Rating: 
Summary: Treasure in jars of clay (so to speak)
Review: I, like many others, was skeptical about a new life of Christ movie, and a Claymation production to boot! Though I am not one to heap gratuitous praise on movies, I must say that it is one of the best movie portrayals of the life of Christ that I have seen. The animation is nothing short of brilliant. The switching between 2D drawings and 3D claymation is sometimes distracting, but not so much as to spoil the effect. The thing has a pocket-sized look. It is not epic in scale, but it is meticulous enough to more than make up for it. There is a sense of randomness that draws you into this little world and helps you to forget for a time that these are just clay figures.The script is down to earth, but retains an elegance in the thoughtful voice characterizations of Ralph Fiennes, Ian Holm, William Hurt and the rest. It's also tight as a drum. In a mere hour and a half you are treated to a breathtaking number of events in the life of Jesus. Sure, there are some things I would like to have seen that are not shown, but I respect the narrative integrity of the screenplay. It arouses nostalgia for the great movies of the '30s and '40s, when directors and writers knew how to pack a lot of story into a small space of time, unlike many reverentially slow and cumbersomely staged biblical adaptations. I also like the fact this movie is straight-down-the-line orthodox. It has a good sense of balance of the divine and the human in Jesus. I like the humorous visualizations of the parables of the wise and foolish builders and the log and speck in the eye. I'm sure Jesus must have meant those to have an element of humor. I would recommend this to anyone tired of those dull, pallid biblical adaptations which have become more the rule than the exception in religious movies. This gives a lifelike, sympathetic visualization of Jesus in his times. Of course, anyone who wants to know more about Jesus should read the Gospels; there's no substitute for that.
Rating:
Summary: More Than a Pleasant Suprise!
Review: In an age of shallow and lifeless kids entertainment...especially on biblical topics (witness the recent NBC "Noah" debacle...), this movie is fresh and energetic. I sense a real passion here for the subject matter....though that's not often in style these days. Largely faithful to (and certainly respectful of...) the biblical text, it embellishes well to "flesh out" the story and help clarify what's happening. for audiences unfamiliar with the story. Unlike a previous reviewer, I found no lack of joy where it seemed appropriate. The claymation technique serves so well to draw kids into what can be complex subject matter...and, just as importantly, helps keep older siblings and parents entertained as well. The music and soundtrack have plenty of punch, and the voice characterizations are very good. Ralph Fiennes and William Hurt are the two recognizable voices to my ears, but all the voice actors brought respect and heart to their roles. Oddly enough, the use of 2-D cartoon animation for dream sequences, parables and such help to give an even more "life-like" texture to the claymation...very tasty stuff. As far as great entertainment based around biblical themes, this was my most pleasant surprise since "Prince of Egypt". Very accessible. Terrific quality. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: More Than a Pleasant Suprise!
Review: In an age of shallow and lifeless kids entertainment...especially on biblical topics (witness the recent NBC "Noah" debacle...), this movie is fresh and energetic. I sense a real passion here for the subject matter....though that's not often in style these days. Largely faithful to (and certainly respectful of...) the biblical text, it embellishes well to "flesh out" the story and help clarify what's happening. for audiences unfamiliar with the story. Unlike a previous reviewer, I found no lack of joy where it seemed appropriate. The claymation technique serves so well to draw kids into what can be complex subject matter...and, just as importantly, helps keep older siblings and parents entertained as well. The music and soundtrack have plenty of punch, and the voice characterizations are very good. Ralph Fiennes and William Hurt are the two recognizable voices to my ears, but all the voice actors brought respect and heart to their roles. Oddly enough, the use of 2-D cartoon animation for dream sequences, parables and such help to give an even more "life-like" texture to the claymation...very tasty stuff. As far as great entertainment based around biblical themes, this was my most pleasant surprise since "Prince of Egypt". Very accessible. Terrific quality. I highly recommend it!
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!
Review: In this film Jesus is portrayed as a friendly, appealing person without taking away from the complexity of His nature and the depth of emotions he felt. It moved me to tears. During the crucifixion scene my three-year-old kept saying, "Oh, poor Jesus!" -- but she danced in delight when Jesus came back to life. Thanks to ABC for showing this film on Easter and to the film's sponsors. I am going to buy several copies of this as Christmas presents.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Start--But
Review: It's a reverant interpretation of the story of Jesus and it started out good. The puppet animation was cool, nicely done and I thought it was an original way in which to tell the story of Christ. But why the shift to the cartoon sequences? That ruined it for me. It seemed like they ran out of time or money and went for the [inexpensive] approach. I was really disappointed. Kids might like it.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing piece of work!
Review: Look out Disney and DreamWorks... there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is Family Home Entertainment! From start to finish, you'll be amazed at the attention to detail in this 3D animation - not to mention the great story! When I first viewed the film on ABC-TV last year, I thought it was a claymation project similar to Wallace & Gromit. Well, I was wrong. Christmas Films of Russia, in association with BBC CYMRU/WALES, made this work possible using miniturized models. The "Making of" section on the disk is pretty amazing stuff. This is where you find out how the animators did their magic. Even after watching the "Making of", I'm still left scratching my head wondering how they pulled it off with such grandeur! If my memory serves me well, the film took some 5-years to complete. Wow! Definitely go and buy yourself a copy. If you have kids, grand-kids, nieces, nephews, or whatever, it would be a crying shame to let this jewel pass them by.
Rating:
Summary: Best Video Depiction Yet
Review: Love this movie -- I sent copies to some friends (Christian and non-Christian). Still, it seems hard to convince anyone to watch a movie about so profound a subject in claymation. It does not disappoint, and illuminates a lot of the political and social turmoil surrounding the time of his appearance very well. Very human, loving, and appropriate depiction, to my understanding.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant miracle maker
Review: Miracle Maker is not the same as Franco Zeffirelli's monumental epic on the same story, but it is a lovely movie. The characters are well defined and the voices (with Ralph Fiennes as Jesus) are excellent. The story is told from the point of view of Jairus' daughter, and there are many flashbacks and sub-narratives. All the essential items are there: Jesus' life and miracles, his claims about himself, and his resurrection. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Very good for Young Children
Review: My 4 yr old daughter very much enjoyed watching this movie. I appreciated the validity of scripture in a format that was presented in a non-threatening way for children to view and understand. Even I came away with new insights.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest story ever told...
Review: My husband and I saw this on Easter 2000. It is by far the most biblically accurate account of the life of Jesus. It is absolutely moving, and it's an instant classic.
| 
