"Son of God" is a retelling of the Gospels from the New Testament. This obviously, is not a new thing to do for a Hollywood film. It has been done countless times before, most recently in Mel Gibson's "The Passion" which was criticized for it blood-soaked depiction of the crucifixion and it anti-Semitism and also, controversially in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ". So, given the lack of necessity for a new retelling, how does "Son of God" stand up? and how does it compare to its predecessors? and thirdly, how will this film appeal to both the religious community and the non-religious viewers who may attend?
First of all, it should be noted that this film was previously a mini-series on television and that some scenes are the same and some have been added to the feature-film version. Gone is a depiction of an encounter between Jesus and Satan which was eliminated because of the uproar over the similarity in appearance between Satan and Barack Obama. With this information, it is quite apparent that this "feels" a lot like a made-for-television spectacle.
Overall, it is quite conventional and doesn't risk any diversion from a straightforward retelling of the Gospels. Still, it can be quite compelling at times and revealing in its depiction of the various miracles that Jesus performed in his brief ministry.
Diogo Morgado plays Jesus as a charismatic, spiritually-embodied Son of God in a manner that doesn't pander to your emotions but leads the viewer to believe in the reason for his popularity among his followers. Still, there isn't the same emotional fragility and self-doubt displayed in "The Last Temptation"'s Willem Defoe that seemed to be more human-oriented and realistic despite all its controversy.
I think religious viewers will like this film a lot because it doesn't take many risks and is an literal rehash. Other viewers may be turned off if they aren't spiritually inclined or at least agnostic. But, why would an atheist see this film anyway? This film has appeal in its story of the Spirit and will inspire many. It is an honest, straightforward account of the last few weeks of probably the most popular and closely-followed person in history. It may not have been necessary but it is an uplifting experience despite its lack of risk and originality.
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