Das Jesus Video

It was a better movie than the EXPERT considers it to be, I did not move from my seat until it ended, sometimes experts want us to see things the way they see them, yet, we are not that spoiled. The settings were great, the quality of the movie was ideal, the chase scenes were entertaining, wardrobe, extras, the buildings, the wall of lamentations, I like the whole thing!

The leading lady was fine and very beautiful too.

How would the expert have liked it to be so that his review could have improved?

I don't agree with the critic, he was very biased.

Rafael

if you love the book, the movie is good to see to make a comparison. People who do not know the original novel, most likely, will not enjoy the movie. It's flat, died-and-ran-away, and "what is it all about?". I agree you can't make a good 2,5h motion picture out of excellent! >600 pages twist and turn (and "make me think") story. Watch it on your own risk, but don't come back and complain until you read the original. ...

well done from technical side..., no complains about actors'es play, pity the director focused only on "run for your life" scenes, but as it seems a quite low budget movie (so don't expect any FX to remember), sounds as a nice event for an evening (if you red a book before - otherwise go and see "Mummy ..." series"). Veni, Vidi, flushed....

I loved to see it as the book is in my Top 10 "Sci-Fi" list.... go and spend a week to find what is it all about.

I saw this in the video store titled "Ancient Relic" and was intrigued, knowing nothing about it. When I started watching it, I was impressed with the production values, the music, the look of the cast and then they opened their mouths: DUBBED! I quickly stopped the DVD, went to the menu expecting to switch to German dialogue with English subtitles, only to find no such option existed. The only way to watch it was dubbed. Doh! And watch it I did. It was a fun a little story that really needed to be cut down to 2 hours, but otherwise a joy to look at. The music was enthralling and the story interesting. But the producer or the distributor and definitely most of the dubbing actors (if you can call them actors) needed to be shot for the dreadful blow they dealt to this film (oh and let's not forget the voice casting director!). The lackluster voice performances destroyed any compelling drama the original production might have had. There is no way to adequately judge a movie that has been dubbed, beyond the story and production values. It further disturbs me that our country has gotten so lazy that we would rather listen to a badly dubbed movie than feel the drama of the original performance and read the subtitles, so much so some production or distribution executive decided not to spend the money on offering a subtitled original language version. I sat riveted to "Das Boot" in the original German, even as I read the English translation. Not that this is anything as brilliant as Das Boot, but come on, the weaker the content the more you need to give it every edge possible. Frankly I think this was a fine film, definitely entertaining and definitely worth watching -- otherwise I would have turned it off within the first 15 minutes of the horrible dubbing job. It is most unfortunate that someone in power was so bone-headed as to actually think this version would be acceptable to anyone, much less represent the film the way the director intended. I might have given the film an 8 if not for the poor dubbing. But I enjoyed watching it enough to recommend to others despite the bad English dub.

This is not another Nazi film, although is is German, and it is eerily similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Based upon a novel by Andreas Eschbach, you get two contrasting opinions on the film compared to the book. At over three hours, you will think you are reading a novel, rather than watching a film.

It is a suspense thriller/time-travel movie. Archaeologists find bones that are carbon dated at 2000 years, but there are amalgam fillings in the teeth and a rod in the leg that can only be seven years old. In addition, there is a plastic bag withe instructions for a video camera that is not even on the market.

Only one explanation, and the German title, Das Jesus Video, gives a better clue to what was going on.

While the archaeologists are trying to decipher the riddle, there is a group led by a man in a secret organization descended from the Spanish Inquisition, much like Silas in The Da Vinci Code. Both have no qualms about killing for Jesus.

Lots of action, and great stunt work, along with blood and torture, as the two groups go after the video camera that allegedly has the face of Jesus. Some surprises at the end, as expected, which add to the mystery.

...Unfortunately my German is too rudimentary and apparently it has never been translated into English or Spanish. The film, per se, is poorly directed and acting is High School play level at best. I swear there are scenes when actors are virtually laughing when they should be grieving.

I think the book has the potential to serve as basis for a good remake as a mini-series. Actually, I saw the short version in TV a few years after it was released (according to the posted date here) but I couldn't make much out of it and just found the 3 hour version dubbed to English at a friend's CD library. It actually made sense but I guess the four hour version much be better in the storytelling department.

I'm giving it a 6/10 grade mainly because of the plot. I don't think the book will be translated into English or any other language I can read fluently as I've found it was not a huge sales success, but hopefully the novel by Andreas Eschbach and its sequel do get remade into a couple of seasons of a better produced mini-series.