expected (and wonderfully done), he approaches the film’s source material with a gentle respect and wholesome sincerity, taking Dickens’s tale of Jesus, which (again) is to be aimed at children, and using that knowledge as a framing device for the picture. Even better, Jang uses the “story with the story” angle to further frame the project, utilizing the character of Charles Dickens as the storyteller for the feature as he aims to recount Jesus’s life to his son. While a very commonplace thread of plotting and narrative devices, the usage is always a welcomed one and I felt was a great way to unravel and explore Jesus’s story.
Of course, the movie’s true “bread and butter” comes from the actual story being told or rather the greatest story in the history of the world. True, the story of Jesus Christ is indeed a palpable one, which is filled with wonder, miracles, mysticism, and sacrifice, all that is wrapped together in harrowing journey of a man’s teaching and practices that lead him to become the son of God. Jang, along with Rob Edwards, Jamie Thomason, and Hoseok Sung, manage the script for the feature and I think do a pretty good job in trying to lay the ground for the movie’s story from Dickens’s book. The movie actually explores quite a lot about Jesus’s life, hitting a lot of important storytelling moments that were heavily chronicled in The Bible, including The Nativity, The Ministry, The Passion, and The Resurrection. Like Dickens’s original literary material, Jang does a commendable job in bringing all of those events through the eyes of children and keeps that mantra throughout the entire film. The movie uses the characters of Charles and William as plot devices to “catch up” and “follow” Jesus and the character in the main narrative being told, cutting back for some father / son moments of clarity as well as a few moments comedy relief. He certainly feels right to intercut the movie like that and does a bit full circle and earned when the story reaches the end.
While some angles do become a little bit preachy a few times (more on that below), Jang makes The King of Kings have a strong delivery for the material, a cartoon mixture that is part Sunday School and part feel good Christmas tale that works well for its audience to follow and invest in without becoming patronizing or undermining the viewer’s intellect. Naturally, the themes of faith and religion play a very strong and paramount role in the movie, with Jang and his team intertwining inspiration and motivation into the story and become quite powerful in their own right. There is even inclusion of depictions and retelling of other famous religious tales that are associated with Christianity, including Adam and Eve. Emotional scenes do hit hard and are presented in a very respectful and dramatic way, recounting the cruelty in the hearts of men and the powerful loss of innocence. Again, it feels earned and teaches good morals in the manner of which they are supposed to be.
Unlike the movie The Star, which I will compare this movie to, Jang doesn’t overload the narrative with superfluous characters that don’t really have a purpose in the tale being told. With important people that play a part in Jesus’s life (friend or foe), Jang manages all of this correctly and doesn’t create new animated characters such for the sake of being a kid’s movie….like The Star did. Sure, William’s cat can easily fit that bill and comes off as a bit of comical relief at some points, but the character never overstays its welcome. Jang knows what he wants to tell and does so with plenty of intent to highlight Jesus’s story from beginning to end.
Overall, I felt like The King of Kings was meaningful and sincere in what it wanted to convey within its animated framework, delicately revealing the story of Jesus through the words of a father and the eyes of a child. It’s sweet and cute, while also being poignant and inspiration, which in my book is a good thing.
For its presentation, The King of Kings is pleasant and appealing for what it is. I know that might sound a little bit vague, but…let me explain. The film isn’t done by any major animated studio by a Korean company studio named Mofac Studios. With that in mind, the movie’s animation style (overall look and appearance) is rather different from today’s releases by Disney, Pixar, or DreamWorks. To some, it might look a little bit dated, and I can see why some with call it that, in that regard. Truth, animation is a little too blocky and stiff at times, especially when comparing it to major animation company. So, yes, that does come off as a little bit of criticism that I have with the movie. That being said, I personally got used to it (sometime after the first act) and enjoyed it for what it was. Plus, as stated, this movie isn’t done by a major studio and was made with much smaller budget. Given that notion as well as having many credible voice talents, I think that The King of Kings visual style and overall animation is actually pretty good…..if one stops to think about it. Is it better than something like Moana 2 or The Wild Robot, in terms of animation? No, but it has its own charming effective to a degree.
