Movie Review: "The Book of Esther"

Rated: Not Rated (Dove approved for ages twelve and up)
Starring: Jen Lilley, Joel Smallbone, and Robert Miano
Released: 2012 (DVD)

Synopsis
Orphaned as a little girl, Esther (Jen Lilley) is a lovely young woman...but is unmarried.  When King Xerxes (Joel Smallbone, CCM's For King and Country) annuls his marriage and looks for a new queen, Esther's uncle Mordecai, an adviser to the king, suggests his daughter for the position.  Unfortunately, the evil Lord Haman will stop at nothing to thwart Mordecai's plans and put an end to the Jews once and for all.  Will Esther become queen? Will she and Mordecai emerge victorious over the wicked Haman?
Based on the Biblical account.

The Good
In most cases, Pure Flix's movies are better-produced than most Christian films, and this is no exception.  The actors--especially the leads--did exceptionally well, and I found Esther and Mordecai to be quite likable; Haman was equally despicable.  The sets were rather elaborate, and the music was in the style of an old-school Biblical epic.  There really wasn't much to dislike about the movie, except...

The Bad
This film expounds a bit too much on the Biblical account.  Of course, a bit of extra content is always necessary when doing a movie such as this, but the film still could have stayed truer to God's Word.  Also, some events--especially the finale--weren't as dramatic as they should have been.

Conclusion
This is one of at least three different movies based on the book of Esther at my local library.  One, simply titled Esther, I've already reviewed; the other one, One Night with the King, I have yet to see.  Esther is a unique book; it's the only one in the Bible that never mentions God by name.  Still, thanks to our longtime fascination with royalty and the triumphing of good over evil, the titular queen's tale remains popular.  Though produced well, this movie would have done better to stick to the Biblical account.  If you do decide to watch this, make sure you read the story afterwards, so you can see for yourself what really happened.

Score: 3.5/5