Rating: 
Summary: a real missed opportunity
Review: **1/2 What could be sadder for lovers of great movies than a case of missed opportunity? So many films are so piddling in their ambition, scope and purpose that, as jaded moviegoers, we crave that rare film that will tackle monumental themes, fearless of consequences and immune to compromise."The Body" had the potential to be one of the most provocative and controversial films of recent times - a film so challenging in its theme that it would make "The Last Temptation of Christ" look like a Sunday School lesson. Let's face it: you don't win popularity contests by challenging the very foundation of one of the world's core religions (as the brouhaha over "Temptation" a dozen or so years ago testified). Alas, for all its potential for greatness, "The Body," after displaying the temerity to pick up the ball and run with it, fumbles badly long before it makes it out of home territory. The premise of the film is daring, ingenious and courageous: an archaeologist, a young Jewish woman named Sharon Golban, has uncovered what could well turn out to be the find to end all finds - the body of a crucified man laid in a rich man's tomb, in other words, the possibly unresurrected body of Jesus Christ. The implications of this discovery - for history, for religion, for the world as a whole - would, of course, be overwhelming and mind-boggling. However, a theme of such shattering monumental proportions cries out for a filmmaker of commensurate stature to cope with the many moral complexities that such a premise lends itself to. Unfortunately, writer/director Jonas McCord is not that filmmaker. I haven't read the novel (written by Richard Ben Sapir) upon which the film is based, but I can attest to the fact that, after an intriguing beginning, "The Body" falls far short of its very real promise. In many ways, the film is a maddening tease, promising to be a morally and intellectually challenging experience, yet in the end leaving us feeling empty, compromised and cheated. So where exactly does the film go wrong? For one thing the scope of the film is simply too small. A story of this size needs to be dealt with on a more global scale. The implications of such a discovery would most likely turn the world as we know it upside down and, thus, we yearn for a treatment that would be commensurate with that possibility. Somehow, the characters that have been chosen to act out the drama fail to fire up our imaginations. Sharon, the archaeologist, is aided in her research by a hunky Central American Jesuit priest named Father Gutierrez (Antonio Banderas) whom the Vatican has chosen (for truly obscure reasons) to essentially debunk the finding. (As in virtually every film in which they appear, the Catholic hierarchy is portrayed as an assortment of nefarious, two-faced, worldly villains whose only goal is to maintain their power at any and all costs). The injection of Father Gutierrez into Sharon's world leads to a few insightful clashes between science on the one hand and faith on the other - as well as a lot of predictable romantic palaver between the two principals. The movie does address the issue of whether or not a person's faith in God (or Christianity in general) would somehow be annihilated if the resurrection could be proved a falsehood. Derek Jacoby, as a dedicated archaeologist/priest, answers that question one way, while Father Gutierrez answers it another. The film also makes an effort to explore the psyche of the dedicated archaeologist who puts all her faith in reason and has none left over for God. She also realizes that she has the power to thrust the world into a spiritual turmoil the likes of which it has never seen before - and she begins to question whether even her own dedication to truth and science can justify such an act. At such times, the film has a certain ring of truth about it. But, perhaps through fear of stepping on too many toes or seeing too many picketers outside the theatres, McCord keeps cutting away from the central story to feature a truly ludicrous and uninteresting subplot about a group of Palestinian terrorists who are attempting to "kidnap" the remains so they can be used as the ultimate bargaining chip should the Catholic Church decide to support Israel in keeping Jerusalem out of Palestinian hands. (McCord seems less concerned about Palestinian protestors than Christian ones). Thus, at crucial moments when the film seems finally to be engaging its complex theme, we are deflected into the mundane world of action cinema filled with such staples as car chases, shoot outs, slow motion explosions etc. This is an insult both to the profundity of the story and the sensibilities of the audience. So will "The Body" ultimately offend its most devout viewers, those who may find that even suggesting such a possibility as the film posits qualifies as blasphemy of the highest order? I really can't speak for them. All I know is that, as a spiritually dispassionate moviegoer who appreciates a provocative theme when it comes along, "The Body," thanks to its overall muffing of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - for what filmmaker is ever going to want to tackle this subject again? - offends me for a great many other reasons.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad films are not worth reviewing...
