A d The Bible Continues Edited Into a Movie
Historical Issues
I wonder at what point the writers and producers decided to toss our the Book of Acts and ignore history.
Some of the stories are fun to watch, but other stories are just plain wrong. Tiberius and Caligula never visited Jerusalem. Tiberius died on the Island of Capri and Caligula was there to testify of his death. Near the end of his life, after he thought he had turned into a living God, Caligula did order a statue of himself placed in the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem, but before his orders could be carried out he was assassinated. When he first came to power Caligula was very kind and benevolent, but he became ill and when he recovered, he had changed and thought he was now a God. Caligula was not even mentioned in Acts. I have no idea why this made up story of Tiberius and Caligula visiting Jerusalem added to the TV story. The truth is that Pilot died in 36 AD and Caligula did not become Emperor until 37 AD. Pilot was replaced by Festus and so far in the series he has yet to show up in the series.
I wish the producers had been smart enough to realize that real history can be exciting and dramatic and they did not have to change history to make the story interesting. It is also an insult to the intelligence of those who have studied history and have read the Bible and know the real stories to watch this show and see the drastic changes to the original stories. The Bible series was a bit more true to the Bible when it was on the History Channel, but now it is on a network so maybe NBC caring more about rating than real history wanted them to change history.
In the 50's Bible stories had some biblical and historical accuracy, but mostly went for glitz and spectral. More recent movies and TV shows reflected more historical and Biblical accuracy in their stories. Now we have taken a few steps back and have let the truth take a back seat to popular legend and ratings. When Pilate asked Jesus what is truth, He gave no answer. I suppose if Pilate were to ask the producers what is truth, they would say "What ever we want it to be." That is sad.
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Powerful Cinematic Portrayal of Early Christianity
I believe I speak for a great many viewers, particularly Christians, who are grateful to the producers for this effort. I think no one argues that it is well crafted. Costumes, settings, writing, editing: they're wonderful. The actors here are very skillful. Beside that, it seems truly heartfelt and genuine. I'm happy it appeared on network television if that was the best market; and I expect more viewers are being found than had it gone to a premium cable service. I believe it will sell well eventually as a DVD set. But most remarkable here, and the most important impact, is the irrefutable proof that there's a great market for Christian- based media; and I believe this mini-series, as it joins other efforts, will go very far to prove that.
I think everyone is aware that drama must be embellished to build tension and interest: that you can't film a page of print, even if it's sacred Scripture. So I have no problem with the script or the characterizations. At this writing, we have seen only the first episode; and it would be unfair to judge it by itself as clearly there are many more stories to tell. (Also at this writing there are continuous threats of nuclear annihilation, enormous terrorist threats, and bitter violence all around the world.)
All that, however, sounds defensive, and I would like to use the remainder my review to be positive. This mini-series, then, is the incredible story of uneducated, unrefined people who went all over the world to talk about their King. They did miracles. They preached powerful messages. Persecution couldn't stop them then, and it can't stop us today. The message that is still going out is 100% good news: that you and I, in spite of our faults, are precious and forgiven. I invite you to watch this mini-series, and to talk to our King about it afterwards, with that background in mind: you are completely loved. Thanks.
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Worth watching
I like everything about this film, soundtrack, photography, actors, It keeps you entertained etc. Of course you need to know the real story from the Bible because not everything happened as it is shown on the film.
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Please Continue this Show!!!!!! We love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have watched the only season that exists on Netflix repeatedly and each time that I watch it it makes me want to see more. I really hated that the plug was pulled on this show, it deserves way more credit. Jesus healed people, he loved all people, and it's sad to say that when I have visited certain ministries some of them don't believe in the power of the holy spirit, living in Christ is more than positive thinking we cannot forget the helper the comforter, the power that Jesus left for all people to access. I have received more food from this show while we are still in search for a good ministry that truly operates in all that Jesus did and taught. A place where it is not always about money, control, man or woman worship or a show but a real authentic ministry. Please continue this show, some of us love to see shows like this!!!!
