Majorthebys Charming and brutal

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

bkoganbing A very nice cast was assembled for this fictional story about a fourth Wise Man who missed the birth of Jesus. Martin Sheen plays the fourth Magi who just seems to be missing running into the prophesied Messiah.Some other obligations prevented Sheen as Artaban the fourth Wise Man from making the journey to Bethlehem where the other three Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchior viewed the post birth at the stable. When Sheen goes accompanied by his faithful and grumbling servant Alan Arkin the family just left and in time before the Romans come in on that genocidal mission from Herod to kill all the babies there. Before he leaves Sheen manages to save one of them.Then its off to Egypt where the holy family is bound for. But as the gospels give scant information about Jesus's growing up we've got a lot of room for fiction. He misses the child again, but instead Sheen helps out a colony of beggars become a self sufficient tribe. And as a Magi he's got some gifts of healing, no miracles to be sure, but the kind of stuff Hippocrates had researched in the ancient world.This was a life of service and well led. And before the film ends Sheen witnesses the greatest of all miracles and he's told by the highest authorities that it was a life well led.Sheen and Arkin make quite a pair, a kind of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza kind of relationship. But this Quixote tilts no windmills though he faces some long odds at times.This is a good religious film, not overly preachy, but it's point about making your life count on earth is well made.

laini47 This is absolutely one of my favorite movies. All the acting is superb. The storyline is excellent. While the story itself is fiction, the movies is filled with a lot of facts, and makes for a wonderful Christmas story, which encompasses the basic story of true Christianity.

videocritic Based on Henry van Dyke's clasic, "The Story of the Other Wise Man," a fictional story set in Biblical times, told in gently comic terms. It concerns a Magi named Artaban (Martin Sheen" who studies the prophecies and witnesses a sign in the heavens that he hopes will lead him and his faithful servant, Orantes (Alan Arkin), to the Messiah. Artaban takes with him three precious gifts to present to the Messiah. For 33 years, Artaban and Orantes pursue Jesus, only to miss him at every turn. Along the way Artaban chooses to use his gifts to help people in need. The story culminates on Easter Sunday as Artaban finally encounters the new King and finds peace in his life.

riker-17 I had never had the PLEASURE to see this film until now. Although, as the previous comment mentioned, this film suffered from a small budget, it was spectacular. Although the Bible never records that there were three wise men, or that Christ was born on December 25 (history shows that he was NOT), this film delivers a POWERFULL message to believers and non-believers alike. Even if one does not subscribe to Christian doctrine, I submit that this film will deliver a powerful message. Basically, to sumarize (without spoiling the film) this film is about one mans lifelong journey to seek the Christ, and in the end he is rewarded. It took him ALL of his life, and he gave up everything. Although the ending could be called "cliche," it really is a marvelous piece of work. My words are not sufficient to stress enough the amazing piece of work that this film is. I give it 2 thumbs up!