"Light of the World" Review: Film focuses on a youngster's experiences with Jesus

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Because most of what is known about the apostles is from the Gospels when the disciples were grown men who knew Jesus, it’s easy to forget how young and naïve the apostles once were. Before they met Jesus and followed him, they were young men with traditional lives who didn’t realize how dramatically their lives would change.

The new animated film Light of the World tries to capture that idea by focusing its attention on John, who many believe was the youngest of the apostles. John (voiced by Benjamin Jacobson) begins this story as a naive but mischievous youngster (similar to Aladdin from the Disney feature) who fishes with his older brother, James (Dylan Leonard). Both serve their father Zebedee (David Pettitt) but their futures change when Jesus enters their lives.      

Because the feature focuses on John's perspective, many of the familiar elements of the story feel unique. From seeing other families torn apart by greedy tax collectors who take advantage of their positions (and arrest the breadwinners of some families) to questioning John the Baptist's diet of bugs, John's idealistic point-of-view creates a deeper appreciation for both Jesus and for the apostles themselves who gave up everything to follow him. That point-of-view also allows the filmmakers to show a lighter side of Jesus as he connects to his young apostle differently than he connects with his older disciples.

With a PG rating, there's a lightness to the proceedings with directors Tom Bancroft and John J. Schafer veering away from anything too graphic in an attempt to bring Jesus' stories to even young people. Although the feature might be too scary for very young children, the story does offer appeal to families who want to give their children a glimpse into Jesus' life without overwhelming them. This feature would be a great starting point for family discussions about Christ's work and teachings.        

The film does capture many stories of the New Testament and there is a feeling that they attempted to fit a lot of elements into the 91-minute film. Instead of focusing on one specific period, the screenplay by David M. Armstrong, Drew Barton Armstrong and James Heaton includes a number of different stories from the Bible. Instead of exploring on the impact of some of these stories and how the community was transformed, the screenplay moves along at a steady but sometimes speedy pace.

Light of the World doesn't attempt to to shed new light on Biblical stories. Instead, it comfortably aims to show these stories from a new perspective: offering the audiences a chance to see Jesus' life not from the eyes of an outside observer but from the perspective of a young person who sees Jesus as a friend before he accepts him as a spiritual guide. It's a solid introduction to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ that families can use to entice their young children to learn more about the Son of God.