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Inaccuracy
This is no way a comprehensive review. I have enjoyed much of the series that I have seen so far. However, I was very disturbed by the portrayal of two of the early Church's supporters, Ananias and his wife Sapphira. The show indicates that they died because they did not contribute the whole of the proceeds of the sale of their property. While this is true, it is true because they lied about it, not because they were required to contribute 100% and did not. Acts chapter 5 makes it quite clear . . . "Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? . . . You have not lied to men but to God." To me, the portrayal of the situation in the show frames God as a tyrant.
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Feels True To Life (Whether Actually True Or Not)
After the rousing success that was "The Bible", NBC brought the format back with "A.D.: The Bible Continues". While the ratings weren't near the original, in terms of quality the series was very well-done and just as entertaining as its predecessor.
The main plots of "A.D." revolve around three main topics:
1. The disciples of Jesus, led by Peter (Adam Levy), who are given the creed to preach His word. The problem, of course, is that Jerusalem is under strong Roman control, leading to unending conflict.
2. Pontius Pilate (Vincent Regan), Roman official stationed in Jerusalem, trying to deal with the "Jesus followers", while being advised by wife Claudia (Joanne Whalley).
3. Caiaphus (Richard Coyle), leader of the Jewish temple, and wife Leah (Jodhi May), who are caught in the middle of the Roman/Christian conflict.
The strength of this miniseries is that it shows a very intriguing "what could have been" scenario about the start of the spread of Christianity by the Disciples. You relaly get a look at how they were likely thinking/feeling in relation to their relationship with Jesus and his teachings. Too often, individuals from the Bible are looked upon as "larger than life" or somehow separated from the "average man". However, that was not the cause whatsoever. These are real people trying to comprehend the plan for God's kingdom, so obviously that is going to cause some mistakes to be made and many conflicts to arise. "A.D." doesn't shy away from any of that.
The acting and overall production value is also quite strong. This is a far cry from some cheesy re-enactment one might find on a religious network. "A.D." is a bona fide dramatic series. It just happens to be telling a story from the Bible instead of a story that someone penned in a script.
Simply put, I enjoyed "A.D." nearly as much as I did "The Bible" (the sheer breadth of the latter probably sneaks it ahead of the former by just a bit). I mainly appreciated how it didn't "preach" to the audience and chose rather to give a more individualized perspective of events: how the Disciples (and those around them) chose to react to the Resurrection and Jesus' creed to preach his word. Scholars of the Bible would likely enjoy this series, but I think its biggest fan-base would come from those who a bit more "layman" in terms of Biblical knowledge, for this one shows not just the faith of early Christians, but also the "nuts and bolts" of how that faith changed the world.
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Historical liberties, but much to recommend - and no Pilate error
Warning: Spoilers
I am amazed at the number of people writing these reviews who seem to think that the Roman Prefect of Judea at the time of the Crucifixion of Jesus was a guy called "Pilot". This is somewhat worrying when many of them want to take every Bible word literally.
The original miniseries "The Bible" was a bit of a joke. It tried to please scriptural literalists while simultaneously appealing to today's attention-deficit disordered viewers. So we ended up with a bizarre mix of "Hour of Power" with "Xena Warrior Princess", complete with obligatory sword-fights at 10-minute intervals. Of course, nothing could have prepared most viewers for the hilarity of the ninja angels. A master stroke of ironic witticism! Oh sorry, it wasn't irony, and the producers were being serious?
Well, the good news is "The Bible Continues" has hosed down the Hollywooditis and used some very good actors and a much more believable storyline. They have done some serious research into biblical history, archaeology and textual criticism. It hasn't always come out authentically, but it's a pretty valiant effort. Sure, there are again characters and situations created purely for dramatic effect. But at least with this effort - supposed to be a sequel to the original miniseries and based around the Book of Acts - I am not finding myself continually doubled over with the laughter of pure disbelief at what's happening on screen.
All the principal characters of this new visitation are believable psychologically, and for the most part historically. (That is, as far as we know, given that we actually know very little or nothing at all of actual historical merit about most of them).
