5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.2 |
Tells the story of Jesus Christ at age seven as he and his family depart Egypt to return home to Nazareth. Told from his childhood perspective, it follows young Jesus as he grows into his religious identity.
Starring: Adam Greaves-Neal, Sean Bean, David Bradley (IV), Jonathan Bailey, Sara LazzaroPeriod | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
"Inspired by." "Imagines." These are key words that appear at the beginning of The Young Messiah, and words that are key for audiences, particularly those familiar with the Bible and its relative scarcity of scripture concerning Jesus' youth, to both accept it and find value in it. Those words essentially equate to "fiction," just as any film would be labeled that's rooted in some truth or historical event but remanufactured or expanded upon for either dramatic license or to hit a particular theme. But with the Bible widely believed to be "divinely inspired" and carefully put together, with scriptures that warn on the very subject of adding to or subtracting from it, it would be easy to label a movie of this sort as sacrilege. Then there's the entire other side of the philosophical and theological arguments that would claim the Bible to either be an entire work of fiction or more a man-made history text, with man-made influence behind it, and not a sacred account of a higher power and His influence over the world. Regardless, a movie like The Young Messiah that attempts to fill in the blanks left out of the Bible is bound to stir up some passionate emotions and arguments one way or another. But those theological pursuits aside, how does the movie stand up on its own merits, away from any noise and as a picture that strives to shed some light on the tale of a boy who, on a long journey back home, comes to learn that he's divinity with a God-ordained destiny, and not simply flesh and bone?
The healer.
The Young Messiah's 1080p transfer is clear and nicely detailed, its digital source giving it a mild flatness that doesn't interfere with the rougher texturing of its time. Indeed, details prove extremely impressive on the whole, particularly patchwork garments and the rough structural exteriors, as well as sandy and rocky terrain. The robes are extraordinary in close-up, providing amazingly intimate and tactile definition that never betrays the fabric's finest points. Heavier Roman armor impresses with a heightened sense of intimate detail and tangible texturing. Colors are unsurprisingly dominated by a myriad of earthy browns and tans. Robes, terrain, and structures all almost exclusively take on those shades, with richly colored natural greenery and red Roman soldier accents the exceptions, not the rule. Black levels are fair and flesh tones neutral. Noise does interfere, particularly in lower light scenes, to the point of distraction. Otherwise, this is a solid all-around transfer from Universal.
The Young Messiah features a rather straightforward, but technically sound, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The experience is predominantly front-heavy. Music certainly doesn't demonstrate much drive towards the rears, but the front elements do enjoy solid enough clarity and spacing. Outdoor atmospherics are well defined and manage a bit of a greater drift into the rears for a mild, but critical, sense of localized immersion. Large gatherings produce a heightened din that also makes further, though not always extreme, use of the surrounds. Dialogue is the primary comment, and it's well prioritized and effortlessly clear from its comfortable front-center positioning.
The Young Messiah contains several deleted scenes, a featurette, and a commentary track. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a
UV/iTunes digital copy are included with purchase.
The Young Messiah strives to extrapolate the story of Jesus' younger days. It's divisive by its very nature. As a film in a vacuum, it's not half bad. Production design is strong, performances are good, and the story is compelling, regardless of how much is fact and how much is fiction. It somewhat resembles Risen, at least insofar as it "imagines" something beyond the text of the Bible itself. It will be interesting to see if these "re-imagined" or partially "make-believe" Bible films will become the new trend and what the reaction to them will be, particularly from the Christian community. Universal's Blu-ray release of The Young Messiah delivers strong video, good audio, and a decent allotment of extra content. Worth a look.
2018
2006
2017
1966
2019
2019
2017
2018
1993
2016
2013
2006
2017
2013
2014
2016
2014
2020
1995
2014