The opening music sets the tone for this great rock opera. I have seen a touring stage edition of JCS starring an older Ted Neeley but I won't make any comparisons between the stage version and the movie. And yes, I am Catholic so it is hard to review this movie without also thinking about it from the perspective of my faith. I loved the music and how it flowed from scene to scene. I loved the simplicity of the set; almost all of the movie is shot outside in Israel. The combination of the rock music and the lack of elaborate sets and scenes makes for a very dramatic and original movie. The movie does a great job of showing JC as a human being and the struggles that he would have had. Carl Anderson as Judas deserves for him to be a co-star, not a supporting actor. Just as I mentioned about Ted Neeley's depiction of JC, Carl Anderson also does a fantastic job of conveying the complexity of Judas' emotions. The movie is dated in that the lip syncing is very poor at times, but the singing is excellent.

This movie became a family tradition during Holy Week, starting when I was a teenager. Still to this day every year I watch this movie over the Easter weekend and it never fails to move me, and make me proud to be a Christian. An unbelieveably, talented cast, powerful symbologies and anachronisms, the greatest score ever written, unique film making, beautiful scenery, all this and more together make this a movie one powerfully moving religious experience. It reafirms my faith everytime I see it!! Watch it with your family, and get ready to believe again.