(2003) 1 Fred Beldin The smug Ultrachrist attempts to satirize the Christian faith in the same manner as Kevin Smith's Dogma but is handicapped by a shaky grasp on theology, an unfortunate taste for obvious jokes, and a crippling lack of energy. Ultrachrist posits that Jesus is a naïve waif so out of touch with humanity that he needs the assistance of a marketing executive to reach the masses on this second sojourn to Earth. Referring to the Ascension as a death contradicts the whole point of the Christian legend, but that's how Jesus himself puts it, and when a character asks why he must accept him as a savior to enter heaven, Jesus simply shrugs it off by saying "I didn't make the rules." Lampooning a deity is actually skewering the people who believe, but missteps of this kind render any kind of commentary toothless. While director Kerry Douglas Dye would certainly defend his creation with an admonition to "lighten up," the real problem with the picture is not a matter of sacrilege. He and co-writer Jordan Hoffman stoop to a succession of easy sex gags, milking the friction gained by putting Jesus in the company of lipstick lesbians, prostitutes, and dominatrixes. Jesus gets a girlfriend who comments on the girth of his manhood, and his palms bleed whenever he becomes sexually aroused. The script is choked with pop culture references, tributes to favorite films, and bad Woody Allen imitations. The cast isn't even up to these sure-fire laugh winners, as they're walked through the film at a deadening pace and encouraged to squeeze the subtlety out of every gag. Ultrachrist will surely have its admirers, mostly those who are still amused by any slam against our nation's dominant religion, no matter how ham fisted or misguided. Every religion is ripe for parody and Christianity is no different, but success depends on a working knowledge of the particular faith's beliefs and what they actually mean, rather than just combing the surface for icons and painting moustaches on them.

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Ultrachrist! (2003)

Ultrachrist!

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genres

Comedy

sub-genres

category

Feature

directed by

Kerry Douglas Dye

countries

USA

released

2003

produced by

Leisure Suit Media

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by Matthew Tobey synopsis

Written and directed by Kerry Douglas Dye, Ultrachrist! is an irreverent independent comedy following the events of the second coming of Christ. When Jesus Christ (Jonathan C. Green) returns to 21st century Earth, he finds things woefully different from when he left. Unable to get his message across with his old-school tactics, Christ dons a spandex costume and takes to the streets to battle sin as a holy-rolling superhero called Ultrachrist. Unfortunately for him, his father doesn't approve of the unorthodox methods. Worse still, Christ has to deal with his nemesis, The Antichrist, as well as a beautiful seductress. Ultrachrist! also stars Celia Montgomery and Samuel Bruce Campbell.

characteristics

- Message From God

- Members Of The Clergy

- Sin

- Superhero

- Temptation

- God

- Fish Out Of Water

- Christ [Jesus]

- Christian

- Comedy On The Edge

- Deity

- Enticement

related movies

FISH OUT OF WATER