What definitely works is in how the background setting for the feature and how it is all brought to life in a very cinematic way. Looking beyond the somewhat “dated” and / or low budget feel, the actual art direction for the picture, which was done by Jiuen Yu and Hyunsong We. While animation is a bit of mixed bag, the direction style and overall design looks pretty good, with the movie detailing the Ancient World of Isarel and all the familiar places that Jesus and the rest of the characters from the Bible visited. Additionally, there is a level of cinematic appeal while viewing this picture and I think that the animators certainly nailed that. Thanks to the work by cinematographer Woo-hyung Kim, the feature offers sweeping camera angles of movement, very distinct views, usage of shadowing, and appealing nature of bringing the more “mystical” elements of Jesus’s tale to life, certainly brings a lot of merit and wonder. This, of course, makes The King of Kings feel cinematic in its own right and is still elevated by such usage of filmmaking cartoon wizardry to help bring that dramatic effect to the proceedings.
Lastly, the film’s score, which was composed by Kim Tae-seong, is actually pretty good, with plenty of melodies pieces and composition that are very tender and sweeping. This, of course, helps build some dramatic purpose through the usage of the score, regardless of if its enlightening and hopeful or somber and reflective. All in all, I think it was good and helped makes the movie come alive with such whimsical and prominent pieces. Also, I do have to mention that the movie’s song titled “Live Like That”, which is sung by famed Broadway singer / actress Kristen Chenoweth, is actually pretty good, beautifully encapsulating the enlightening ending the film’s story reaches and closes out the movie in a beautiful way. All in all, a good song for a wholesome feeling picture.
Unfortunately, there are a few things that I noticed while watching The King of Kings that, while not derailing the film in what it wants to convey, it does certainly the hold the feature from reaching its lofty expectations to the masses. How so? Well, for starters, the film can be a tad preachy at times. Of course, that the obvious “elephant in the room”, which is something that many, including myself, is that the movie is quite crammed with a lot of events sort of glossed over. Of course, this goes “hand-in-hand” with many narratives that try to encompass a “life and times” of a certain individual (be it fictional or non-fictional), with a motion picture’s time frame limiting what can be shown in-depth and / or glosses over. Usually, the gambit hits snag and something usually tends to get lost with in its general outline. Such is the case with The King of Kings, with Jang trying to convey all of what Dickens what to say about Jesus’s chronicle life events. Sure, as mentioned above, the movie hits all the big and memorable hits that can be accounted for in The Bible, but the events do seem quite crammed and only highlighting them lightly a few times, leaving a lot to be desired from the feature’s story presentation. It been nice to see a little bit more scenes get further developed in what it holds rather than just appearing like a kid’s “cliff notes” version of Jesus’s tale. Perhaps that comes from the script handling or even possible from Jang’s inexperience as a director. Regardless, it does pose a problem that the movie can’t overcome glossing over details and characters. Not a crucial detail, but one that is important to note.
Another problem is, of course, the film’s intended target audience. I’m definitely not saying that is a bad thing, but it is something that goes (again) hand-in-hand with religious faith-based movies. Similarity, The King of Kings is like what I said about 2017’s The Star, which is a kid-friendly religious movie, with its intended viewing demographic is mostly those individuals of the Christianity faith, which cuts out other viewers from other religious beliefs. Well, not really cut out, but just merely doesn’t cater to them. Thus, The King of Kings limits its viewers audience range to those of the Catholic / Christian, which is really not a bad thing, but is more presented as a feature for that particular group rather than the broader range that animated films usually are. Personally, as a person of the Christian faith, it didn’t bother me as much, but others might find this cartoon faith-based tale not to their liking. This then also makes the feature seem a little bit preachy at times, which (again) is understandable, given the religious themes and narrative prose that the tale wants to convey. That being said, it goes a get little bit preachy in the thematic messaging and “a bit on the nose” at some points.