Review: ...but when a film this bad comes out, it's a cinematic event. "Mundane" and "formulaic" have been used by other reviewers and I wholeheartedly agree. "Offensively bad" I can add. The central question posed in the story is a marvelous one - a young Israeli archaeologist finds the remains of a crucified man on a dig is Jerusalem. Could this be the body of Christ? A Christ who did not in fact rise from the dead? The vested political and religious interests of the state of Israel, the Palestinians and the whole Christian world (embodied by it's most prominent faction - the Catholic Church) converge on this humble pile of bones. Intrigue, cover-ups, double dealing even a shoot-out ensue ... but sadly no interesting ideas. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind thoughtless films, but I felt truly short-changed by this one. It conjures up a fascinating chimera and then doesn't have to bravery to go anywhere near it. For such a challenging question the film is utterly devoid of any intellectual or even emotional challenge. Fellow reviewers comment on the stunning cinematography. Well, perhaps they're right, but even the cinematic grandeur of Laurence of Arabia couldn't earn this dud more than one star in my book. Woeful turkey.
Rating: 
Summary: A Question of Faith
Review: A good movie and worth the time spent watching it. The Body brings up some very seriouse philosophical points, mixed with science and relidgeon, and a belief still held fast by faith.
A Body of a crucified man found in a tomb reserved for the rich, concealed and bearing all the crucifixion marks, even the crown of thorns and a spear in the side. Is it really the body of Christ??? and what happens to the world, our beliefs, and our way of life if it is found that it is.
The Body has very little in the way of extras and bonus materials, having only two trailors and a filmography of banderras. Still a good movie, and at the very least worth a rental.
Rating:
Summary: A Question of Faith
Review: A good movie and worth the time spent watching it. The Body brings up some very seriouse philosophical points, mixed with science and relidgeon, and a belief still held fast by faith.
A Body of a crucified man found in a tomb reserved for the rich, concealed and bearing all the crucifixion marks, even the crown of thorns and a spear in the side. Is it really the body of Christ??? and what happens to the world, our beliefs, and our way of life if it is found that it is.
The Body has very little in the way of extras and bonus materials, having only two trailors and a filmography of banderras. Still a good movie, and at the very least worth a rental.
Rating:
Summary: Religious Thriller is too farfetched and boring
Review: Antonio Banderas (Shrek 2, Mambo Kings) throws his acting talents into the role of a priest sent to investigate if in a tomb, that the skelton in there is infact Jesus Christ. Along for his ride he meets the woman who found it, played by Olivia Williams (Rushmore, The 6th Sense), who is miscast for the part in my mind. The 2 try to determine if the body is J.C. but get into a tangled web of truth, lies and religion. This boring and farfetched movie tries to tell a story which is pretty ridiculous and predictable because you know it isnt gonna be Jesus' bones down there. It was probably not David it was probably some guy named Earl. Too must archeological and religious babble for me to consume in one movie. Banderas tries his best to keep this up and he only does it for so long. Also starring John Wood (ladyhawke), Derek Jacobi (Gladiator, Gosford Park), Ian McNiece (No Escape, Children Of Dune) and Jason Flemyng (From Hell, Snatch). Also suffers from a violent ending.
Rating:
Summary: Banderas Should Have Stayed In Europe
Review: Antonio Banderas was such a terrific actor when he was a European film star and in European movies. He was in vehicles with fine screenplays that gave him full opportunity to showcase his considerable talents. Ever since he became an American movie star though, it has been pretty much straight downhill. There are a few exceptions. He was terrific in "Evita" for one and also very good in "Mambo Kings." The main problem with this film is that the plot idea is a good one but the execution of that via the screenplay is terrible. The idea is that the body of Christ is discovered in a tomb and that Christ thus never rose from the dead. Thus, it appears that Christ is/was not God and that knowledge will have enormous worldwide implications if it gets out. Banderas is a priest struggling to cope with this whole startling discovery. Casting the ultra sexy Banderas as a priest is somewhat problematic as well as he simply can't turn that chemistry off and you keep wondering if this character could really be a priest. Various nations jockey for power over this body discovery and that ends up swallowing the film whole and totally sinking it.
