Rating: 
Summary: not impressive
Review: My husband bought this movie and we have watched it several times.The first few times gave me a very poor impression. It seems like they are making fun of Christians, Jesus and his Apostles.There are not just "modern" touches to it-there are things that just go too far. There are drag queens and homosexuals doing flapper dances.Many of the characters have gay qualities.Jesus' followers are protrayed as groupies that have been brainwashed. DO NOT show this movie to anyone that you wish to bring to Jesus..it won't help. I have been a Christian my entire life and I was very disturbed by it.It is not obvious that the story is supposed to be from Judas' point of view. The voices are all dubbed (poorly) and the voice quality is terrible..these people cannot sing and their acting skills do not make up for it.I got the impression that they were purposely protraying Jesus as a wimp and a "love-in chief" type of person.He is also a person of blonde hair and blue eyes. Judas is a black person--making me think they were using race as another "controversy" point. Many of the songs are poorly written with stumbling words and awkward transitions from one song to another.Some of the songs are great.I think it was a waste of talent that could have been used to make a GREAT true to the Bible Christian movie that may have helped lead many people to Christ. Overall, it is a poor movie.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the classics
Review: Sure the movie is dated but it's been a favorite of mine since I saw it in the theater when I was 10 years old. I just love this movie and I think Ted Neely was an awesome Jesus. The singing is sensational and the acting is passionate. It covers a lot of ground and does so with class.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: There are no bad guys in this version of the story. Everyone is doing what they think they must, and you really feel for all of them. As "anglicized" Jesus's go, Ted Neely gives a thoroughly believable performance of the most amazing man in history. Ignore the modern-day props, and focus instead on the words and especially the emotions of the actors, and you will be as amazed as I was. I've seen it several times now, and I am touched by it each time.
Rating:
Summary: I'm an agnostic and i love this movie...
Review: this one shows it's age, but it's still pretty powerful. i have never seen the stage version. i've only heard the cast recording. Ted Neely looks like a hippie version of christ;a " reluctant messiah," you could call him. he has a vulnerability that makes him believeable, as if he's not really sure he wants this gig. the film has that late 60's, 70's aura, you can tell alot about the times just by watching it. i grew up in a baptist family, and had religion forced-fed to me from the time i was old enough to understand it.i was never given a choice as to what or who to believe in, yet what i like about this movie is it just shows jesus for who he was/is and leaves it up to you to decide if you like him or hate him.I love the title song. you'll be humming the soundtrack for days...
Rating: 
Summary: Frustrating tracks/chapters
Review: This DVD is of course true to the original. The only disappointing and frustrating part is that the chapters are not arranged song by song, but tends to run two songs together in the same chapter. For instance, the Overture and "Heaven on their Minds" should be seperated, but are instead in the same track. "Strange Thing Mystifying" is combined with "Then we are Decided", but "What's the Buzz" is off on its own track! "This Jesus Must Die" is on the same track as "Everything's Alright". "Poor Jerusalem" is combined with "Simon Zealotes", etc. This results in a frustrating arrangement if I just want to hear a specific song, but can't get to it directly. It's also frustrating if you want to skip a song completely, but want to hear the next song. I wouldn't imagine that having a DVD with more than 24 chapters would be that difficult. If having the songs separated is important to you, then don't bother getting the DVD... :-)
Rating:
Summary: Mesmerized!
Review: I first saw this film at thirteen years old,I was mesmerized by it's intensity and it's compassionate portrayel of the last days of Jesus Christ.I am now forty-one years old and am still mesmerized by it every time I see the movie again.
As a ministers daughter I never could really grasp what the last days of Christ were like until I saw this movie,I remember looking into the eyes of Ted Neeley as Christ and it had finally become clear to me what compassion and pain he must have felt in those last horrible days knowing he would die.Though Ted Neeley was small his eyes held so much power reverence and compassion and I finally saw a human side of Christ that helped me to be proud to have been created in his own image.
Carl Anderson was wonderful and his voice held so much power and emotion it was undeniable how confused and torn he was in fighting for his own understanding of Christ,he was the pefect Judas and always will be in my book.
The scene in the Garden of Gethsemene was so powerful and so full of emotion it stayed embedded in my head for days and even now as I watch that scene I cannot help but feel the pain that Jesus must have felt as he faced his death that day,that scene has always reminded me just how human and also how powerful and compasionate Christ was and always will be if we believe in Love and are willing to forgive and turn the other cheek.
