Review: the film falls short on tension , eloquence , spiritual challenge -- things that have made the original new testament stories so compelling for 20 centuries . 
Sentiment: negative

Review: , splashy and entertainingly nasty 
Sentiment: positive

Review: like coming into a long-running , well-written television series where you 've missed the first half-dozen episodes and probably wo n't see the next six . 
Sentiment: negative

Review: contrived and secondhand 
Sentiment: negative


Review: eventually pays off and is effective if you stick with it