So much average

Don't listen to the negative reviews

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Seriously? Why?! The actors couldn't sing OR act, the director took VERY liberal liberties with many things (Simon wasn't a militant, he just thought Jesus should take some action against their oppressors, and other things), and if a modern version of a classic WERE necessary (which it isn't) this is a horrible excuse for a modern equivalent of the original. Carl Anderson is doing somersaults in his grave.The singing was also very guttural. Even at Gethsemane when the singing is supposed to be smooth and calming it sounds like robots singing an announcement versus a group of men sitting down to dinner (like the original). Every syllable in the entire production is pronounced...and that's annoying.

I ran across this on TV last night and thought it was the 73 version. While I didn't think the movie held a candle to the play when I saw it many moons ago there wasn't much on and thought I would give it another chance. As this went on I thought, I don't remember it being this bad. Then I saw it was the 2000 version not the 73. Not even going to go in to the acting. It's a musical and if the music don't work then all the acting in the world can't save it and this music not only didn't work, it was on strike. Half the voices were so high pitched I wondered if the singers were huffing helium before their numbers. Was there a special on sopranos during casting? Even when a good voice was found the arrangements were god awful. Instead of the songs flowing smoothly it seemed that every line in a number of songs was chopped off, as if it was being spoken at the end rather than sung. I grew up in the JCS era and still have my original vinyl stored away and am sure that the 40 year old record would still have a smoother tone than the songs in this show.

This 2000 recording of the British revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical was dazzling from start to finish...a beautiful revival of the classic rock opera that shows exactly how to revive a classic musical...this production has re-thought the show for the new millennium, given it some new visual trappings, through some inventive staging, has refocused the relationships in the show, but most of important of all when reviving a musical, it has remained true to the original piece. This rock opera chronicling the last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ was first brought to the screen in 1973 by director Norman Jewison, who copped out a bit by presenting the story as a show being presented by a group of traveling players...no such breaking of the 4th wall here...directors Gale Edwards and Nick Morris have opted not only to present the story as real and in a somewhat contemporized setting, but thanks to some effective staging and camera-work, have focused the show where I always thought it really belonged...on the twisted relationship between Jesus and Judas Iscariot, which I have always felt was the crux of this musical but tends to get lost in most productions of this show due to a lack of actual vocal interaction between the two characters, but putting the show on tape allows camera-work to come into play beautifully, adding an entire new texture to this tragic relationship, perfectly conveying the conflicted emotions of love and guilt and resentment both these men supposedly felt for each other. The classic Webber/Rice score is presented intact and includes "Heaven On Their Minds", "I Don't Know How to Love Him", "Everything's Alright", "King Herod's Song", "Hosanna", and "Superstar." Contemporary settings are a big plus here...the office where Ciaphas does "This Jesus Must Die" seems to be a definite wink to Darth Vader in STAR WARS and the idea of Pilate actually being undressed and in bed for "Pilate's Dream" was inspired. The entire cast is first rate with special nods to Glenn Carter (Jesus) Jerome Pradon (Judas), Fred Johanson (a bone-chilling Pilate) and Michael Schaeffer (Annas). For fans of the show a must see and it could make converts of non-fans. Breathtaking from start to finish.

I am totally blown away by the high ratings and laudatory comments reflected by others for this production. It's like, what movie did you watch? I felt this production was one of the most miscast movies/videos that I've ever seen. The only cast member that evoked even the slightest pathos in me was Mary Magdalene; having said that, her singing talent fell shy.The Jesus and Judas characters left me totally cold and confused. They really didn't seem to have a clue what their roles were meant to convey. Jesus was lacking in any quality that would ever make me think of him as a "messiah" or even a complex human being. I felt zero warmth emanating from him.The Judas character, while certainly reflecting significant zeal, left me bewildered as to his real motivation, his commitment, his humanity.Sometimes updating the original setting to the modern era works, but this production totally failed to carry or convince me of anything. An interesting thought that my wife pointed out was that the scenes near the beginning where Jesus touches his apostles and vice versa left her feeling like there were almost sensual gay sentiments being conveyed, rather than the natural warmth and compassion that were communicated in other "time of Christ" presentations.I love musical theater and have seen quite a few productions of JCS, including the original Broadway and movie presentations. This production did have a few good moments that I did enjoy, but this was clearly the worst presentation I've ever viewed, including our amateur local productions. Very disappointing!!!