I thought it might have added some dramatic interest to have the resurrected Jesus never actually appear on screen, so the viewer is left in the same boat as those to whom the disciples were preaching. Have these people been seeing or imagining things, or did something amazing actually happen? The producers do hint at this approach upon Saul's conversion later in the series, but clearly the series message regarding an actual physical resurrection of Jesus tolerates no doubt. So, in the first episode we see all the magic of the resurrection, complete with bright heavenly light shows and Angel warriors. (But thankfully, with everybody no longer kung-fu fighting!)
Pontius Pilate (or, sorry, should that be "Pilot"?) is accurately portrayed for a change, at least in personality and competence, if not in actual events. The role of Pilate and the Romans in the death of Jesus, whitewashed by the romanized Church after Constantine, is largely corrected here. This puts the storyline roughly in line with the history of the romano-Jewish historian Josephus. He was writing at about the same time as the first three Gospels were being written (anywhere between A.D. 65-95, although Paul was probably writing his Epistles as early as A.D. 50).
Vincent Regan's Pilate is certainly capricious and often a poor judge of sensible courses of action. Josephus writes that Pilate had a reputation for offending his subjects' religious sensibilities, and his suppression of a Samaritan uprising was so harsh that he was recalled to Rome in AD 36. The rash of petty crucifixions after an attempted assassination depicted in this miniseries is probably a loss of control and common sense even the historical Pilate would never have countenanced. But the idea that he agonized over the death of an innocent man - washing his hands of all responsibility - is not a picture in keeping with the historical Pilate, who would never have hesitated nor had a moment's regret in executing anyone he deemed a danger to Rome's authority. This miniseries got that right.
There are other liberties taken with historical fact. The decision to have Emperor Tiberius and soon-to-be Emperor Caligula visit Pilate in Jerusalem is puzzling. Neither of these Emperors visited Judea - and certainly not together. For the last ten years of his life, Tiberius could hardly be coaxed away from his Isle of Capri pleasure retreat even to visit the Italian mainland, much less the insignificant province of Judea! And while there was a rumour that Tiberius was smothered by a pillow, and that Caligula arranged it, it certainly didn't happen in the Holy Land. But the big question is, what does this fictional plot line add to the story besides two extra episodes and a black mark in the authenticity column? And what does it do for those poor souls who desperately want to view this series as a televised authentic-history Bible Study, who are surely its main audience?
There are, however, many things this miniseries handles very impressively - particularly the depiction of the politics, the cultural practices and clashes, and the atmosphere of 1st Century Judea. High Priest Caiaphas is not the complete villain we know from the scriptures, but (as portrayed very convincingly by Richard Coyle) principally a diplomat walking a tightrope in trying to balance his role defending his Temple and Faith along with the safety of his people against the naked brutality of the Roman occupiers. Fascinating to watch also are the different viewpoints and priorities of the followers of Jesus: from the zealot-oriented Simon; through the two leaders of Judaic Christianity, Peter and James the Just, and their different approaches to spreading the word; balanced against the fanatical persecution, then the fanatical participation of the converted Saul. The Saul we have here (depicted by Emmett Scanlan) - mercurial, ultra-opinionated and just as dangerous when he is for Jesus as he was when against him - is one interpretation of this Apostle's possible personality garnered from careful textual analysis. It shows excellent research and more than a bit of daring, since Paul is one of the great Christian heroes.
And on top of all this, we have a Pilate - or should that be Pilot? - flying straight and true for a change! What more could you ask?
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Excellently crafted
I'm honestly surprised by the reception of this series, it seems to be rather mixed compared to the original production. In all honesty I prefer this to the original Bible production, though the original had the benefit of being a genuine surprise coming from History.
What I prefer about this is that the passion remains strong, and the stories are well flushed out. By balancing a bit of pop-cinema with heart felt efforts to bring the bible to screen they are able to present a story that should be familiar to all Christians, but yet also keep you in a "wow, what will happen next week" state of mind.
The acting is very solid, I get a very strong sense of the evangelical zeel of the early church, and a good sense of hanging on by a knifes edge. As of this writing Saul of Tarsus has been introduced, and I feel he is very well played. I highly recommend watching this. No, this is not an attempt to provide you with a production where actors read scripture. But it is honest, and it will draw you into that time.
