Dennis Quaid Brings Complexity to the 2011 Remake of Footloose

I am a child of the 80s, and I like to think that I’m pretty up on the pop culture of that decade, particularly when it comes to movies. However, perhaps in part because of my two left feet, I never latched onto either Dirty Dancing or Footloose. I heard some of the music, of course, and I saw clips on television specials, but that’s always been one little chunk of quintessential 80s that I’ve been missing. While I still need to remedy that one of these days, I did see the remake of Footloose recently. Maybe my reaction to it would have been different if I’d grown up with the original, but I quite enjoyed it.

The movie revolves around Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald), a free-thinking Bostonian who has just moved to a tiny Southern town in the wake of his mother’s death. He finds welcome with his supportive uncle Wes (Ray McKinnon), warm-hearted aunt Lulu (Kim Dickens) and adoring little cousins Amy (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) and Sarah (Mary-Charles Jones). The rest of the town is a bit slower to accept him, however. He’s the new kid on the block, so it’s easy to accuse him of stirring up trouble, though aside from a little fast driving and loud music, he’s a pretty upstanding young man.

Still, he feels stifled by all the rules in a community that has turned to legalism for comfort in the wake of a terrible tragedy. After the deaths of several teens, including the son of local pastor Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid), in a car accident on the way home from a dance, the town council enacted a ban on public dancing, and Ren becomes determined to overturn it. His attraction to the reverend’s daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough), who is the greater rabble-rouser by far, does nothing to endear him to this clergyman who still hasn’t fully processed the loss that his family suffered.

From the moment that Ren turns up in town and gets rushed by his exuberant cousins, he pretty much won me over. He’s got a bit of a rebellious streak, but he’s a really likable guy. Ariel takes a little longer to warm to, since she seems to have chosen a very self-destructive path and spends the early part of the movie pushing away everyone who really cares about her. Ultimately, however, she becomes easy to sympathize with as well.

On the other hand, while Rev. Moore is set up as the primary antagonist, this certainly is not a cookie-cutter situation in which the restrictive establishment is Evil. Indeed, he is a complex man whose deep faith and love for his family and parishioners informs everything he does, making his actions understandable even when they are frustrating. Quaid’s nuanced performance actually makes Shaw my favorite character in the movie save Willard (Miles Teller), the somewhat dopey local teen who quickly becomes Ren’s best friend. A regular source of comic relief throughout the movie, he particularly tickled my funny bone in the scene in which the two meet.

I’m sure that it was a bit superfluous to remake this movie less than three decades after it first hit theaters, but writer-director Craig Brewer brought a deep affection for the original to the project, and I would imagine that many contemporary teens who saw the remake might want to check out the 1983 version as well. Not having seen it, I can’t draw comparisons, but as a stand-alone movie, the new edition of Footloose entertains and invites thoughtful discussion about the balance between safety and freedom.

Kris Kristofferson Offers Authenticity Amidst Artifice in Christmas in Connecticut

When I think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, my first thought is Terminator, quickly followed by several other adrenaline-soaked action flicks. Then, of course, I remember that he is the governor of California, a position that certainly caught me by surprise the first time I realized he’d taken it up. Today, thanks to Netflix, I discovered another hat he wore: director. He only directed one movie, and it was made for television and a remake to boot. But I found 1992’s Christmas in Connecticut, written by Janet Brownell, a thoroughly charming movie.

Elizabeth Blane (Dyan Cannon) is the host of a television cooking program. She’s like Martha Stewart, with perfect culinary and homemaking skills. Except it’s all a charade. She doesn’t have a husband, children or grandchildren. Her assistant Josie (Kelly Cinnante) does all the cooking for her. Everything in her life is manufactured, and while she doesn’t find it very satisfying, it seems to be working okay for her until her seedy agent Alex (Tony Curtis) discovers that Jefferson Jones (Kris Kristofferson), a forest ranger who is a national hero after saving a boy lost in a snowstorm, has a copy of her cookbook. In fact, it’s one of the few possessions he still has, since while he was off on his rescue mission his cabin burned down. Smells like a Christmas special in the making!

