Is The King of Kings the Gospel Story Your Kids Have Been Waiting For?

A Christian Review

Synopsis

A rambunctious boy named Walter disrupts his father’s theatrical performance of A Christmas Carol in Victorian London. That father? None other than Charles Dickens himself.

Rather than punish the King Arthur-obsessed lad, Dickens chooses a different path. He tells Walter about a king greater than Arthur. This story becomes a journey through Scripture.

Walter’s imagination transports him into the narrative. He witnesses Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. He watches miracles unfold. He feels the weight of the crucifixion.

The film covers major Gospel events with surprising faithfulness. From the Magi’s visit to Peter’s denial, the story hits familiar beats. Yet the Dickens framing device keeps things fresh for young viewers.

By the end, both Walter and audiences discover why Jesus remains the ultimate King. The resurrection brings everything full circle. Hope triumphs.

Content

Profanity (None)

Good news for parents: Language/Crude Humor: None. Geeks Under Grace The film maintains clean dialogue throughout. No profanity, crude jokes, or inappropriate language appears.

Dickens occasionally scolds Walter, but even his frustration remains family-appropriate. The script respects its audience.

Violence

This is where parents should pay attention. The film depicts biblical events that inherently contain violence, though handled carefully.

The film depicts Herod the Great’s decree ordering the execution of all male children under the age of 2 in Bethlehem. Common Sense Media The language softens the blow. Herod says to “get rid of” the children, though the meaning remains clear.

The passion story includes scenes of Jesus being flogged and later crucified, but the violence mostly takes place off screen. Common Sense Media Parents will appreciate this restraint. A Roman centurion takes a flail to Jesus’s back, but a whipping post obscures the worst imagery.

A Roman soldier’s ear is cut off; Jesus heals the injury. Common Sense Media This references Peter’s defense of Christ in Gethsemane.

Violence: Moderate — flogging, thorn crown, crucifixion, Herod’s command to kill babies, man’s ear severed, man whipped, some scary scenes including a demon possessed man. ChristianAnswers.Net

Some supernatural elements may frighten younger viewers. A dust storm sent by God protects Joseph and Mary from the soldiers who seek to kill baby Jesus. Plugged In Satan appears during the wilderness temptation, causing dust storms. A demon-possessed man features in one sequence.

One powerful visual stands out: As Walter sees Jesus die, we watch as Walter begins to sink deep into water, unable to swim back up. However, we then see Jesus grab the boy from above and swap places with him, sending the boy back up to the surface as Jesus descends into the depths. Plugged In This depicts Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice beautifully.

Drug & Alcohol Use

Drug/Alcohol References: Limited to none. Geeks Under Grace Nothing concerning here.

Romantic or Explicit Content

Sexual Content: None. Geeks Under Grace

During the story of Jesus’ life, Dickens mentions how the Pharisees brought Jesus the woman accused of adultery for his judgment on her. Common Sense Media The term goes unexplained for younger viewers.

The story of Adam and Eve is retold using sketches that show them naked, with shading covering their private parts. Common Sense Media This brief sequence uses artistic discretion.

Christian-Related Content

This film exists to proclaim the Gospel. Make no mistake about its purpose.

The King of Kings recounts that story. And in this animated rendition of it, featuring a surprising number of famous actors, we hear the gospel quite clearly: Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved from the just wrath of God for your sins. Plugged In

Spiritual Content: The film is a dramatization of the gospels that explores the meaning of Jesus’s ministry. Geeks Under Grace

The narrative covers Christ’s birth, baptism, wilderness temptation, miracles, crucifixion, and resurrection (Matthew 4:1-11). Key Gospel moments receive faithful treatment.

Dickens’ story about the King of Kings is very close to Scripture. It starts with the birth of Jesus, including the Angel speaking to the Shepherds and the arrival of the Magi. Movieguide The film depicts the temptation of Satan using Matthew’s version.

