Jesus

Rating:
Summary: Quite classy, heartfelt version of Jesus
Review: I missed the beginning of Jesus, so I can only review what I saw. From what I saw the actors were superb, and the mood interesting and provocative. As Jesus, Jeremy Sisto brings a type of fun and energy to Christ which has never quite been depicted this way before. Jesus has been represented as an confidant God in ''The Greatest Story Ever Told'' a semi-human in ''Jesus of Nazareth'' and a fully appealing, heartbreaking man reaching for his calling in ''Jesus.'' All of the three actors who protrayed different versions of Jesus were special in their own way. The first Jesus was strong, confidant, and people could see he had no trouble following his calling: the second was semi-human and yet fully accepting of his duties as Christ: the third is a heartfelt man struggling to answer his destiny. I could relate to all three. Jeremy Sisto is a very good actor, and his Jesus is soft and caring, and yet fun. The most touching scene was when he picks a little girl up in his arms, and swings her around laughing. Also the water fight with his Apostles was moving, depicting a joyful Jesus. This is the only Jesus, who seems fully approachable. The only problem is, sometimes the God aspect of Christ is overlooked. Also, I really liked the depicting of Pontius Pilate being a willing conspirator of Jesus martyrdom- I hated that the Jews had to absorb all of the blame. As the devil, the actor portraying him is tempting in a quite a unique way. In the Scriptures, the Devil is a decieving, misleading force pretending to be good. In 'Jesus' the devil is very evil, but tempting because he makes a convincing argument about kindness not being able to convert the enemy- as shown in visions he gives to Jesus of war, and starving children. Minutes before Christ is captured, he shows Jesus visions of 12th Century Crusaders going to kill Muslims ''in the name of Christ'', he also shows visions of WW2. This adresses the issue of ''Christians'' doing evil things in ''Christ's name.'' Mary is quite a gentle, non-perfect mother, while Peter is quite a hesitant, doubting follower- realistically so. All in all, very good cast, good acting,and nice interpertation of Jesus by Jeremy Sisto. Worth seeing, and understanding.

Rating:
Summary: A JESUS FOR THE NEW MILLENIUM
Review: THE MINISERIES AIRED ON CBS-TV AND DUE OUT SHORTLY ON VIDEO AND DVD IS A MAGNIFICENT PRODUCTION. SOME WILL NIT PICK BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT DOESN'T FOLLOW THE GOSPEL ACCURATELY. THE FOUR GOSPELS WERE NEVER INTENDED TO BE A BIOGRAPHY OF JESUS BUT ARE A COLLECTION OF HIS TEACHINGS AND HIS DEEDS,A TEACHING DEVISE TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE BELIEF THAT JESUS IS INDEED THE SON OF GOD. AS A RESULT WE NEVER GET A GOOD PORTRAIT OF JESUS THE HUMAN. IN THIS THE" JESUS" MINISERIES SUCCEEDS MASTERFULLY.TO DENY JESUS FEELINGS,EMOTIONS AND TIMES OF QUESTIONING IS TO DENY HE HAD A REAL HUMAN NATURE.JESUS IS FULLY GOD AND FULLY HUMAN WITH THE FULL RANGE OF HUMAN EMOTIONS. I GET ANNOYED AT CHRISTIANS WHO PERCEIVE THEIR IMAGE OF JESUS AS THE ONLY ONE AND THE RIGHT ONE.THEY FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE REALITY OF THE HUMAN LIFE HE LIVED AT THE SAME TIME BEING THE UNIQUE SON OF GOD.AS SCRIPTURE TELLS US .."HE ADVANCED IN WISDOM BEFORE GOD AND MAN..: JEREMY AND THE CAST WERE ALL SUPERB.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful work
Review: I cannot praise Sisto and the crew/cast enough. True, there are some flaws, such as the baptism in a puddle, Jesus not being immersed (read your Bible!), but the movie had tears streaming down my face. I taped it and my 9 y/o daughter and I watch it every day, sometimes more than once. Sisto was excellent as portraying Jesus as a human, and the scene where he is being crucified and in agony and Bisset is reaching for him, crying "Jesus, Jesus, I'm here" tears me up as a mother. All of the apostles and supporting cast were well-selected. Watch this and "The Greatest Story Ever Told" to get a comprehensive view if you don't read the New Testament. Yes, we are devout Christians here, but I have never seen my daughter embrace a movie so enthusiatically as this one. I can't wait to get my "official" copy!

Rating:
Summary: A Different Look At Jesus
Review: This one tries to show the more human side of Jesus than most other portrayals, but without veering so far off course that it would alienate viewers. It shows Jesus dealing with uncertainty about his purpose & mission, & also with feelings for Lazarus' sister which he can't act on. Another non-traditional twist is Jesus' premonitions of future events. This is an interesting approach, & I give the creators credit for trying something new. It also includes Biblical passages not in other movies, such as Jesus walking on the water. However, Jeremy Sisto is basically left to carry the movie pretty much by himself. The supporting cast isn't nearly as good as in, for instance, JESUS OF NAZARETH with Robert Powell. And while Sisto's performance is good, it doesn't have the effect of Powell's. Once or twice, he slips too far into the role of being a "regular guy", instead of commanding the respect that Powell's performance does. Also, the cross scene seems rushed, as Sisto delivers his lines so fast it's distracting. This one is definitely worthwhile, but not the best.