Alex quickly finagles a plan to film a live special with Elizabeth and Jefferson, preceded by several days during which he will stay with her and her makeshift family in the cozy Connecticut home she pretends is hers. Alex will pose as her husband, while Josie, with her aspiring actor husband Tyler (Gene Lythgow) in tow, will be Elizabeth’s daughter. They’ve also rented a pair of grandkids for the occasion; savvy Kevin (Jimmy Workman) knows how much is on the line and never misses an opportunity to do a little blackmailing, while infant Melissa forms a surprising bond with Tyler. Helping maintain some sanity is the serene housekeeper, Norah (Vivian Bonnell).

Jefferson is bemused as he wanders into this chaotic scene. He’s a humble man, quiet and polite, and though it’s clear from his bewildered expressions that he finds some of their behavior baffling, he doesn’t pass judgment on this crazy crew, nor does he seem to suspect that it’s all an act, at least not initially. I’ve been a fan of Kristofferson ever since I saw him in 1996’s TV movie Tad, in which he pulled off a magnificent portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. He’s really the one who makes this movie so watchable. In a house full of artifice, he breathes authenticity. Besides, I’m a real sucker for forest rangers, and he carries himself like a true outdoorsman.

Basically, Jefferson gets to be the straight man here. These sophisticated New Yorkers may look on him as a bit of a yokel, but they’re the ones who wind up with all the slapstick moments, particularly oafish Alex and overdramatic Tyler. And since Elizabeth is at the heart of this whole thing, she keeps getting thrown into ridiculous situations as she is forced to try to live up to her reputation. As she begins to develop very real feelings for her guest, however, she begins to wonder whether it might be time to drop the act altogether.

I have to give credit to Chuck Colwell for his cinematography, as the whole movie, especially the outdoor scenes, looks absolutely gorgeous. The image of Elizabeth and Jefferson gliding down the road in a horse-drawn sleigh as powdery snow falls is about as close to a perfect Currier and Ives picture as one could ask for. There’s also some lovely music courtesy of a group of carolers. Of course, some elements of the movie are pretty silly, most notably the idea that Elizabeth could convince the world at large for years that she had a family when all it would take is one person to blow her cover. She sure couldn’t pull it off today. And some of the scenes are relentlessly stapsticky. But the movie is balanced enough that I found I didn’t mind instances of trees falling over or people tripping over marbles strewn across the floor. And I found David Arnott’s brief role as the spastic director trying to salvage Elizabeth’s disastrous Christmas special completely hilarious.

I’m not sure why Arnie directed just one movie and then gave it up. But if he decides to take another bash at it after his Governator days are over, Christmas in Connecticut has convinced me that it wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

The Chronicles of Narnia and Other Old Friends Fill 2005 With Nostalgia

Two years after the final installment in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy came out, the first of Walden Media's adaptations of the Chronicles of Narnia hit theaters. I'd been looking forward to it for months, and it capped off a year in which the movies allowed me to revisit pleasantly familiar territory time and again.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - I'd seen the BBC version of this C. S. Lewis classic several times. As much as I enjoyed it, I was anxious to see how it would fare with the big-budget treatment. I saw it opening night, and while the BBC version is inarguably the more faithful adaptation, there was a lot I loved about this edition, starting with the adorable Georgie Henley as Lucy and the thoroughly endearing James McAvoy as the faun Mr. Tumnus. The special effects are gorgeous, as is the cinematography, and some of the key moments from the book leap to life on the big screen. Plus, this movie is responsible for Lazy Sunday, one of my all-time favorite Saturday Night Live sketches.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - I read the book, and of course I saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so again I was interested in seeing how this update would compare. Tim Burton struck me as being an ideal director for a film taking place in such a skewered world, and he delivered a techni-color treat emphasizing the importance of family. While I missed Veruca's bumbling dad and Charlie's ludicrous teacher, in some ways, I preferred Johnny Depp's vulnerable, Michael Jackson-like Willy to Gene Wilder's manipulative version, and I definitely preferred irresistible Freddie Highmore as Charlie.

Dear Frankie - This little gem of a Scottish film stars Gerard Butler as a mysterious stranger who poses as the father who has walked out of young Frankie's life. It's the only way his mother, played by Emily Mortimer, can think of to painlessly deal with the ruse she's kept going; she's been writing to Frankie for years, posing as his father. The seeds of romance that blossom between her and the pseudo-dad are sweet, but it's the man's growing fondness for the open-hearted deaf child that really makes the film endearing.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Another great installment in the Harry Potter series. Though Michael Gambon is harder to take as Dumbledore in this film than the others, Brendan Gleeson's outstanding performance as Mad-Eye Moody makes up for it. Meanwhile, the visual spectacle of the Quidditch World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament is dazzling, and there's lots of humor to be found as Harry and his friends begin to navigate those dangerous waters of teenage romance.

