Son of God is a moving and gripping account into the teachings and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, led by a stirring performance by Diogo Morgado.

Ten years since The Passion of the Christ brought the Bible film back to the multiplexes (setting box office records in the process), and it now seems that studios have finally awakened to the fact that Christian productions can draw big numbers whether it be movies (Noah) or television programs (The Bible).

It is the latter which is important here, with The Bible mini-series not only a ratings smash but also the launching pad from which Son of God sprang, with the Jesus story featured in the award winning program essentially what is on the big screen (with additional edits and extra footage) in this latest film adaptation of the story of Christ.

While The Passion of the Christ focused on Christ’s last hours in stylish, gruesome, moving ways, Son of God begins with Jesus’ first meeting with Peter (the rock upon which he would later build his church, played by Darwin Shaw) all the way to the resurrection, doing so with a budget to back its epic journey and a Moroccan setting that gives credence to this account of the most influential and powerful of moments in mankind’s history.

What doesn’t transfer well are the CGI effects, that while satisfactory on the small screen, lose their lustre on the big, and is more in tone to off cuts from an early 2000’s CGI fest (think Troy).

Thankfully the Christ story has never been about special effects. Its true grandeur comes from the words spoken and the feelings they evoke. Here it is done so by Portuguese heartthrob Diogo Morgado whose distinctive good looks (think Brad Pitt from Legends of the Fall) inspired the hashtag #hotjesus across the social media sphere.

Yet quickly does this distraction subside, giving way to a moving, emotional and engrossing portrayal of Christ.

Morgado brings a certain conviction and inherent goodness to a man who while at peace with his divinity, is never the less in turmoil at the sacrifice required to make his tenure as God among men whole.

One scene where Jesus asks Matthew the tax collector to join his disciples – to the spurn of the fanatical Pharisees looking on – is especially moving in both Morgado’s portrayal of Christ (all welcoming, all illuminating, all loving) and the heartfelt, tearful reaction by actor Said Bey who although given minimal screen time as Matthew, does make an impact.

Equally engrossing is how the political climate of the time is depicted, with tensions between Jew and Roman at fever pitch. The arrival of Christ enhances this, with the high priests of the temple viewing him as a blasphemer and the Roman occupants viewing the whole situation as a threat to stability.

There is no doubt that those behind Son of God learned from the controversies that ran like wildfire throughout the tenure of The Passion of the Christ, especially in the depiction of high priest Caiaphas that was (falsely) labelled as anti-Semitic. As a result a whole rounded and very interesting version of Caiaphas is presented here, with Adrian Schiller portraying an almost sympathetic figure of great responsibilities and fanatical short sightedness.

(Unfortunately such concentration on avoiding controversy did see the removal of a pivotal moment in Jesus’ life, with the last temptation of Christ omitted because the actor portraying Satan had a resemblance to Barack Obama).