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An Honest Review
Just let me get something off my chest, I used to work in history and the thing that irritates me the most when I read reviews on things like this are the people yelling "Not Historically accurate!!!!!"
Yeah, you're right, it's not historically accurate...it's made to entertain. 300 wasn't historically accurate and if it were, it would have been a completely different movie.
No, there are some things I take issue with, if you make Othello White, for instance, that I can't stand...or the BBC's Black Achilles. Those are taking a bit too many liberties for me. Achilles isn't exactly Nick Fury, if you make him Black it kind of stops him from being an ancient Greek.
That being said, The Bible Continues does kind of do that, but not at all to an extreme. There are a few instances when you are like, really, he's supposed to be an Ancient Greek?...nope, doesn't look the part. But that's few and far between and you get the sense that the decisions were made for pro talent and not to pull a Last Jedi.
Moving on....The Bible I absolutely LOVED because of how it was segmented...just long enough to draw you in and short enough not to get dull. it was perfect.
This is not done the same way. So you don't have the Earnest Hemingway fear of being boring feel to it and instead you get segments that drag and, in some cases, drag long enough to both feel preachy and get very, very dull.
True it is telling a different story, and it is also true that the talent is still there and in spades...but the execution this time around is lacking. The first take the segments hit you fast and kept you entertained...and this one seems drawn out.
The best comparisons is "North and South" where you are watching it, you recognize that it is still good...but that doesn't stop you from getting bored with long parts of it.
If you want to sit through it...it isn't bad. But if you want to watch something about Jesus, you have both "The Last Temptation of Christ" and "Jesus Christ Superstar" that both deal with the subject matter in a way that doesn't seem to drag.
Watch it if it's on, you won't be disappointed, but don't go out of your way to catch it, it's not worth that amount of effort.
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Better than I Expected
As a Christian, I have learned to never trust Hollywood with Bible stories. After all, Isn't Hollywood run mostly by "Satan's cronies," anyway? Bible stories are very powerful - as written and described in the Bible. When Hollywood rewrites the script, much is inevitably left out and the result is diluted mush. However, I think the people behind A.D. The Bible Continues have displayed a refreshing sense of reverence and faithfulness to the Scripture in their pilot episode of the story. Still, much is left out - but very little is changed.
Many of the scenes in the episode are very powerful. In particular, I appreciated the scene where the roman soldier approached Pilate and informed him that Jesus was certainly killed. This is an important detail, given the many "resurrection-debunkers" who claim that Jesus was not on the cross long enough to die. I also appreciated the majesty of the scene where the angel descended and rolled the stone away from Jesus' tomb. While both of these scenes do not usually make the cut in other movies about the life of Jesus, I believe that they effectively put skin on an otherwise all-too-familiar story.
Whether or not one has accepted Christ into their heart, there is no denying the polish and accuracy of this episode when compared to other interpretations of the story. Of course, it's not The Passion of the Christ or The Gospel According to St. Matthew, but it is impressive. Christians, I believe, will be especially impressed.
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Loving this Biblical Adaptation
My review was first posted here on the EW Community:
http://community.ew.com/2015/04/07/a-d-the-bible-continues-overview/
"Jesus is dead. His followers are scattered. Jerusalem is experiencing earthquakes. Religious leaders fear a fake resurrection. Political leaders fear a real rebellion. Everyone in the city is reeling from the intense events of the last few days of Passover. Everyone is waiting to see if Jesus's prophecy about himself will be fulfilled. This is the political, social, and emotional climate in which A.D. The Bible Continues finds itself.
A.D. asks many questions: What did life look like after the death and resurrection of Jesus? How did these events affect his friends, his family, his followers? How did they affect Jerusalem? These events birthed the entire Christian faith, but how did it all start? How did a small group of rejected men and women start a movement that to this day continues to expand across the globe? These are the questions A.D. seeks to answer, and I am fascinated to see how they are going to convey the rich elements of this story.
