A prominent Christian media personality has disregarded the professional standard of waiting until opening day to publish a review of The Nativity Story, and he offers some rather, um, arresting observations:

Having spent some time in Israel researching other movies, I can attest to the authenticity of even the smallest details of life in Israel in the first century. The crucifixions, the agriculture, the ephods, everything is done exquisitely….

I can hardly wait. There’s nothing I love more than an exquisite crucifixion. Or an exquisite ephod.

… the movie doesn’t contain any language that would prevent young children from attending, there’s no sex and no nudity, and only a modest amount of violence, at the Temple sacrifice, people on crucifixes by the side of the road, sanitized depictions of Herod’s slaughter of the innocents and pushing and shoving.

People dying on crucifixes is “modest violence”?

Herod’s slaughter of the innocents and pushing and shoving? Boy, I can handle the first, but the second… whoo, boy. That just might have a negative influence on me.

I’m holding out, hoping to see some more substantial reviews of this film. My friends Peter Chattaway, Steven Greydanus, and CT Movies’ editor Mark Moring saw the film in Beverly Hills yesterday. Can’t wait to read their reviews… which, in the professional manner, will be published on opening day.

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