Son of God

If there’s a sense of familiarity to Son of God, it might not only stem from reading the book. Many viewers will already have seen the movie.

It’s largely assembled from excerpts of “The Bible,” the epic miniseries that recently became a ratings juggernaut on cable television. So it seems a bit disingenuous to make audiences pay for what they’ve already gotten for free, making it seem as though the motives behind the project are more financial than spiritual.

That little ethical quandary aside, this latest cinematic interpretation hits the New Testament highlights but is choppy by nature and needs a tighter focus to maximize its impact. Those not familiar with the details of the Passion Play might do well to brush up beforehand.

It aspires to trace the life of Jesus Christ (Diogo Morgado) from birth through death and resurrection, focusing the bulk of its time on his teachings and miracles in Galilee and on the increasing animosity between Jesus and Pontius Pilate (Greg Hicks) over his faith-based following among Jews. The Roman government frames such preaching as blasphemy, leading to a death sentence.

While its ambitions might be pure, Son of God is another example of preaching to the converted in which theater seats become pews. Even so, the screenplay takes some liberties in terms of scriptural interpretation that might irritate some biblical purists.

However, if one intent is to spread Christian doctrine to skeptics or non-believers, then the film would be better served simply letting the story of Jesus tell itself — with all of its inherent drama and inspirational life lessons — rather than adding so much sermonizing to drive home a point.

Such a heavy-handed approach drains some of the emotional power from its best sequences, including a vivid and bloody depiction of the Crucifixion. It’s not helped, either, by Hans Zimmer’s overbearing musical score or by the strangely accented line readings of Portuguese actor Morgado, whose portrayal mostly consists of whispering, squinting and looking to the skies.

The effects-driven film is visually striking and features some effective moments, such as the crisis of faith faced by Peter and other disciples, as well as some potent miracle scenes, that become lost in the shuffle. It might be the greatest story ever told, but not when it’s told like this.

Rated PG-13, 138 minutes.