‘Light of the World’ is beautifully animated tale of Christ

It’s no wonder that “Light of the World” looks as wonderful as it does.

Tom Bancroft, one of the directors, has worked with Disney Studios for more than 25 years, contributing to the likes of “Mulan” and “The Lion King.”

Also bringing his animation art to the movie is Tony Bancroft, who also worked on films including “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin.” and “The Lion King.”

This is aimed squarely at Christian audiences, in particular families, with some good-natured comedy thrown into the mix of drama and adventure. The main character is John, who becomes the youngest disciple of Jesus.

John ‘s mother has told him that the Messiah will come. But John ‘s father thinks the Messiah is just a made-up story. John wants to believe.

On his way to take fish to the marketplace, John runs afoul of a Roman soldier, who seeks revenge on the younger, and much smaller, John who accidentally whacks him with a bag of fish.

I like the character development here, from John, who shows kindness and thoughtfulness in many ways, to the behavior of and dialogue of Judas.

The film lets audiences of all ages follow along as a few people, then crowds, gather to hear the teachings of Jesus. During the miracle of the fishes, there’s a clever nod to the “Jaws” movie about needing a bigger boat.

There are some beautiful scenes here, including the baptism of Christ and Jesus walking on water. My favorite is the parable of the Good Samaritan, which is told in heartfelt simplicity, allowing even younger viewers to understand the value of kindness.

This is a film by The Salvation Poem Project, which calls itself “a ministry for ministries,” providing free high-quality resources to ministries, missionaries and other Christians. You can read The Salvation Poem here and read more about The Salvation Poem Project here.

3 stars

Running time: One hour and 31 minutes.

Rated: PG for themes of cruelty, betrayal and death.

In theaters.

Watch the trailer here.

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