Rating:
Summary: A STRANGE PORTRAYAL
Review: The CBS film called Jesus that was released in 2000 begins with a Joan of Ark figure being burned at the stake and couples it with a scene out of WWII where soldiers are shown fleeing from the enemy. This dramatic introduction to the film is all part of a dream from which Jesus wakes up. The film then explores a supposed romance between Jesus and Mary, sister of Martha, in which he confesses to his father Joseph that he loves her but cannot be with her. Joseph, Jesus, and Mary are then confronted with Matthew, the tax collector, who breaks into their home to take taxes. That evening, Joseph bemoans the suffering of the Jews, and Jesus is offended by the assertion that he is the expected Messiah who can relieve the present suffering. Jesus then storms out of the room. After Joseph's death, as Jesus is mourning, Jesus says that he has only one father and that is Joseph. Jesus is then prompted by Mary to go on his mission, and he visits John to be baptized. John does not view Jesus as the Messiah but calls him a sinner who needs to repent of his sins. Soon after, Jesus is baptized, then he (Jesus) becomes the Messiah and confronts Satan in a bizarre interpretation of his temptations.
Jesus is first confronted by Satan in the form of woman with a red sash. The woman is then transformed into only the flowing sash. The Devil is then transformed into what is best described as a businessman with a really nice Armani suit. The Devil takes Jesus to a poverty-stricken South American village filled with starving victims, and then Jesus is magically removed from the area. Jesus is then taken to the Temple in Jerusalem, Satan is turned back into the woman with the red sash, and Jesus is shown the entire world from outer space. Jesus and the satanic businessman are soon back in the desert setting where it is decided that Jesus has passed the temptations. The devil will have to bide his time.
.... Jesus' ministry finally begins. He collects his disciples, and Mary tells him the story about their Egypt experiences. In a flashback, Mary recalls the situation in which Jesus and a few friends accidentally kill a bird and Jesus resurrects it. Jesus is depicted as living in Egypt at five to six years of age. Did Herod die in 4 B.C. or didn't he? If Herod was dead, why did the family stay in Egypt? Jesus and the disciples then attend the wedding at Cana, and Jesus apologizes to the Disciple Andrew because the disciple expected Jesus to defeat the Romans. The final insult in this film is the depiction of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus, prior to his address to the crowd, tells his disciples he has nothing to say. Luckily for us all, he comes up with something.

Rating:
Summary: Can I Smell Some Hollywood Sleeze Behind This Production?...
Review: this film is obviously a film to question as to 'why was this made?'

first, look at the poster. the dvd case. the advertisement. the ads for this movie. is it at all disrespectful to leave the J in Jesus lower case? that's an obvious sign that there's a lack of respect for Jesus.

second, Debra Messing's role portrayal is a far cry from a las vegas prostitute, but come on, what part of the Bible describes Mary like that? it's like a hollywoodized assumption.. and isn't this the Debra Messing who stars in "Will & Grace", the comedy sitcom about hetero- and homo-sexual relationships?? if i remember corectly, God doesnt find much comedy about homosexuality, and actually condemns it. so that's odd that she'd make a movie about God's Son.

third, Gary Oldman, Jeremy Sisto, and others, these are all stars who make a living off of playing quite a handful of blasphemous roles in their resume list. not that it's a bad thing to play those roles, but seriously, they arent exactly signing onto this movie because theyre passionate about the Good News Delivery, more so that they want the name 'Jesus' added to their resume.

forth, do the producers even believe that Christ is the Messiah? most hollywood producers are either Aithiest or Jewish, and they would not be too inclined to change their perspectives breifly for a movie production.

dont get me wrong, its nice that they made this movie. but it completely lacks the heart and soul needed to make a respectful accout of Jesus' life.

"Jesus of Nazareth", "Passion of the Christ", are a few of those films that DID have the gusto needed to respect Jesus Christ and accuracy with the Gospels.

Rating:
Summary: Enticing but Lacking in Character
Review: Who can pass up any movie with the title "Jesus"? Sisto is less then adequate at his role as Christ. Im not sure if its his voice or his blase boring acting...or maybe because I remember him from the movie Clueless, but he just did not make me believe that I was really watching Jesus. Rather it was very obvious from the first 15 minutes, that it was Sisto reading lines pretending to be Jesus. In a way it was very liturgical and dogmatic and...well boring. But I watched it anyway because I love all movies portraying the most fabulous spiritual masters of all time. I will say that Messing, surprinsingly enough acted very well in her role as Mary Magdalene...in fact she was the only convincing actor in the movie. I will also say that I loved the idea of how they portrayed Satan. All too often Jesus movies leave out the temptation story...yet it is a wonderful and highly symbolic of Jesus the man...turning into Jesus the Christ by resisting the lower self. So any library needs this movie just for the sake of having it. Beyond that, if you want quality Jesus movie with a quality character portrayal of Christ please, I urge you to buy "Mary, the Mother of Jesus." Christian Bale portrays Jesus...what an actor! He has a strong energy about him that made me believe it was Jesus not Bale. Very powerful actor.