As a fan of Biblical history, I am thrilled that NBC, along with executive producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, are presenting such an incredible retelling of the Christian church's early days. As a student of the Bible, I have read and studied the New Testament extensively. I know the names of every apostle, every brave man and woman mentioned in the Bible. Men and women who faced persecution, imprisonment, and death for what they believed. The birth of the Christian church was not glamorous, nor was it easy. Today Christianity is a very prominent religion, but it was not always so. Churches met in small rooms, sometimes in secret, because persecution was so prevalent. The first Christian martyr, Stephen; the imprisonment of Paul and Silas; even the crucifixion of some of the disciples—all of these important Biblical milestones will likely be addressed in this 12-episode series.
A Diverse British Cast A.D. The Bible Continues not only brings to life the remarkable story, but it showcases some wonderful actors. I was surprised at how many familiar faces I saw in the cast. First, the show's main antagonist (so far) is the priest Caiaphas, played by Covert Affairs alum Richard Coyle. Coyle has also been in Crossbones, Prince of Persia, and Coupling. Caiaphas's wife, Leah, is played by Jodhi May, who is known for her roles in Emma, Defiance, On a Clear Day, and the upcoming season of Game of Thrones. Pontius Pilot, the Roman who ultimately sentenced Jesus to death, is played by Vincent Regan. Regan's most notable roles include parts in 300, Atlantis, and E's new hit series The Royals. Downton Abbey's beloved Mr. Mosley—Kevin Doyle—also made an appearance as a friend of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea.
I also love the racial diversity of the cast: Both the angel who rolls the tombstone away (British actor Lonyo Engele) and John the Beloved—played by Babou Ceesay (a Gambian/British actor known for his roles in Inspector Lewis and Getting On) are black actors. Mary Magdalene is played by Zimbabwean actress Chipo Chung, who was in Doctor Who, Camelot, and The Politician's Husband. Considering that most Bible films and series are known for casting all white actors and actresses, this is a refreshing change and a step in the right direction.
Historical Setting The show's setting—ancient Jerusalem and the surrounding Mediterranean cities of Damascus, Antioch, and Rome—all take center stage in this story. In the first episode we see Jerusalem and the hills of Golgotha (Calvary), where Jesus was crucified. As the show beings to tell the story of Paul and other apostles, we are sure to venture into what we now consider Turkey and Italy. If the story progresses to tell of Paul's arrest in Rome, we are sure to see some Gladiator-esque sites and landmarks.
In-depth Christian History The subject matter this show is tackling is a remarkable mix of historical storytelling, fictional narrative, and regional and religious tensions. If you are a history buff and love religious history, this series will lend a hand toward understanding the context of the early common era and the New Testament texts, including the Book of Acts, 1st and 2nd Peter, and Paul's letters to the churches. If you identify as a Christian, I believe this show is vital to understanding the events that birthed the Christian church. If you don't identify as a person of faith or a student of history, you can definitely enjoy this show purely for its dramatic qualities. The music is sweeping, the costumes are rich, the setting is Israel in the year 33 A.D./C.E., and the tension between the religious leaders in Israel and their Roman oppressors is visceral."
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Major misfire
A series about the events immediately after the crucifixion sounded daring and interesting, since there are way too many cinematic stories about everything that happened "before" and "during".
I was therefore intrigued by the first episode and curious to see how the apostles were going to regroup. But episode after episode, I found the story unfolding in a most irritating way.
Here we go with the usual brutal Roman repression (see Nazi in occupied countries or the evil empire) and Jewish plotting (don't even need to write more about that).
The apostles seem stubborn, directionless, incapable of actually preaching anything that makes sense and still able to gather followers. Enter Saul and the show sort of pick up a bit, just to crumble miserably with the arrival of Caligula.
History tells us that Caligula became emperor in 37 BC and did not start losing it until the following year. But the show needed the usual OTT villain and who better than the Roman emperor arriving in Jerusalem in 33 BC?
On the other hand, if they just want to re-write history, why using episodes from the gospel? I refer especially to the very controversial one with Ananias and Sapphira. In this episode, an elderly couple sells a piece of land and gives part of the profit to the Christians to be allowed to live with them.
However, they lie when they say they gave all the money, as they kept some aside just in case. But the holy spirit acts as a ruthless robber: "Give me ALL your money or I kill you" and the couple dies a horrible death for having dared keeping a little money aside (... actually.... maybe it was for lying, but it does seems a disproportionate punishment).