Hitch - Will Smith and Kevin James are a winning team in this film about a man who makes a living secretly helping schlubs win over the women of their dreams. Each has his own romance to pursue throughout the film, but it's their buddy movie chemistry with each other that's really endearing. They are hilarious together, and James is one of the most lovable losers ever to hit the big screen.

March of the Penguins - Documentaries rarely go far in the theater, and it's pretty unusual for me to go see one there. But this one had been getting so much good buzz that I, like so many others, couldn't resist. The cinematography of those penguins making their perilous journey is breathtaking, and Morgan Freeman narrates with all the warmth of a grandfather telling a bedtime story.

Pooh's Heffalump Movie - My appreciation for Winnie-the-Pooh is one of the first things most people learn about me. I'm a huge fan of the Silly Old Bear, so I was determined to catch this film in the theater. My friend Libbie and I ended up with the theater all to ourselves, so I was able to combine the big-screen experience with the privacy of a home viewing. I loved the quietness of the movie, the lovely animation and the introduction of the adorable Lumpy to help teach the Hundred-Acre Wood gang that different doesn't have to mean scary.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - I hadn't read the novel on which this film is based, but Libbie had, and she was the one who recommended the movie to me. All four of its young leading ladies have starred in television shows, though two hadn't yet at the time this movie came out. I was especially interested in Amber Tamblyn, who starred in the sadly short-lived Joan of Arcadia, and her storyline ended up being my favorite. Meanwhile, America Ferrera, who would go on to star as the plucky heroine in ABC's Ugly Betty, won me over in her storyline, which came in a close second.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith - At long last, this film made Star Wars a pair of trilogies - though of course, the original trilogy is the far superior one. Still, I think this third installment was probably the best of the three, albeit not as much fun as The Phantom Menace.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit - This pair of claymated buddies finally got a full-length adventure. Though the chatty, addled inventor and his silent, brainy pooch might be better suited to shorter outings, this is a very fun adventure, especially for Anglophiles. And as a big fan of Art Garfunkel, the inclusion of a clip from the song Bright Eyes was a nice bonus for me.

A good year for fantasy and adaptations. Not too many surprises in 2005, but much of this year's crop felt pleasantly nostalgic.

An Angel Helps Bring Unity in The Preacher's Wife

Back in late November, I arranged my Netflix queue so that I would be getting nothing but Christmas movies for the next month or so. The first of my Christmas flicks was The Preacher's Wife, which I'd been meaning to see for quite some time. Though I knew it was a remake of The Bishop's Wife, which I'd never seen either, I opted for the more recent movie first, since I wanted to watch it without knowing most of the basic plot ahead of time.

The title character in The Preacher's Wife, which is directed by Penny Marshall, is Julia Biggs, played by pop powerhouse Whitney Houston. Julia is the daughter of a much-loved preacher, and she is extremely active in the church where her husband Henry (Courtney B. Vance) took over for him following his death. Henry has devoted his life to caring for others, but it's become exhausting, and now Joe Hamilton (Gregory Hines), a wealthy former congregant, wants to buy his church and replace it with a fancy new cathedral in a location more convenient for his plans for the city.

With so many issues to deal with at once, Henry cries out in desperation for divine assistance, and his prayer results in an extended visit from Dudley, an angel portrayed by Denzel Washington. Dashing Dudley, who has a knack for lifting spirits with a touch of his hand, is the real star of the show, the catalyst who brings about extraordinary changes in a downtrodden neighborhood. Some are more open to him than others. The young narrator, Jeremiah (Justin Pierre Edmund), son of Henry and Julia, is initially wary but soon comes to trust Dudley completely. Meanwhile, Julia begins spending more and more time with him, finding him personable and much more accessible than her husband is these days, and Henry, who along with Jeremiah is the only character with an inkling of who Dudley really is, has trouble seeing anything angelic in some handsome stranger sweeping his wife off her feet.

