What can we say about the upcoming Biblical film Son of God? It’s…certainly a film. That much is clear. Whether it will be a worthy entry into the Biblical epic genre has yet to be seen, but based on the latest trailer I am going to have to say a resounding “no.”
Son of God tells the story of Jesus Christ (as if you didn’t already know), who in this case looks like he just stepped off the bus from Woodstock. The film has been cut together from the New Testament sections of the History Channel’s miniseries The Bible, making it one of the few films to be taken from television and thrown up onto the big screen. Given the somewhat mixed reception of The Bible upon its premiere, and its spectacular success despite allegations of both Biblical and historical inaccuracy, there’s no doubt that Son of God will receive both derision and accolades from different circles.
The latest trailer for Son of God does not do much to sell the film, I am sorry to say. This is perhaps one of the most recognizable and oft-told stories in the world, which means that any film has to find a unique way of telling the tale. What we get here looks like the cinematic equivalent of a Sunday school picture book, with neither theological depth nor cinematic competency. So while we’re unlikely to have to sit through two hours of scourging, as in The Passion of the Christ, this is unlikely to do justice to the actual Biblical narrative.
Perhaps I am judging Son of God too readily on the basis of only a few trailers. It quite obviously is aiming for the same faith-based demographic that The Bible miniseries aimed for, and as such will likely be successful. Nevertheless, I feel like this story deserves a bit more cinematic respect than this film will give it.
You can watch the latest trailer for Son of God below and let us know what you think in the comments.
Son of God comes to theatres February 26th.