Jesus Christ Superstar

Here is a movie with a bizarre concept. It is an anachronistic reinterpretation of the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus (Ted Neeley) told solely in song with little to no spoken dialogue. However, it's not from Jesus' perspective. It is told from Judas' (Carl Anderson).
Let's start with the positives. The lyrics are clever. Most of the songs are really good with "Heaven on Their Mind" being the best. The movie makes various villains such as Judas (who portrayed as a realistic that doesn't believe in Jesus' divinity) and Pontius Pilate sympathetic without vilifying Jesus. Also, we get to see a more uncertain side of Jesus. Despite what the concept sounds like, the film is not blasphemous. The film also focuses on the politics of situation.
Now, here are the negatives. There are two bad songs: "This Jesus Must Die" and "Herod's Song (Try It and See)". "This Jesus Must Die" is only bad because the High Court repeats "He is dangerous" while hitting on pipes over and over again. However, "Herod's Song (Try It and See)" is really bad. This mainly because Herod comes off as more as a whiny fan boy than a villain. Because the focus is changed to Judas, most of the apostles are not named or given any characterization (with the exception of John).
Overall, this is a very tightly written and clever reinterpretation of the Bible. It's flaws are not enough to drag down the films. I give it a 4 out of 5.