The Preacher's Wife is a very sweet movie about a community coming together in a time of crisis and a man adjusting his life to reclaim the joy and enthusiasm that used to drive him. It's about rekindling a relationship and expanding the definition of family. And, of course, it's about being willing to call upon a higher power when life is getting a little out of hand. Like Clarence of It's a Wonderful Life, Dudley is not a theologically correct angel; he's a former human, back to Earth for the first time since his death, and given his exhilaration at his return, it's fairly understandable that he finds himself drawn to Julia, to the point of misusing the powers bestowed upon him (as when he stops every red light in town so Henry will be unable to join them for an ice skating outing). Dudley may be an angel, but he isn't perfect.

He sure is lovable, though, and plenty easy on the eyes. I always tend to enjoy Denzel Washington's performances, and this mostly light-hearted role is one of my favorites. Dudley isn't into grand gestures, which makes it fun to see the subtler ways he affects those around him. I was previously familiar with Vance as Jim in The Adventures of Huck Finn, where I thought he made the perfect faithful counterpart to Elijah Wood's rascally Huck. Initially, he's not quite as likable here, but that changes as we get a sense of the man he used to be and could be again. Houston gives a good performance, though I find her less interesting than her co-stars, partly because the movie often seems more interested in showcasing her singing talent than developing her character. One or two of her big numbers feel entirely superfluous, and my favorite songs are those in which the voices of children are more prominent. Speaking of which, little Edmund is absolutely adorable, and his perspective gives the movie extra heart.

There are points at which The Preacher's Wife seems to borrow heavily from It's a Wonderful Life, but then that is one of a small number of classics that have found their way into dozens of Christmas tales. This has a story all its own to tell, even in comparison with The Bishop's Wife, and it's one that's almost sure to leave you smiling.

I Said Over and Over and Over Again, This Film is Gonna Be a Drag

When Groundhog Day first came out, the idea of a man living the same day over and over again was novel. Since then, the concept has been run into the ground, particularly when it comes to Christmas. Huey, Dewey and Louie relived the same disastrous Christmas day until they got it right. Elmo wished for perpetual Christmas with calamitous consequences. Christmas every day sounds good in theory, but in practice it's a little different.

In Christmas Do-Over, there are no established characters reliving the most wonderful day of the year ad nauseam. The hapless protagonist is Kevin (Jay Mohr), a self-absorbed jingle writer who couldn't be less interested in spending Christmas with his son, Ben (Logan Grove); his former in-laws, Trudi (Adrienne Barbeau) and Arthur (Tim Thomerson); his ex-wife, Jill (Daphne Zuniga); and her new boyfriend, Todd (David Millbern). But he does his duty, ever so begrudgingly, knowing it's just for the day. Little does he know just how long that day will last...

Christmas Do-Over first aired on ABC Family. As a made-for-TV movie, it doesn't need to try very hard. It's an obvious rip-off of Groundhog Day every step of the way, and watching it just made me aware of how skillfully that Bill Murray film was done. But as silly as this movie is, it's still fun to watch, and in general it works pretty well.

Kevin starts out completely obnoxious, doing his best to make a nuisance of himself so he can rub in everyone's faces how disgruntled he is at being a part of this celebration. He remains irritating throughout most of the movie, but of course he finally starts to wise up and turn into someone a little more tolerable. He gets some help from the adorable Ben, who is one of only two people who is genuinely glad to see him initially. The other is Granny Conlon (Ruta Lee), Jill's feisty grandma who has a tendency to hit on her ex-grandson-in-law. Mostly, though, he has to muddle through on his own, navigating this perplexing scenario in which, no matter what he is doing when Christmas Day ends, he always finds himself back on his in-laws' porch, ringing the doorbell and dodging a football thrown by a couple of snickering neighbor boys.

Because the bulk of the day's activities occur within the home, there's a lot less opportunity for Kevin to interact with the community at large, so there's a lot less breathing room in Christmas Do-Over than in Groundhog Day. Mostly, he does exactly the same things over and over again. He doesn't spend one huge chunk of time learning a foreign language, another learning a musical instrument, another learning an art form, yet another studying the goings-on of all the townsfolk so he can be in the right place at the right time to turn into everyone's hero. Kevin does get involved in the community to some extent via a town fair, but there's still not a whole lot that changes from day to day. As repetitious as Groundhog Day is, this movie is much more like a broken record.

