Synopsis:

The Miracle Maker is the story of Jesus' life through the eyes of Jairus's daughter. Jairus was the wealthy man whose daughter Jesus resurrected. Here we are treated to a retelling of the story/life of Jesus in a most incredible way. Instead of using real people, the folks over at Christmas Films in Russia and the BBC in Wales put together a top-notch performance using puppets. HBO ran a series entitled: Testament, The Bible in Animation, a couple of years back. The same people that created that series made this film. It features the voice talents of Ralph Fiennes as Jesus, Julie Christie as Rachel, Richard E. Grant as John the Baptist William Hurt as Jairus and Miranda Richardson as Mary Magdalene. This blend of puppetry and traditional cartoon-like animation has created the most biblically accurate and visually arresting story on the life of Jesus to date. It chronicles his life as a carpenter but also the steps that led to his crucifixion and resurrection. Truly a wonderful telling of a timeless story that gains new life with every re-telling!

Audio/Video:

The audio is presented in a 5.1 platform that while it's nice to have doesn't really offer much given the film's Spartan aural effects. The center is clean and well delineated the surrounds are put into play with the film's score which adds to the film's presentation. For the most part however, the film's audio is centered in the L/R fronts and the Center. The video is actually pretty well produced as well. The film is presented in a 16:9 anamorphic widescreen transfer that bristles with clarity. The imagery is beautiful and very well presented. There were no transfer errors noted.

Extras:

Included on the disc is an hour long documentary on the making of the film. It takes you through the director's eyes into the various sessions involved in creating the film. Putting a film together domestically is a hassle but add an international collaboration to that mix and you have the makings of a disaster if you are not careful. The work that goes into creating a film of this type is nothing short of incredible and the documentary does a great job in ret-telling the efforts of the production teams. A trailer for the film is also presented.

Overall:

The story of Jesus has been told and re-told thousands of times. Each telling lends it's own flavor to the story and this version does just that. Other than nail prints in the wrists of Jesus as opposed to the palms, the story stays pretty close to the biblical presentation. The puppetry is beautiful and quite touching. Of all the stories of the Life of Jesus, this one might just be my new favorite! Highly Recommended