Rating:
Summary: An interesting but inaccurate depiction of Jesus
Review: This movie is one of the most interesting depictions of Jesus on film. It is not the most accurate but there are several scenes that give us food for thought.

The writers tried to emphasize more the human side of Jesus -- Jesus enjoyed life, laughed, danced, joked around with his disciples, and yet was the Son of God and Savior.

Some interesting (but not so biblically accurate) scenes:

1) Jesus resurrected sparrows during his childhood. This is taken from the Gospel of Thomas (a non-canonical book), and not from Scripture.

2) This is one of the few Jesus movies, where it is inferred that he was attracted to women and vice-versa. Mary of Bethany is portrayed as being attracted to Jesus but Jesus has to reject her marriage proposal because of his higher mission as the Messiah. Later, Jesus has a heart to heart talk with Mary Magdalene; there is noticeable chemistry between the two of them.

3) The Temptation scene: Satan appears as a seductive woman in a red dress and then morphs into a businessman in an Armani suit (played by Jeroen Krabbe). Satan tempts Jesus to let go of his divinity and to submit to raw power. Jesus seems to be unsure of himself and his divinity.

4) Jesus is depicted as dancing in the celebrations at Cana and at other parties. He splashes water on the disciples, skips rocks across the water, and plays tag with the disciples (!) Then he gets serious and performs miracles or launches into a brief sermonette (Jesus' teachings are very, very brief in this movie).

5) Jesus' dependency on Mary, his earthly mother. Mary needs to reassure Jesus when he is down and suffers from self-doubt.

6) Jeremy Sisto is an interesting choice to play Jesus. Jesus talks almost like an older adolescent with long hair and 1st century clothes. He is unsure of himself at times and about his role as the Messiah. This is most noticeable in the earlier scenes when he has to be reassured by Mary and during the Temptation scenes when he seems like he is trying to make up his mind on how to respond to Satan's temptation.

These scenes are interesting in that it forces the viewer to think about the following questions:

What was Jesus like as a child? How was he submissive to his earthly parents?

Was Jesus attracted to women or vice-versa?

Were the Temptations an ongoing occurrence throughout Jesus' ministry while He was on earth?

How serious was Jesus? Did he laugh and enjoy life?

Viewers who subscribe to an evangelical and conservative theological standpoint and want a depiction of Jesus which is biblically accurate would most likely object to many of these scenes. However, I think this movie is valuable because it causes the viewer to think about the human aspect of Jesus and what He was like.

I may not have agreed with many of the depictions of Jesus in this movie but I'm glad that I was motivated through watching this movie to think about these questions. I've found that this movie helped to facilitate many interesting and meaningful discussions on who Jesus really was. Do we have preconceived stereotypical images of Jesus in our minds? Are we willing to accommodate a different depiction of Jesus other than the ones we're used to?

Rating:
Summary: A "REAL" Jesus
Review: Finally, a movie that protrays Jesus as a real person that laughs, cries and even has fun. There is no mechanical Jesus here. The best movie on Jesus ever!!

Rating:
Summary: The splashin' of the Christ
Review: Every Jesus movie or miniseries has its strengths. "Jesus of Nazareth" is the most historically and scripturally accurate. Jesus Christ Superstar does the best job of seeing the parallels between Christ's time and our own (pretty good music too, I hear.) "The Passion of the Christ," as we all now know, is the bloodiest.

"Jesus," the miniseries, though unrealized in significant ways, attempts to address aspects of the Christ story that others have not and could not. First, the movie focuses on the relationship between Jesus and his earthly father Joseph, played lovingly by Armin Mueller-Stahl. Jesus' love for Joseph is palpably tender and reciprocal. Joseph is the old master; Jesus the eager apprentice, desperate to please and bereft when the old man dies. There is also a romantic sub-plot between Jesus and Martha, in this film depicted as his distant city cousin. Nothing comes of the relationship, but it makes you wonder the degree to which Jesus, fully human even by conservative theological principles, struggled with a desire to be a normal man of his time, learning a trade, getting married, and having a family.

Jesus, played adequately by Jeremy Sisto, is also shown as quite playful. He teases his disciples, splashing water in their faces and pulling their scarves. This is fun, though it doesn't seem to move the story anywhere. The scenes of Jesus teaching also attempt to break new ground. Rather than merely stringing together a long list of inscrutable sayings, gospel style, "Jesus" shows the Master interacting with the crowd, even getting a good-natured heckling.

"Jesus" fails to show why anyone would find this man threatening. Yet I was fascinated by the film's attempts to show Jesus as a person with an interesting personality of his own. Jesus in this film had real charisma, giving us more than the inexplicable magnetism of most Jesus flicks. Ultimately, the movie does not succeed (none have) in depicting the enigmatic man who has held the world in his spell for two thousand years. But "Jesus" brings to the screen a few more pieces for us to consider, making its subject perhaps a bit more accessible in a time that needs him more than ever.