The acting is pretty corny, especially from Millbern, as Todd ends up looking like a complete goon by the time the movie is over. My brother and I agreed that the most entertaining character in the bunch is a wacky-looking elderly neighbor (Jack Axelrod) who pops by to warn everyone that the road is out. Sadly, he only shows up a couple of times.

At first, I thought this was a Hallmark movie, but when I realized it was at least as crude as it was warm and fuzzy, I figured that couldn't be right. The humor is PG-rated but awfully immature, and there's an unnecessary smattering of bad language. But some of the laughs are genuine, and I won't deny there's a feel-good element to it, though one person's pleasure probably equals another's pain in this case, and I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. Not badly enough that I regret renting it. It was reasonably cute the first time around. But I won't be watching Christmas Do-Over over and over.

Glenn Carter Shines as Jesus, But Not Brightly Enough to Save Superstar

I have always been a big fan of Jesus Christ Superstar, particularly of the songs themselves. I was privileged to see the show once in a local production, which was most impressive as I recall. Shortly thereafter, we purchased the 1973 Norman Jewison film. I was less impressed with this version. Although it had the advantage of being filmed on location, that vast expanse was often ill-suited to the style of the movie. I also was a bit turned-off by some of the extremely anachronistic touches, such as the tanks and B2 bombers stalking Judas and the disciples in hippie regalia. And because most of the performers were rock stars and not actors, the lack of skill in the latter area was sometimes apparent. Nonetheless, it has been a video that we pull out every year at Easter and watch.

Last year, I watched Joseph and the Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat on PBS, and after the show I got a glimpse of several clips of the new production of JCS which would be coming out shortly on video. I'm not sure why I held such high hopes for this remake. Perhaps it was my immense satisfaction with the same company's production of Joseph. Perhaps it was my immediate attraction to Glenn Carter. Or perhaps it was just wishful thinking. At any rate, I became convinced that WHYY's offering would turn out to be the perfect performance of Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm afraid that the reality fell short of expectations.

You see, I held out hope that this movie would "get right what the first one got wrong", at least in my opinion. First of all, there was the cinematography. I would say that this aspect of the new version was handled quite well, and it would have made for a more watchable film than the first if it had not been for the choice of setting and costumes.

Most of the film took place in a large room which served a variety of purposes, from Heaven on their Minds to Gethsemane. There was no Judas running frantically down the cliffs of the desert or Jesus scaling the heights of the garden hills to make his plea more audible. It was just a big room. Then there was the long wall covered with graffiti, which we see as the film first begins. There's the temple, which looks like a casino/strip joint, and there's the hang-out of the Sanhedrin, which is centered around a long black table.

The costumes were certainly not biblical. Jesus' disciples all looked like a bunch of punk rockers, and Judas, the oldest of the bunch by far, was similarly decked out in jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket. Mary Magdalene wore a red dress, and Jesus wore jeans and a white shirt, later a white robe. The high priests all looked like something out of The Matrix, and the members of the media, also dressed all in black, resembled witches. The people who cry out to Jesus for help are dressed similarly but covered with web-like bandages, looking like death itself. Finally, the Roman officials, Pilate in particular, look to me like members of the gestapo. I really didn't get much out of the attempt to put this in a modern setting; I saw Godspell, and that was one of my major complaints as well. They're trying to make this story happen 2000 years ago and today, both at the same time. I don't think it works very well.

But now to the meat of the movie. The characters are all well done, though I prefer the characterizations in the first film to some of these. Jerome Pradon does a fine job as presenting Judas as a conflicted individual, though his vocal talents and energy don't come close to matching those of Carl Anderson in the first film. He's also not as easy to like as that first Judas. From the beginning, he seems beady-eyed, sinister, and sarcastic. Throughout the film, his face contorts to show his affection for Jesus despite his growing frustration, and when he turns Jesus in he is overwhelmed with guilt.