A movie well worth watching and one that helped me to understand the true meaning of Faith,Hope and Love in the face of adversity.
Rating:
Summary: It's a little bizarre....
Review: But we have a new tradition of viewing this DVD every Christmas Night, to sort of shake off the story of the nativity and reground the last 7 days of Christ. This, our favorite version of the telling of the tale, is crafted from the first true rock opera hit from partners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is odd, but the Webber format of Broadway operas is unpopular in our household; this first play was, however, truly enjoyable and a real departure from the norm back in 1973. Norman Jewison artfully stages the play to film by utilization of a mix of period costumes and scenes with modern day conveniences, particularly as they reflect the militarism of his modern day setting in Israel. Most often praised are the performances of Carl Anderson, who took over the role that made Ben Vereen a star, as Judas, (The Rice/Webber storyline is unique in its emphasis on Judas as a character, what drove him to his betrayal, and also the characterization of Jesus as one who has doubts about the wisdom of his final days), and the cinematography on a sparse set filmed in the desert region of Israel. Controversial was Ted Neeley in the lead role, a man beset by media and hype which led his quiet revolution in a direction that led to his inevitable doom. The film and play do not deal with the resurrection, also a controversial decision at the time of its writing; because the "feel good" aspects of resurrection generally help we Christians recover from the shock of Jesus portrayed on the cross. Neeley, who has the voice for the role, did not have the stature, being slim and short. Somehow, for me, this humanizes Jesus into belief as the quiet carpenter from Galilee, who must change his whole world in order to prepare a belief and values system for millions in the centuries to follow. In the scene where Jesus clears the temple, there is little doubt that Jewison chose well; the fire and spirit in Neeley surfaces, and you throw your belief behind him thanks to this scene. A beautiful film that helped to bridge some of the gaps of the theater staging, with memorable music and outstanding Rice lyrics .... this is a film experience.
Rating: 
Summary: Superstar Neeley sabotaged.
Review: This film is definitely of the 70's however its music, cast and location make it a remarkable interpretation of this Webber-Rice musical. The one element that makes this movie disappointing is the casting of Ted Neeley as Jesus. His acting and appearance are never convincing and his voice is weak and screechy, especially compared to that of deep Purple's Ian Gillan who sang on the original recording. Despite this large shortcoming the film is saved by a brilliant performance by Carl Anderson as Judas Iscariot. Anderson brings the right amount of fear, anxiety, anger, uncertainty and desperation to the role. Added to this are the remarkable lyrics of Tim Rice and the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber; by far his greatest achievement. The music and lyrics are moving and inspiring. What was Norman Jewison thinking when he cast Ted Neeley???
Rating:
Summary: He is no Ian Gillian
Review: I am not a big fan of this movie because the director did something that was not original. He took a production dated in ancient times and tried to update to today's world. Boring and unimaginative. Further, Ted Nealey...well, let's just say he is not Ian Gillian. To the "die hard" JC Superstar fans, buy the CD with the original cast. It will blow you away. Just the emotion in the singing (which isn't in the movie) will bring you to tears. By the way, does a video exist with Ian Gillian in it?
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful abstract realisation of the top rock opera
Review: Well, I'm biased, because Jesus Christ Superstar is my favourite rock opera, but even without the music, this is something special. You have to be prepared to suspend your disbelief quite a lot here, because the film starts and ends with the framing device of a load of contemporary hippies taking a magic bus to the desert and performing the story of the last days of Jesus. The film never entirely breaks free of this frame, because we see the Roman guards with machine guns and the traders in the temple with postcard racks. This is probably better (and cheaper!) than attempting to make a realistic backdrop because it allows the entire proceedings to be shot on location rather than the usual method of constructing sets in the studios and somehow putting in the 30 A.D. buildings in place on location. The central performances are excellent and if the actors don't live up to our expectations of what Jesus and Judas might look like, then more suspension of disbelief is aided by the fact that they're so damn good in the roles. The singing of Judas particularly is both powerful in the louder sections and constant in the quiet parts, which is quite difficult to achieve. Disco diva Yvonne Elliman makes a great Mary Magdalene, singing what some say is Rice's cleverest lyric to Webber's best melody, 'I Don't Know How To Love Him'. There is very little spoken dialogue, allowing the songs to take centre stage throughout. Buy it, play it and sing along to it!
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