The King of Kings Movie 2025 Review – A Fresh, Animated Look at the Life of Christ

I once heard it said that what we admire in all men is because we admired it first in Him.
The King of Kings movie 2025 captured that essence very well.

Mary Bowen

April 21, 2025

The King of Kings
Angel Studios

When I first saw trailers for Angel Studios’ new film, The King of Kings movie 2025, I was a little doubtful. My main concern was that the story is told through England's famous storyteller, Charles Dickens, who I had always thought was an atheist. After the film ended, I began to wonder if Charles Dickens actually did write a book about the life of Christ. It turns out he did! The Life of Our Lord was written for his children at the same time he was writing David Copperfield.

If the film's objective was to shine a light on this fact, they did a fantastic job in that regard.

Angel Studios’ spring release, The King of Kings movie 2025, was directed and produced by Korean filmmaker Seong-ho Jang and features Irish and American voice talents. In the film’s first week in theaters, its box office numbers were comparable to the 2025 Snow White. This was Angel’s first cartoon release that could compare to a Disney film.

The film’s plot follows the youngest son of Charles Dickens, William, whose obsession with King Arthur inspires his father to tell him about the life of the King of Kings. The film portrays the boy's adventures alongside the life of Our Lord using his imagination and the vivid storytelling style we have all experienced from Charles Dickens.

The King of Kings Movie 2025: A Powerful Retelling Through the Eyes of Charles Dickens

The film opens with Charles Dickens performing a dramatization of his book A Christmas Carol before a large audience. As is often the case with families, his wife and children are backstage trying to be quiet while their dad delivers the presentation. But the youngest child, William, is loudly acting out his favorite hero: King Arthur. Dickens angrily sends the boy home after a disastrous presentation.

Once Charles arrives home, Mrs. Dickens asks him to spend some time with his son by telling him about the story he is currently writing. Dickens then unravels the tale of Jesus Christ—from His birth to His resurrection—inspiring the boy to shift his hero homage to the King of Kings.

I once heard it said that what we admire in all men is because we admired it first in Him. This film captured that essence very well. What stuck with me while watching The King of Kings movie 2025 was that Our Lord is more inspiring and heroic than all the other historical figures we are familiar with. This theme was the central point of the film, and it was a refreshing Christian cartoon that was a little tear-jerking in some parts.

READ: Top Picks: Inspiring Movies Coming Out of Angel Studios

In 104 minutes, not every aspect of Our Lord’s life can be included, but the film carefully covered a large part of His life. The story began with the birth of Our Lord, the jealousy of Herod, the gifts of the three kings, and the flight into Egypt. The second part of the story portrayed the finding of the Christ Child in the Temple, the baptism of Our Lord, His temptation in the desert, the miraculous catch of fish, and the stoning of the adulteress.

Then Our Lord calls the apostles, feeds the five thousand, walks on water, cleanses the temple, heals the blind man and the paralytic, and raises Lazarus from the dead. The final parts of the film showed Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection—with surprising respect.

What I Enjoyed About The King of Kings Movie 2025 (And What I Could Not Stand)

William Dickens as portrayed in The King of Kings
Angel Studios

This film carried a seriousness that is often lacking in cartoons about Our Lord’s life. It got me wondering—has there ever been a good cartoon made about the life of Christ? This film felt inspired by productions like The Passion of the Christ and the early seasons of The Chosen.

This cartoon wasn’t messing around.

They put thought and respect into every detail. Despite it being a children’s cartoon, I will confess to getting a little choked up at the part where Our Lord is literally shown trading places for us by suffering and dying on the cross.

READ: Find The Perfect Good Movie For Easter For Your Family

The only thing that really bothered me about this film was the nativity scene. This is the place where Protestants and Catholics do not agree. The dogma of the Immaculate Conception leaves no room for Our Lady to be represented as being uncomfortable while bringing the Son of God into the world. Her being conceived without original sin would not allow her to bear the punishment of Eve—suffering during childbirth. Of course, to Protestants, Our Lady was just a Jewish girl who was blessed to be the Mother of God, and this is how she is portrayed in the film. As Catholics, we believe that she was preserved in her virginity and that Our Lord was not born like other men.

There were a few things that took the viewer out of the narrative—unlike Disney cartoons. The animation was a little strange, with characters having disproportionate heads and lifelike hair. Like The Chosen, the language was “watered down” to be more understandable to modern audiences. This can work well sometimes, and not so well other times. I cringed whenever Our Lord used the word “OK” or phrases like “Tell you what.” I know what they were trying to do here, and I know how hard it is to work out wording in time periods like this, but it may have been better to stick with the lofty biblical language.

The King of Kings movie 2025 is a heartfelt and reverent portrayal of the life of Christ, woven into the imaginative lens of Charles Dickens and his son. The film as a whole offers a powerful reminder of Who Our Lord is and why He continues to inspire heroes down through the generations. Whether you're watching with children or reflecting on it as an adult, this film stands out as a rare, respectful animated depiction of Christ's life.

Mary Beth Bowen is a movie director and entrepreneur. Since 2018, she has distributed four movies through her online platform an Industrious Family Films where she also contributes to the #ReclaimChristianArtBlog. Her 5th film is currently in pre-production. Some of her passions include history, classical literature, and modest fashion: topics she usually writes about to share her great love for these things.

If you've seen The King of Kings movie 2025, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!