Risen

Directed by Kevin Reynolds, Risen follows a grizzled Roman soldier (Joseph Fiennes’ Clavius) as he’s tasked with solving the mystery behind Jesus Christ’s (Cliff Curtis) disappearance from his tomb. Filmmaker Reynolds, working from a script written with Paul Aiello, delivers an exceedingly erratic drama that fares best in its less-than-spellbinding yet admittedly watchable opening stretch, as Reynolds elicits a solid performance by Fiennes and emphasizes his character’s initial investigation into that aforementioned disappearance – with the ensuing police-procedural-like atmosphere, complete with interrogation interludes, paving the way for a first half that is, generally speaking, more involving than one might’ve anticipated. (The Law & Order: Jerusalem vibe proves impossible to resist, ultimately.) It’s clear, then, that Risen slowly-but-surely begins to peter out as it progresses into a meandering midsection and second half focused on Clavius’ pilgrimage with Jesus and his disciples, with the third act’s fairly didactic bent ensuring that the picture is, in its eventful final stretch, hardly able to pack the potent punch Reynolds has clearly intended – which ultimately cements the movie’s place as a decent-enough endeavor that might hold more appeal for more religious viewers.

**1/2 out of ****