Lastly, as a minor point of criticism, I felt that the film’s ending could’ve utilized a little better substance than what it was presented. Don’t get me wrong, it definitely works and still brings a wholesome feeling to close out the movie. Yet, it sort of feels a bit too rush and tries to conclude from the narrative in a hastily manner. Perhaps a couple of more storytelling elements with the story could’ve helped to offer a bit more satisfying one that pulls from both Dicken’s plight with his son as well as the tale of Jesus. Again, it’s a bit of a minor complaint, but something I felt that Jang and his team could’ve expanded upon more.
What helps overlook those criticisms is found with the film’s cast, which does boast plenty of familiar acting talents involved on this project, who certainly bring their own particular “A” game to this animated feature. Of course, some characters could’ve been easily fleshed out, but, due to the movie’s narrative being quite crammed, it has to remain so. That being said, the voice talents are still quite good and do these famous figures justice. Perhaps the two standout performances in the movie would definitely have to be actors Kenneth Branagh and Oscar Isaac, who portrays the characters of Charles Dickens and Jesus of Nazareth respectfully. Branagh, who is known for Henry V, Hamlet, and Murder on the Orient Express, has always been quite the gifted actor, one of the “old school” Shakespearean talents that knows how to elevate any scene (in any movie) due to his screen presence and his elegant delivery of lines. Thus, to have him play a prolithic writer such as Charles Dickens, despite being an animated format, still definitely works with Branagh’s skill set. As expected, the character in the movie acts as the “storyteller” for the feature, weaving the tale of Jesus for his son (and by extension the viewer) and interjecting very dramatic and flowery words throughout. To this effect, Branagh’s masterful does the voice work beautiful, enunciating every word with theatrical boldness and reverence, which helps make the character standout.
In a very similar fashion, Isaac, who is known for his roles in Ex Machina, Dune, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider Universe, has plenty of notoriety throughout the last decade, where his acting career took off and since then has become a prominent actor throughout many different projects and lead roles. Much like Branagh, Isaac has a certain and distinct voice, which allows the actor to leave a mark on the famed religious figure of Christianity. Isaac gives Jesus a very humbling feeling in his dialogue and given Jesus that warmth in delivery, yet still having a certain type gravitas and authority as the important figure in the Bible. Of course, the story of Jesus is the main narrative thread throughout the entire film and following his birth, death, resurrection (and everything in-between), while also facing the challenges of ill-will of temptation amongst mankind and otherworldly forces. Could there been a little more depth in the character? Yes, of course, especially in-between certain events, but what’s presented is sufficient enough to understanding the morals and enlightening thematic lessons that the characters teaches everyone around him. All in all, Isaac is perfect in bringing the voice of Jesus of Nazareth to life.
If I did have to mention another highlighted character, after Branagh and Issac, it would have to be actor Sir Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List and Gandhi) who provides the voice for the role of High Priest Caiaphas. While the character is presented in a way that makes him almost the antagonist for the feature’s second half, Kingsley relishes the chance to play up that particular villainy within his delivery of his lines….to great effect. Could there been more to the character? Sure, but, for what the movie offers, Kingsley is still quite memorable in his part.
The other remaining “big, ticketed stars” attached to this movie, including actress Uma Thurman (Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction) as Charles’s wife, Catherine Dickens, actor Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland and The Butler) as Jesus’s apostle Peter, actor Mark Hamill (Star Wars and The Wild Robot) as King Herod, and actor Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye and Mamma Mia!) as Roman governor Pontinus Pilate. All of them are really good and, much like Branagh and Issac, bring a certain level of credibility towards this project. Yet, at the same time, most of these characters sort of gets lost within the greater narrative being told in the movie. I mean, Brosnan’s Pontius Pilate only has one scene. That’s it! Again, I loved the voice talents in this group, but I just wished that their characters had a little bit more to do in the picture.
