Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

donm1025 Audience blew it for me why the continuous applause spoiled the intro! Wish live audience would just shut up and let the music and songs paly without interruption! Shame on them! Had recorded to watch but deleted right after John Legend's entrance (this is where applause is ok) but the audience continued to disrupt the show so I deleted! WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! I was really looking forward to seeing the modern version...a message to NBC...next live performance SHUT THE AUDIANCE UP! This is the reason why the Beatles quit touring back in 1968...I don't pay to go to live shows or concerts to hear the audience but to hear the performance.

peezee-91675 Jesus played by John Legend"" - indicates my opinion"Aggressive, reckless, cocky, arrogant are the words I would use to describe John Legend's portrayal. Not qualified to play Jesus, need the quality of slave, timelessness, like BrandoSeems like Jesus is this high knowledge guy who knows more than everyone else as is critical that others don't know what he knows. Not quite as accepting and embracing of sinners as I imagine it. The whole spectacle seems more like a berkeley co op party/ emo goth rock concert than a search for the truth. I'd use the movie Gandhi as the example for a great movie regarding a worthy man who gave his life to a higher need. A sacrifice to the highest love.Presentation of Jesus as a MAN - quote unquote JUST A MAN. Presentation of Mary Magdalene as the lover of Jesus who Jesus needs when his life gets too hard when too many decrepit sick people ask for his help - when this happened he literally says HEAL YOURSELVES. This is when they crowd around him in their bandages, when they slowly crawl towards him telling him of their problems and asking to be healed. All this is in singing of course as it is one can see a concert quote unquote of this quote unquote man.Those who do evil sympathize with evil, those who do good sympathize with all. I pray we can do good on earth.

amicallef It's hard to ruin great material - however, John Legend was not a good choice here. He can sing, sure - but he hasn't got the acting chops to pull this off, the role requires a stronger performer. Frankly - he looked a little lost of the time.

Charles Herold (cherold) I used to sing along with the JCS album all the time as a kid. It was funny, and sharp, and tuneful, and shook off the stodgy holiness that marred most portrayals of Jesus. I used to picture how I would make it were I a film director; I would set it all in Washington D.C., with the pharisees in power suits.I was hugely disappointed by the 1973 movie, which seemed determined to squeeze back in a lot of the religious-picture stodginess.But this TV production gives me a JCS that captures the raw essence of the original album. There is an electric joyousness as the orchestra musicians play as they march across the stage. The show embraces diversity not just in ethnicity but in body shape; some of the dancers are far larger than what you normally see. The production is intense and electric and full of intense life.There are some terrific performances. Brandon Victor Dixon is wonderful as Judas, who is really more than star of the show than Jesus. And Ben Daniels is utterly amazing as Pontius Pilate.John Legend is quite good as Jesus, although as he arrives onstage he looks a bit more like a genial dad standing on the porch in his bathroom watching his kids than the incarnation of God on earth. Legend would probably make more sense as a pleasant Godspell-style Jesus, but ultimately I thought he was quite effective.I don't know if this is a version of the Broadway show or if this is an entirely knew production just for TV, but if the latter, I'm really impressed by how well thought-out it is, and if the former, well, that must be a hell of a show.I vote the people behind this do a TV production of one of my other loved-the-album-hated-the-movie shows, Hair. Come on, NBC, don't let me down!(Note: I watched this on DVR so didn't have to deal with the plethora of commercials that apparently ruined this for a lot of people.)