The Lion of Judah
- Review Date: June 3, 2011
- Rated: PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 2011
- Running Time: 86 minutes
Common Sense Media says
Amateurish animation mars Christian animal tale about Jesus.
- Review Date: June 3, 2011
- Rated: PG
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Release Year: 2011
- Running Time: 86 minutes
The Lion of Judah gallery
What parents need to know
Educational value
Positive role models
Violence & scariness
Sexy stuff
Language
Consumerism
Drinking, drugs, & smoking
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that since this animated drama follows animals that encounter Jesus right before the crucifixion, it will primarily appeal to Christian families who are looking to teach their children more about New Testament themes. Since Jesus (who is referred to as "the King" by the animals) is shown being jostled, hit, and eventually flogged and crucified, some very young children may be disturbed (although most of these scenes are brief and don't show any details). Judah the lamb is also nearly slaughtered (as the sacrificial lamb) but is saved at the last moment. While the film will be educational for Christian children, families of other faiths may be less comfortable with the movie's subject matter and overtly evangelical message.
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What's the story?
Judah (voiced by Georgina Cordova) is destined to become a sacrificial lamb, but his new friends from a Bethlehem stable -- a horse, cow (Sandi Patty), rat (Ernest Borgnine), rooster, donkey (Scott Reeves), and pig -- follow him to Jerusalem, where they also encounter Jesus in the days leading up to the crucifixion. Along the way, the animals realize that Judah's sacrifice is meant to set people free and that they must find Jesus to help them.
Is it any good?
QUALITY
It feels a bit off to criticize a well-intentioned movie about animals witnessing Jesus' final days, but THE LION OF JUDAH just isn't up to par with other animated films -- even Christian ones like Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. The animation is reminiscent of video-game quality, with foreground characters moving around in front of static, undetailed backgrounds. Scenes of the animals in motion are particularly uninspired; at least most humans aren't shown in detail (usually viewers only see people's sandaled feet, arms, or faces in shadow).
Animation style aside, the story feels like an odd mix of Barnyard and The Passion of the Christ. Still, if an animated depiction of the crucifixion and resurrection from the perspective of stable animals is OK with your family, there's some good news. The best part of the movie is the soundtrack, which includes music by contemporary Christian artists Pearl, Lindell Cooley, Kari Jobe, and Klaus. Judah's faith in the fact that Jesus' love saved him from slaughter is sweetly handled, as is the donkey Jack's decision to return to Jerusalem to help the disciples left behind. Ultimately, though, this movie probably won't be a good fit for families who don't share the filmmakers' Christian faith.
Families can talk about...
Families can talk about how this story fits in with their own faith tradition. How does it compare to other movies with similar themes?
What is the movie's message about the power of faith and how it can change people (or in this case, animals)?
Movie details
| Theatrical release date: | June 3, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | March 27, 2012 |
| Cast: | Ernest Borgnine, Georgina Cordova |
| Director: | Deryck Broom |
| Studio: | Rocky Mountain Pictures |
| Genre: | Family and Kids |
| Topics: | Horses and farm animals |
| Run time: | 86 minutes |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
| MPAA explanation: | some mild thematic elements |
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QUALITY
A good film that parents can safely take their children to
With a title like "The Lion of Judah" the theme is going to be Biblical. Everyone knows this. Taking into consideration that 75% of the American population are Christians and that Christianity is the largest faith in Europe as well, I am sure that most people would be interested in this film only for this: it is an oasis among a barren world of films on sheer nonsense, hatred, sex, occult and various forms of propaganda. While it is amateurish, this is mostly because no big company would support an openly Christian-themed animation project in this so-called 'post-Christian world' of the media and various anti-Christian reviewers. For example, rotten tomatoes 'reviewers' gave this 0% in the tomatometer when the audience liked it well enough (66%). Some reviewers are so desperate that they point to a 'violent' scene on the crucifixion: what hypocrisy! When the average cartoon on television shows vampires, demons, witches and so forth with far more violence than what appears in this film there is no mention whatsoever about this. Families should see this if only because the animation animals refer to Jesus Christ as 'The King'. There are good Christian messages throughout the film and in a land barren of anything good, this is one must see animation.
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Educational value
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QUALITY
Good for older kids,not for your youngest tots.
A bit of scary stuff when Jesus is crusified,but i let my 3,6,and 8 year olds watch it the two older ones didn't mind, but my youngest was scared silly.I wouldn't let any kids under 5 watch it as they might be frightened
What other families should know
Too much violence
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QUALITY
Horrible movie!
I thought this was the worst movie I've ever seen!!!!!
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Great role models
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