Judas is undeniably Superstar's hero in the Greek sense of the word, meaning the individual who undergoes the most radical change from beginning to end. But this production messes it up. Judas has just become so crippled by his own guilt, so remorseful, that he hangs himself. But shortly thereafter, as Jesus is preparing to carry his cross to Calvary, Judas, along with a herum of leather-clad floozies, takes the opportunity to stand over Jesus and gloat. He seems to be saying, "Ha-ha, Jesus, you're so stupid," and Jesus just remains hunched over under his cross, a grotesque ezpression of agony on his face. It's my least favorite scene in the film. Nobody seems to be rooting for Jesus here; the "angels" in leather bikinis are as sarcastic and cruel as Judas' demon girls. And if Judas is talking to Jesus right before the crucifixion, in some sort of vision or something, how is he talking about the current day? It just doesn't jive. And then, as soon as Jesus makes his journey to the hill, Judas sobers up and goes back to being remorseful. That whole scene just blew Judas' credibility out of the water, and it removed the one indication of resurrection that existed in the first film. I was, quite frankly, disgusted, but it set up an expectation that they were going ot give us one doozy of a finale, a real resurrection that would leave no doubt as to Jesus' triumph and perhaps bring poor old Judas some peace. But that didn't happen either. I waited in vain. The closest the movie came to anything like that was the blinding cross in bright lights that blazed behind Jesus at the moment of his death. That certainly spoke of the supernatural, but it wasn't enough to satisfy me.

Glenn Carter was much more satisfactory than Pradon. Although I am pretty sure Jesus was not that gorgeous -- it just didn't seem to be his style -- Carter did a very convincing job. He has a heavenly voice, and his heart-felt rendition of Gethsemane was for me the most moving portion of the movie. His Jesus is straight out of Luke, and then some. His most striking attribute is the concern and compassion he has for everyone he meets, from the dying multitude to Judas to Pilate. Carter displays a wide range of passionate emotions, and it was much easier for me to connect with him quickly than was the case with Ted Neeley in the first film. At times, he is perhaps a bit too human. He spends the last scenes of the movie with a permanent agonized expression on his face, submitting himself to the whims of those who try to hurt him. It does give him a quiet authority, however. He refuses to fight back because he knows this is what must happen. Somehow, though, he seems to lose his control with Superstar, and it seems that he now is starting to wish he could get out of this. He appears helpless and terrified. He is a victim, not a triumph. And I'm sure Weber and Rice would have had it no other way. But Christians will have to look especially hard to see the determined savior in the eyes of that frightened deer-in-the-headlights.

Rene Castle as Mary Magdalene is excellent as well. Her voice is incredible, and as with Jesus, she plays her part with much more emotion than her predecessor (Yvonne Elliman) did. Unfortunately, her beautiful characterization takes one of the major complaints with the show by Christians and runs with it. Many Christians have been offended by the implication that there may have been a romance between Jesus and Mary. I simply did not see that in the first film. I saw a woman who loved a man who was different from any other man she had ever known. Because of this, she did not know how she was supposed to love him. Jesus' love for her was simply the love he had for any disciple, and I never got the impression that he was romantically inclined toward her. This film came a lot closer to implying that. Every time Jesus is with Mary, he has this rapturous expression on his face, and it is ultimately a confrontation between Judas and Jesus after Judas sees Mary kiss the sleeping savior that makes Judas decide to betray his friend.

The high priests are definitely sinister, but Annas goes far beyond that. He is downright creepy with his bald head, high voice, and cold eyes. Pilate, meanwhile, who was quite honestly my favorite character in the first film when it came to performance, comes across as a vicious gestapo leader here. He does sympathize with Jesus, and there is one touching moment in the trial when Jesus reaches up to comfort him, but overall I found his bellowing more obnoxious than anything else. In the original producation, Barry Dennen made Pilate extremely likable, pitiable and compassionate. I found his scene with Jesus to be the most moving scene in the whole film. This guy doesn't even come close.

And then there's Herod. I think whoever plays him is going to wind up looking like a fruitcake. The first movie's Herod at least tried to sing, even though his voice was pretty bare of talent. This guy, a British fellow who sounded like he had a stuffy nose and seemed to come straight out of the twenties, spent most of his song chanting instead of singing. He was not nearly as amusing as the first, nor was he menacing. He was just...there.

All in all, I must say that I was disappointed with this film. However, magnificent performances of Jesus and Mary as well as a few others (Simon Zealotes and Peter in particular) make it worth watching. The music is as fantastic as it ever was, and as easy to twist around to imply something different. This play can be very reverent, but this was obviously not the intent of the creators. Watch it if you get a chance, but listen to the soundtrack first and work out the rest of the story as you see it on your own. Because Jesus was more of a Superstar than either Webber or Rice could ever imagine.