Plot Summary
Captured by the Romans, the Apostle Peter is held for questioning and possible execution. As he awaits his earthly fate, his mind wanders back to the early days, when he followed Jesus on earth. As he is interrogated by a young and inquisitive soldier, Peter recounts his experiences with Jesus, including the painful moment when he disowned his Lord. Tormented by evil spirits, Peter wrestles with his past as he tries to convert the man in front of him. In the end, each man has his own battle to fight and they must decide which side they will choose.
Production Quality (1 point)
If you endeavor to create a Bible film, please, please, please invest in good sets and props. Apostle Peter and the Last Supper suffers from the affliction of having only three or four sets, so it fills in everything else with very obviously cheap CGI. They’re not even good sets at that. The one good thing here is that at least the video quality is clear and the audio quality is find most of the time. The camera work is commendable, but the soundtrack is not. There are too many bizarre special effects that seem out of place and isolate the viewer. Finally, the editing is blasé and seems to only focus on the sensational parts, as will be discussed next. In all, Bible productions seem to always fall into a poor category all to themselves, and this one is no exception.
Plot and Storyline Quality (.5 point)
While it is commendable to include spiritual themes in a Biblical film, the ones included in this one are only sensational and sometimes downright creepy. The smallest things are overly dramatized—as usual with anything David A. R. White touches, nothing can be subtle, all must be obvious. Dialogue is very pedestrian and theologically scripted; it doesn’t feel like real people are talking. When dealing with the Biblical narrative, it is obviously out of order for some reason, probably for convenience. Jesus is portrayed in a very odd way, like He’s constantly obsessed with reading everybody’s minds. The plot being split between the past and the present does not allow for good character development in any form. Basically, the only positive aspect of this plot is the interesting idea of incorporating the spiritual battle, even though it is pulled off very poorly. Essentially, this plot is The Encounter with Peter—some slight potential but too much sensationalism and mediocrity.
Acting Quality (.5 point)
Time and again, we have seen Biblical movie casts with an inordinate number of British actors and actresses and Apostle Peter is no exception. What is it about Bible films that cause creators to believe that Biblical characters are very white and British? Accents aside, the acting is mostly dramatic and sensational, like the rest of the film. Bruce Marchiano, in his typical role, seems creepier than usual. Line delivery is very theatrical rather than conversational. Emotions are not believable. However, the acting is not bad enough to warrant zero points. Overall, everything about this film is just a mess.
Conclusion
Oh, what we would pay somebody for a worthwhile Bible film. Stories from Scripture need to be properly and accurately portrayed and presented on the big screen. Such films should have a historical bent rather than an otherworldly feel. Spiritual elements are great to include, but do them correctly, not in a way that turns people off. Unfortunately, the majority of Biblical films on the market misconstrues the historical truths and spiritual realities of the Word of God, thus contributing only negative content to the field. Who will stand up and turn the tide?
Final Rating: 2 out of 10 points
Box Office Revolution 