One Night With The King - DVD –
Bambi Walker, 01/15/2010Read up on it before you watch it so you aren't lost. I loved this movie. I bought it after watching it.
One Night With The King - DVD –
Shandi Owen, 08/25/2009We really enjoyed this movie. However, If you want to watch a Great Ester movie try the Biblical Drama "Ester".
One Night With The King - DVD –
Steve Dunnng, 04/20/2009Excellent movie. Scriptural accuracy suffers very little and story is well told and is also very exciting! Well done!
One Night With The King - DVD –
Katherine Van Zant, 08/04/2008An amazing movie. They've added some to the story, but it helps you to realize what it was really like for Esther. Its an amazing movie. Great for an all girl sleepover or chick flick night.
One Night With The King - DVD –
Christopher Ouellette, 02/23/2008One Night With The King
What Is It?
Based on the Tommy Tenney , Mark Andrew Olsen novel Hadassah, “One Night With The King”, it is an expansion of the Biblical story of Esther. The plot is the one you know, with the addition of a political plan to stop Greece and gain vengeance for the Kings murdered father.
How Was It?
It starts off shaky, gets good then drags on it’s way to a satisfying ending. This is an accomplishment considering the screen writer (Stephan Blinn) and the director (Michael O. Sajbel) are separately responsible for some of the absolute worst Christian films ever. The feel of the movie seems a bit like someone jumped a camel from “the Ten Commandments” grabbed “Belle” away from “…the Beast” and dropped her in Middle Earth, where she was to reenact Bible stories, accompanied by a king who shares a make up artist with Captian Jack Sparrow.
LOTR fans will recognize John Rhys-Davies or Gimli, narrating as Mordecai . Furthermore, you will also spot obvious knods to Gandalf’s helpful moth, the flame lit fortress in Mordor, the forging of the Orc’s swords, Saruman’s speeches to the armies, Aragon’s dramatic entrance through the giant doors of Helms Deep, the black riders and even theOne Ring, itself, revealing it’s message by fire.
Though there is lots that we have all seen before, they are emulating some of the best film has to offer and do it with decent actors, solid photography and a very large budget. Little touches like having Haman’s symbol look surprisingly like a swastika, and the evil advisors fearing the Greeks because the will bring democracy (more the American version than the Greek) border between cute and silly but don’t detract from the story. There are a couple holes left unresolved like a “Three’s Company” style misunderstanding and Esther’s questions about Queen Vashti that are never answered. Despite these down falls, it is a very watchable movie.
Is It Good For Kids?
There are some parts that are a bit scary and dark and Queen Vashti shows some cleavage at one point. Other than that, there is some bloodless action to keep the boys interested and some “princess movie” elements for the girls.
You can check Screenit.com for a complete breakdown of the elements presented.
What About Spiritual Issues?
For the most part all the Bible story is here. It’s just “more flushed out.” They incorporate elements from other parts of the Bible as well as retelling of some of the actual stories themselves. There is even the utterance of a Messianic Prophecy.
The only change I found distracting was the kings selection process for a new queen. First the other girls were all so dreadfully silly, that there was no real competition. Second he avoided having his “one night” with any other girl and then asked Esther to be his queen before their evening really started. I found this nod to the American romantic sensibilities more out of place and silly than the democracy comments.
Despite there additions and rewrites, there is nothing that changes the ultimate message of the book and it certainly lines up with the message of the Bible.
What Is Your Recommendation?
It’s a movie you may enjoy. It’s well worth watching, especially if you have friends who are interested in the film.
I always find it fun (especially with kids) to read the Bible story first, talk about what happened, and then watch the movie and compare them.
“One Night with the King” offers plenty to entertain as well as inspire thought.
Still, for my money, I much prefer the 1999 TV movie Esther (now on DVD) that, though not quite as grand, captures the beauty of the story much better while keeping a stricter focus on the original text and giving us a smoother story.
One Night With The King - DVD –
Shirley Burgess, 01/14/2008This movie was awesome! Tiffany Dupont and Luke Gause were perfect for their roles, but I must admit Tiny Lister really added something special to the whole movie. Must say this movie was well written as well as well acted. I loved Queen Vashti too. Wish she could have been in the movie a little longer.
One Night With The King - DVD –
Lei LumHallford, 10/07/2007An exceptional portrayal of an ancient people . In past movies, romance was predominant but in this rendition there is balance. It shared struggles that were overcome thru trust, faith, strength, obedience and the greatest commandment of all, love for God and mankind. I must also comment the wonderful music and the beautiful voice of Jennie Tenney whose lyrics summed the true feelings of love of a Queen for her King. In summation, this movie is like a great book, you don't want to put it away. This is 10+
One Night With The King - DVD –
Marie Maccord, 09/30/2007Fantastic family movie. Acting, cinematopgraphy, costuming and music all the highest quality. Nice to see a clean movie with a PLOT instead of a series of speical effects, i.e it is not for those who want mindless sensory stimulation! thought the villain was superb!!!
One Night With The King - DVD –
Ila Frost, 09/20/2007This was a well done movie I felt that they tried to stay true to scripture with most of it and there was just one thing I felt didn't completely line up but the message was well done and stronge and acting very believable. I felt I was there with them.
One Night With The King - DVD –
moses ball, 09/11/2007My anticipation was high for this movie. Building since I first saw previews on TBN and researched the movie on the internet, It didn't quite meet my expectations. Production value was of a high quality, though some of the acting (outside of "Eshter, the main villain, and Tini Lister) was of the "TV MOVIE SPECIAL" variety. The king in particular was a bit wooden. The pacing was slower than what I pictured while reading the exciting story of Esther in the Bible, though I'm happy to even have had the option in theaters. I will support all Christian films of a good quality, and I pray that this film will open up doors to more quality Christian films in the future.