Not the most endearing, loving statement from the newborn Christian movement...
I am not surprised there was no a second series, since this one was bad in so many way...
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Good...BUT...
I liked the acting, I liked the sets...I especially really liked the (Rick from the TWD look alike lol) man who played Peter.
That said, something totally took me out of it...why on Earth is John a black man? John was JEWISH..not black, and Mary is also black in the show??? WHY?? Look, if you come with the "well Jesus wasn't a blonde haired blued white guy either!!" I am with you on that...so is the answer to make it MORE inaccurate!? I really don't care one way or the other about what skin color an actor is...but when you're going to portray a "historical" event, it's unfair to those who were the real people to have their character be remade to fit into a modern politically correct culture. None of the Apostles were black...SO WHAT!?!? They weren't "white" either, or Asian...should be make one of them Asian just for the sake of modern cultural feelings?? One of the main truths I've found in the Bible is that what we FEEL and THINK are often wicked, and all that matters is the TRUTH. Yet in a Bible show...we are putting feelings before truth? Ironic.
So yes, I take issue with black actors as Apostles...and guess what? I also take issue if anyone casts Jesus as a blonde Norwegian man. Because I am not playing favorites...I want accuracy.
I'm sorry if this issue seems nit-picky...but this really is a much deeper issue than many see it as. We destroy history for the sake of peoples feelings in current times. "I don't like what happened, so let's pretend it didn't". That'll work great......
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This series is awesome!!
Flows very smoothly, has a great cast, the cinematography is awesome - they built a whole city for this series.
I rented all of the episodes on Vudu. The actor who plays Jesus does it so sweetly. I really like it.
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Great! Better than I thought.
I just finished this series in two nights, and wanted more. I'm sad to have read that there weren't any more put out after this one. This made me want to watch the Bible series, which I did, and it's not as good. I had to skip a few episodes. The A.D. series is much better in every aspect. When I watched this series, I felt like I was there with the apostles. Keep in mind, I'm a newly converted Christian. It's like I didn't want this to end and watching it made me feel closer to the Lord.
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A strong sense of realism - surprisingly good production
Much better than The Bible. There less meaningful variances to what best sources indicate. But there are a few ... like Sapphira who admitted keeping money with excuses, when she actually denied keeping any money back -- and it makes a difference. Apparently, more than the Bible was consulted, as hints of Josephus, the Jewish historian might be seen here, as well as other sources. Production quality is remarkable. Sets, CGI, costumes, etc. are top flight. MGM did well. This is quality. It gets quite brutal at times, but it WAS a brutal era. Overall, the sense, the power, and the message gets through pretty well ... so far. Only 5 of 12 seen!
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Politically Correct remakes...
Warning: Spoilers
Since when was any of the apostles colored? and Mary Magdalene was colored? This was in Judea, the apostles was Jews, the likelihood of anyone of them being colored is somewhere along the line of me being a pope.
I am tired of politically correct movies, if yours going to make a movie or miniseries or whatever based on the lives of Jesus Christ or the gospel, then for the love of GOD, don't mix in PC crap into it.
Next you will see a Mohammed thats Japanese. Or perhaps Buddha thats white.
This series is so filled with inaccuracies that I was disgusted after the first 30 minutes and quit watching. do not waste your time with this.
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So far, AD is a great dramatic / informative series!
Warning: Spoilers
It gets my rare high rating of 9/10.
As of this review I've only seen 9 of the episodes, but can't wait till I see how nasty, murderous religious zealot Saul deals with...what is going to HIT him in Damascus!
(Yes I know what happens, but AD has done such a great job of showing how relentless and nasty Saul was in hounding the new christians...that I wonder how he could ever be believed/trusted ...by the same people he persecuted...later on? That's why I note a partial spoiler :) )
Whoever cast this movie should get an award. All the main characters so far are good to GREAT in their roles. Peter and Saul...in these last few episodes..both great roles/portrayed well! And you don't need to know the Bible to appreciate the HIGH DRAMA here.