Also, I did forget to mention that young actor Roman Griffin Davis (Silent Night and Jojo Rabbit) does a pretty good job in playing Walter Dickens, Charles’s rambunctious son who takes an interest in his father’s story about Jesus. Like Charles, the character of Walter acts as a secondary storyteller within this “story within a story”, visually entering Jesus’s tale and becoming enthralled in the story. Davis has the right amount whimsical childhood exuberant and youthful innocence to make the character compelling, learning the lesson to be learned from hearing Jesus’s journey.
The rest of the cast, including actor Jams Arnold Taylor (Star Wars: The Clone Wars and TMNT) as Melchior, one of the Three Wise Men, as well as Jesus’s apostles Matthew, Phillip, and Thomas, actor Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh and The Princess and the Frog) as Pharisee Hillel, Dimas, and Christ’s apostle James the Greater, actor Fred Tatasciore (Mass Effect 3 and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron) as Pharisee Eleazar, actress Vanessa Marshall (Guardian of the Galaxy and Star Trek: Lower Decks) as Mary of Bethany, actor Mark Wingert (Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny and Arcane) as Gaspar, one of the Three Wise Men, and Pharisee Mahaliell, actor Imari Williams (Transformers: Rescue Bots and Star Wars: Bad Batch) as Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men, and Jesus’s apostles Bartholomew, actor Frank Todaro (The Cuphead Show! and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth) as thief Gestas, actress Millicent Miereanu (Miss Mary Mack) as Martha, actress Ava Sanger, making her debut in the film as Mary Dickens, and actor Dee Bradley Baker (Space Jam and Phineas and Ferb) as Williams’s cat named Willa, find in the cast of characters in the movie as minor supporting characters. Naturally, some of the characters only have a handful of scenes / dialogue moments in the film, yet all still are voiced correctly and do bring a sense of quality in their performance throughout. Could some of been drawn out more? Of course, which again leans into the criticisms that I highlighted above.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
To help his son learn about forgiveness, Charles Dickens recounts the tale of Jesus of Nazareth to him, chronicling the religious figures wonderous tales of miracles and enlightenment in the movie The King of Kings. Director Seong-ho Jang’s directorial debut film takes a closer look into Dicken’s “The Life of Our Lord” piece and translate it into an animated feature, invoking the power of his journey and his teaching for all to listen and learn from. While the animation for the movie might not reach the same exact heights of Disney or DreamWorks (story and characters) and the movie gets a bit lost within its own crammed narrative a few times, the film itself is still quite pleasing and easy to follow, thanks to Jang’s handling, a sentimental and inspiration story, meaningful and heartfelt message, a good score, a cinematic feeling, and a great voice cast, especially Branagh and Isaac. Personally, I thought that this movie was good. Of course, it wasn’t revolutionary nor was it groundbreaking in either the animated realm or even cinematic storytelling. Yet, it was also quite meaningful and sincere in what it wanted to convey from onset to conclusion. The voice talents were solid across the board and the religious thematic message held plenty of weight. Plus, as what it was intended to be, I did like how the project was aimed for children and able to learn about Jesus’s life journey without losing sight of its symbolism. So, it counterbalances everything out. Thus, my recommendation for this movie would be a “recommended” as I’m sure it will as well delight the younger generation as a sort of easy “gateway” to learn about Jesus’s story and his importance in Christianity (making it a safe family movie), while I’ll also say it might be an iffy-choice, due the film’s target audience being more of the faith-based variety and might not be the “must see” film of 2025 for the average moviegoer. Still, The King of Kings, while not exactly the best animated feature of late, still manages to find colorful rhythm of kid-friendly fun and inspiration within its retelling of the greatest story ever told…. through the dramatic prose of Charles Dickens.
3.8 Out of 5 (Recommended / Iffy-Choice)
The Official Website for The King of Kings Link: HERE
Released On: April 11th, 2025
Reviewed On: April 20th, 2025
The King of Kings is 101 minutes long and is rated PG for thematical material, violent content, some scary moments
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