Suppose Jesus returned to Earth today. What do you think he would do to convert people to his religion? Don a superhero costume and fight sin? Obviously.
“Ultrachrist!” follows that premise and throws a few nails into the works. First there’s Saint Ira (Jordan Hoffman), who is sent by God (Don Creech) to retrieve Jesus’ (Jonathan C. Green) costume. (It’s a little too flashy for God’s tastes.) Then there’s Satan in the form of Parks Commissioner A.C. Meany (Samuel Bruce Campbell), who wants to take Jesus down for good. How’s he going to do this? Wireless technology and the resurrection of the world’s ultimate sinners: Hitler, Nixon, Jim Morrison and Vlad the Impaler.
Besides offending the religious (Jesus lives with lesbians and has a crotch-grabbing encounter with a dominatrix), this movie could’ve fallen flat on its face if the subject matter wasn’t handled properly. Luckily for viewers it is, as the film is a comedy that plays by its own set of rules … and follows them. Jesus is never parodied, though that would’ve been the easy way around things, and the story never becomes too preachy or too blasphemous. It walks a fine line and comes out looking pretty good.
“Ultrachrist!” will offend fundamentalists, there’s no doubt about that, but for those who are more open-minded about such things, it will prove to be more entertaining than ninety-plus minutes spent in church.