Some of the reviews above will give you much more descriptive detail on the excellence of this series. Lighting, production values in general, script are great also.
Other film producers should take note...of the high quality of this series. The Bible is an incredible source of drama, particularly if you keep true to its basic story. Looks like they pretty much drew also on the ancient history sources we have for that era, which is pretty well documented.
As the great dramatist/writer Dorothy L. Sayers noted "The Dogma (i.e. Jesus' Gospel) IS the DRAMA!"
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An emotional and diverse portrayal
The series starts off with the Crucifixion, be ready for the gruesome process of Jesus' death, which very closely matches scripture. The disciples, Mary, Jesus' mother and many more must work through their emotions of what the "Nazarene's" death meant to them and the world. A cast full of diversity helps bring the story to each one personally and brings this piece of history to life in modern times. Highly recommend this for everyone, but be aware of some violent scenes for children. Specifically the opening sequence in the first episode. Excited to have the series roll out over the next few weeks and hopefully the Bible is closely followed.
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Impressive; worth watching
When I watched the first Bible miniseries, I was young enough that my parents had to screen the show first to see which episodes were graphic. (I was able to watch until the Crucifixion). I loved the series. I didn't know they had come out with A.D. until recently when my friends told me about it. I remembered that NBC's website has episodes of many TV shows that you can watch for free so today I had an A.D. marathon. Wow. I only made it through two episodes before I had to stop watching but I will definitely be watching more tomorrow. I'm not very picky when it comes to details in historical dramas such as Titanic, The Imitation Game, or this. I understand they have to spice it up a little to make it 'Hollywood worthy'. The only thing that bothers me is I think they changed some of the cast. This series really opened my eyes though. It makes you stop and think about the apostles. Sometimes I feel like when people read the Bible they assume the apostles knew what they were doing and that they foresaw things happening. This shows you that they were actual people who were terrified. They didn't know how things were going to end. Summery: I love this series! You should definitely go check it out!
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A great series, but don't come here for history
I really enjoyed this series as it is an intense, plot driven epic that has the viewer on edge and in anticipation for more. As a historical epic, it is great, but don't consider this to be a movie about the Book of Acts.
To keep a dramatic flair to the series, the producers have taken great liberties with regards to history. A lot of the stories are merged or expanded with extra details for the viewer's benefit and not based upon the actual biblical texts.
The portrayal of Pontius Pilate as a brutal tyrant was perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the series. Pilate's life, and his decision to have Christ executed, is a very deep subject and the series sadly did not address this well, simply portraying Pilate as a vicious killer who enjoyed spilling Jewish blood.
Overall, a great series, just don't hold it to Gospel (no pun intended) as a historical work about the early Church.
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What a great inspiration
My wife and I have recently started bible study with our two children (13, 14}. We try to add to the study by watching biblical stories once a week and that is when we found this gem of a series. There are scenes so inspirational that both my wife and I were brought to tears. This series has increased my children's interest in bible study because they can now put a face to the stories even if they are only actors. Won of the funnest parts was watching my daughter's emotional response as it went from hating Saul's cruelty to "YOU GO SAUL" after regaining his sight. I have to commend all the actors for such inspirational performances. I only wish the producers would get these guys together again for another round!!
I have seen reviews criticizing the series for inaccuracies. Maybe so, I personally was not there. However, I feel that anything that inspires faith in the heart of my children in today's world is a blessing! I give thanks to any network of people that are so inspired to make such an enormous effort at bringing healthier programming into my home.
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RENEWAL OF FAITH
I have seen movies about Jesus thru his life and death and stories from the people from the old testament (moses, noah etc)..but this series is new to me as it focus now on not just Jesus but on his apostles. Like hey let's move forward......I hope that they continue AD Season 2.
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10 stars
Warning: Spoilers
Great picture,superstars,everything is awesome We need apocalypse from same crew and director <3
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Excellent!
Excellent! I watched it on TV and loved it. Then I bought the DVD for my self and family members. Now it is on Netflix's and I'm watching it again. I only wish that they had kept making this series. It follows the New Testament very closely and is accurate.
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Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4074084/reviews
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