As Walter watches Jesus sink away, he sees a depiction of the cross sink, too, reflecting how Jesus is the substitutionary sacrifice for our sins, taking the wrath of God upon Himself in our place while bestowing His righteousness upon us. Plugged In (Romans 5:8)

Jesus emerges from the grave and comforts Walter, and Charles tells his son, “We’re alive again because He is risen.” Plugged In (1 Corinthians 15:17)

Movieguide rates the film as having a “Very strong Christian, biblical worldview in a very strong retelling of the story of Jesus.” Movieguide

🌟 Praise for The King of Kings

From Christian Critics

PluggedIn (Focus on the Family) gave the film favorable marks: “Perhaps, as it did Walter, the film’s story could be the thing that could pique your child’s interest in the One who saves and holds all things together.” Plugged In

Movieguide called it “an excellent, acceptable version of the Gospel for children aged six and up” Movieguide and “a terrific, powerful way to introduce children to the story of Jesus in a way they can understand.” Movieguide

Geeks Under Grace noted: “The King of Kings is a solid story-book film for young viewers.” Geeks Under Grace They praised themes of “family, kingship, connection, love, and the story of God.” Geeks Under Grace

Love Thy Nerd shared a powerful testimony: “Watching the story unfold, I kept thinking: That is my Savior. It took me back to being a teenager, kneeling in my driveway, asking Jesus to come into my heart.” Love Thy Nerd

Christian Spotlight praised it as “Exceptionally well done. Beautifully animated and voice acted.” ChristianAnswers.Net The reviewer appreciated how it “models two parents, especially the father, lovingly teaching their son about who and what is most important.” ChristianAnswers.Net

Some Christian voices raised concerns. Worth It or Woke criticized the constant narrative interruptions, saying “audiences will also find themselves maddeningly frustrated by The King of Kings’ almost pathological need to get in its own way.” Worth It or Woke

From Secular Critics

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 63% of 57 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10. Wikipedia

The Rotten Tomatoes consensus states: “Putting the Christ story in an approachable frame for children, The King of Kings isn’t the most sophisticated example of family animation but makes for a solidly watchable Sunday school.” Wikipedia

Metacritic assigned the film a score of 42 out of 100, based on six critics, indicating “mixed or average” reviews. Wikipedia

Common Sense Media praised how “the stellar voice cast includes Mark Hamill as King Herod, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Ben Kingsley as High Priest Caiaphas, and Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate.” Common Sense Media They noted “the film thoughtfully handles mature biblical elements in a kid-friendly way.” Common Sense Media

IMDb users gave the film 6.8/10. One reviewer noted “the voice cast is outstanding” IMDb and “the film is visually appealing and told in a way that kids should easily follow.” IMDb

Mark Hamill himself endorsed the project. “Children are going to find this enormously appealing, even if they aren’t drawn towards religious stories. This one has everything a great adventure should have, and yet it teaches such positive values: the idea of faith and selflessness and doing what’s right for the good of everyone, and not just yourself.” Variety

Angel Studios’ Jordan Harmon shared powerful audience reactions: “This movie is really ‘The Passion’ for kids. We did an early screening, and I watched multiple kids walk out with tears on their face. They’re having this massively fundamental, moving moment inside of the cinema.” Variety

Box Office Success

The numbers speak for themselves.

The King of Kings grossed $60.3 million in the United States and Canada and $20.3 million in other territories, for a total of $80.6 million worldwide. Wikipedia

It went on to overperform and debut to $19.4 million, finishing second at the box office behind A Minecraft Movie. This opening broke the record for the highest weekend debut for an animated biblical film, which had previously been held by The Prince of Egypt ($14 million) since 1998. Wikipedia

In its second weekend, which coincided with Good Friday and Easter, the film made $17.6 million (a drop of just 9%). Wikipedia That remarkable hold demonstrates strong word-of-mouth.

By the end of April, The King of Kings had surpassed Parasite as the highest-grossing Korean movie in North America. Wikipedia

The production budget? Around $25.2 million at the time of production. Wikipedia That’s over triple its investment returned.