Ultrachrist!
MVD 2004
Jesus in cinema is a major hot button topic these days, as there is a lot of controvesy surrounding The Passion of the Christ. If you're looking for a movie about Jesus much lighter than that, yet just as potentially controversial, Ultrachrist has you covered. It is, for the most part, a compelling view.
In Ultrachrist, Jesus returns to Earth, only to find he's unable to communicate his message effectively in today's world. After a few failed attempts to tweak his approach, he finds success with a comic book superhero inspired alterego, Ultrachrist. Unfortunately, his father, God, disapproves of this and wants him to return to ministering in the fashion he did in the past. Add attacks from the New York City Parks Comissioner, a/k/a the Antichrist, as well as conflict caused by Jesus' romantic interest, and Ultrachrist is really up against a wall.
Essentially, Ultrachrist is like a live action version of a South Park episode focusing on topics of church and religion. There are many portions of this film that will offend those of faith, but there are some valid points being made in the midst of it all. This said, the wit of Ultrachrist isn't as sharp as that of South Park and, for that reason, it kind of falls apart in this area toward the end of the film. Not a huge disaster, but it does prevent this from being an essential view.
Truthfully, the person who'd rather be watching The Passion of the Christ than this will probably never be, or put themselves, in the position to view Ultrachrist, which negates a lot of its shock value. Still, this film is well shot, the acting is adequate, and the story flows reasonably well. For fans of the aforementioned similar fare, Ultrachrist might be worth checking out.
Score this DVD directly from MVD
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