Christian kids’ movie is entertaining during the big battle, but the older bouffant hero’s lack of depth is distracting and the worship songs a weak link
U2’s Bono once described King David as “the Elvis of the Bible” – but in this musical kids’ adaptation, David is more boyband than rock’n’roll, with voluminous bouffant hair and a soundtrack of upbeat worship songs. The singing is actually a weak link in what is otherwise an unexpectedly entertaining film, with better than average animation and plenty of PG-approved sword-and-sandal battles. That said, David is unquestionably Christian cinema and frequently takes a preachy tone (often in song form); how much you enjoy it will probably depend on your tolerance for a bit of God.
The Bible’s inconvenient plotting means that David’s takedown of the fearsome giant Goliath (voiced by Kamran Nikhad) comes relatively early in the film. We hear Goliath before we see him, ground trembling, as shepherd boy David (voiced by Brandon Engman) steps on to the battlefield armed with an only slingshot and stone. He has already been anointed by the prophet Samuel (Brian Stivale) as the future king of Israel. David has said he doesn’t want the job, which as Samuel sagely points out, makes him an ideal candidate. After his surprise victory against Goliath, David is brought by current ruler Saul to live at the royal palace.