Rating:
Summary: Good Entertainment That Lacks Intellectual Challenge
Review: By virtue of its premise, The Body, a movie based around the primary plot of a crucified body being found in an ancient rich-man's tomb, nearly doomed its own success before it was in the can. Yet the premise of this movie is the very reason I picked it off the shelf (fully expecting to be offended by it). Surprisingly, I found no reason to be offended at any turn, except perhaps by the careful scripting that sidesteps many serious political and religious issues in order not to offend anyone. I must applaud the writers of this screenplay for the way they avoided painting any ethnic group or religious sect as the bad guys, while dealing with a hot topic in a location where such unrest has sprung from the religious, cultural, and ancestoral differences of the people. At the same time, I found it unsettling that the creators of this movie were disinclined to take a solid stance on any of the many issues that the script touches. From an experiential stand point, this movie was salvaged primarily by the excellent cinematography, featuring breath-taking shots of Jerusalem and the surrounding countryside, along with the talent-laden acting skills of Antonio Banderas, Olivia Williams, and their superb supporting cast. Overall, it is good entertainment that lacks the thought-provoking script one might desire when tackling a topic as serious as the possible discovery of the decayed body of Jesus of Nazareth.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting premise that becomes a really dumb film
Review: Finding the body of Christ is the key theme of this film. If the body were found, would it destroy Christianity? I will let you see this drek to determine the final answer. The film asks an interesting question. Unfortunately, it gets bogged down in setting up the question, that the author's answer is revealed long before the final reel. It is almost anti-climatic to watch the ending. Hollywood formula gone mad. The dialog is stilted and stupid. There are scientific, as well as storyline, inconsistencies, and it is, overall, a boring movie. There is one highlight. The cinematography is excellent. Some of the aerial shots will take your breath away, esp. if you enjoy glimpses of Jerusalem.
Rating: 
Summary: What if Christ Were Just an Ordinary man?
Review: I have passed this DVD on the shelves at my local video store countless times. I thought it was a thriller and well, Antonio Banderas in a lead role? I continued to pass it over. Finally, I read a review on this movie and got some insight into the plot (thanks to top reviewer Carol Irvin). The movie is a great big "What-If" concerning the vailidity of Christ. Now I must say up front...I do study different religions, but as a Christian myself, this movie was more than just thought provoking, it stirred some really scary emotions within me. I feel it necessary to warn those out there who get nervous about religious artifacts and the scandals over gene testing such things...this movie can be a really difficult to watch. Be cautious.
The premise of the movie begins with a young archeologist, played by Olivia Williams opening a tomb in Jersalem, which appears at first glance to be the tomb of the risen Christ. (gotta be up on your Bible to follow what is going on here). The tomb is that of a rich man, and the bed lay empty as dipicted the way it should be from scriptures. A coin is found on the floor that is dated to 32 A.D. - the exact date of Christ's burial. At first glance, this seems to be the holy tomb of Christ himself...a most miraculous discovery for the Christian Faith. There is just one major problem. The back wall of the tomb is not original to the outer tomb. The wall is removed and there lies the skeletal remains of a man who has been crucified, and laid to rest.
From this point on, the movie changes beat. The Vatican and other politicians get involved. Tests are done and it seems the closer they come to figuring out if it is the unrisen body of Christ, Holy wars begin to break out. The basic question to this movie is to ask yourself (no matter what your religion or faith)...what happens to all if this is found to be the bones of Jesus Christ? If Christ and God were one, what will all of humanity feel at the expense of determining the identity of the body. Antonio Banderas is believable and gives a surprising performance as the Vatican's undercover priest sent to investigate the tomb. The movie moves more quickly than I imagined and has a great shock ending. I can see this movie being an exceptional, emotional ride for someone of any faith. Be prepared to be shaken up by this movie...it was definitely worth my time.
Rating:
Summary: Not WIDE enough for me...
Review: I loved this film... but when I ordered it (hoping for the widescreen version as stated on the description) I got the full screen version... I informed Amazon of the error and sent back the DVD. An email was sent back to me informing me that I was in the wrong and they were refunding me $4.73. I took exception to this and after some more explanation, they agreed to send me another copy at no additional charge. Problem is, when I received it, it was again the full screen version. At this point they are refunding me the entire amount and I'll have to look for it elsewhere... WARNING: If you're wanting the widescreen version, don't take a chance here... you may be getting into a loop of trouble and confusion.
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