Jakarta. Faith-based animated film “The King of Kings” has hit Indonesian theaters just in time for the Easter long weekend.

South Korean filmmaker Seong-ho Jang has made an animated retelling of Jesus’ life from his birth to resurrection as told by the famous English novelist Charles Dickens. In the 1840s, Dickens had written “The Life of Our Lord” -- a book about the life of Jesus -- for his young children. It, however, only got published about 64 years after the author’s death. “The Kings of Kings”, which clocks in at 141 minutes, is loosely inspired by this children’s book. 

“The King of Kings” adopts a story-within-a-story format. It starts with the animated Dickens (voiced by Kenneth Branagh) arguing with his son Walter (Roman Griffin Davis), an imaginative young boy obsessed with King Arthur. Dickens then tries to make amends by telling a bedtime story about Jesus Christ (voiced by Oscar Isaac). At first, Walter hesitates because it is not the usual story with dragons and sword-wielding kings. But the young boy eventually grows captivated as he learns what it means to be a true king. Quoting Dickens’ words in the movie: “A true king serves his subjects”. “The King of Kings” explores Jesus’ teachings that one should be kind and forgive others.

The story is told through the eyes of a child with some lighthearted interjections here and there. In some parts, the story will take viewers back to Dickens’ house before returning to Jesus’ time, and eventually going to the 1800s again. Animation-wise, the colors are pleasing to the eyes, and capture the expression of each character well. “The King of Kings” also comes with a star-studded voice cast starring Uma Thurman (Catherine Dickens), Mark Hamill (King Herod), Pierce Brosnan (Pontius Pilate), among others.

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