Parents' Guide to The Bible

Movie NR 2013 481 minutes
The Bible Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Biblical reenactments are theatrical and very violent.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 10 parent reviews

age 12+

Based on 17 kid reviews

Kids say the film offers a realistic yet graphic portrayal of biblical events, featuring disturbing violence that may not be suitable for younger audiences. While many reviews commend its faithfulness to scripture and engaging storytelling, the intense gore has raised concerns among viewers regarding its appropriateness for children.

  • realistic portrayal
  • graphic violence
  • suitable for teens
  • engaging storytelling
  • concerns for children
Summarized with AI

What's the Story?

THE BIBLE is a docudrama that features adaptations of known Bible stories that are believed to have changed the world. From the stories of Noah's Ark and Moses (played by William Houston), to the birth and death of Jesus of Nazareth (Diogo Morgado), the series offers dramatic renditions of biblical tales that are understood to have a major impact on the way people interpret good, evil, faith, and religion around the globe.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 10 ):
Kids say ( 17 ):

Those looking for an objective, history-oriented discussion of the Bible and its overall impact on humanity will not find it here. Some may also object to the representations of biblical figures, which reflect a very glamorous notion of what people looked and sounded like at the time. But viewers looking for an interesting and/or entertaining Judeo-Christian themed interpretation of Bible stories will find it worth watching.

The series, which is co-produced by Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey, attempts to reflect the essence of each story by following the traditional narratives about well-known biblical figures while adding flair with lots of theatrically violent action scenes and interesting actor portrayals of archangels and death. However, there is little explanation offered about why these events are believed to have changed the world. As a result, tales about acts like Abraham's banishment of his son Ishmael (which many believe led to the division between the Hebrews and the Arabs), are never contextualized, leaving those who are unfamiliar with these stories without any knowledge of their significance.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about media portrayals of the Bible. Why are there so many movies based on bible stories? What are some of the most famous actor portrayals of biblical figures? If you were to choose a story from the Bible to reenact, which one would it be? Why?

  • Is there anything controversial in this depiction of important religious stories?

Movie Details

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