We've watched both this version of the Esther as well as (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168331/?ref_=rvi_tt).Here's my take ...This version of the Esther certainly reveals a larger budget. It has great CGI effects and the costumes are more beautiful. Even the palace interior designs were better looking. Everywhere you look, the physical part of the movie was adorned with eye-popping glamor and beauty. I would rank this category a 7-8 out of 10.But, when one watches a biblically based story, one is looking for authenticity, historical accuracy and heart-felt conviction. Besides the introduction which linked the hatred of Haman's people to King Saul wiping out their people in the book of 1 Samuel, the rest of the movie moved too much away from the biblical story. So, what kind of inaccuracies am I talking about?Towards the end, the queen was supposed to invite the king to two banquets before she revealed the petition. It was collapsed into one. The real Esther never had a boy-friend but this Hollywood movie added its own into the story to sensationalize.Next, Mordecai was supposed to be wailing and crying in the streets when he found out that his people will be annihilated. Wailing was emphasized in the Bible to indict deep and extreme emotional outcry. This emotional content was very subdued and skimped over.Also, the part about Esther telling Mordecai to instruct the people of Israel to pray and fast for 3 days and nights was again lightly skimped over. This is where it needs to be emphasized and emotions poured on it with versus quoted and praying depicted. But, I saw none of those in this movie.With a star-studded cast such as Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif and John Rys-Davies, if the story content were presented in a more accurate manner, it would have been a success. The stars did their acting well and so did Tiffiny DuPont. The rest were average in their acting.In short, I was pretty disappointed with this movie for the lack of inspiring spiritual contents.

I was super excited to see this film. I'm a fan of Luke Goss and really looked forward to seeing him in this Biblical setting. I also have always had a soft spot for the tale of Queen Esther.Overall, I found that two hours for this film was far too long. The story could have been effectively and efficiently told in ninety minutes. I was not disappointed in the acting. Though at first I thought that Tiffany Dupont's portrayal of the renowned Biblical queen was shaky, she surprised me when her character matured with the storyline. I found that the film relied heavily on theatricality and booming music rather than the plot, giving it a melodramatic tone that took away from the storyline. I thought the tale of Esther was complicated by adding in Prince Admantha. More time was spent focusing on the journey to Esther becoming Queen than the courage of her actions.Overall, I would say give this a try from Netflix if you enjoy a good story with some romance. I don't think I'd like to own the DVD, but it wasn't a bad way to spend a Sunday evening with my family.

I loved this movie! When I first started watching it I thought it was going to be pretty uneventful and a tad on the corny side, but I ended up really enjoying it. In fact, I went out and bought the DVD the next day! Both the cinematography and the costumes were truly wonderful! Luke Goss was mesmerizing as the great King Xerxes and Tiffany Dupont was perfect for the role of Esther. I really appreciated how closely the film stayed true to the Bible's account of Esther. She was definitely a woman with great inner strength and a courage unlike that of any other. As a result, she was able to save her people, and gain the love and respect of a King. The music was also phenomenal- especially "Kingdom of Love" by Shani. My favorite part of the movie was when that song is being played while Hadassah walks up to meet the King and becomes the new Queen of Persia. What woman wouldn't want to be led by her husband on a garden of rose petals! And the scene where she enters in unannounced before the King was beautifully done as well. The chemistry between Goss and Dupont truly made the movie a success! Their love story was so beautifully portrayed in this film, and I'm glad that it was finally told in the way that most people imagined it was and should have been. A must-see!

As far as i know they have only been two previous attempts to bring the biblical story of Esther to the screen. "Ester and the King" with Joan Collins (!) and the TNT bible film "Esther" with F. Murray Abraham. This one is by far the best I've seen. It manages to be historical without seeming dull, faithful, without being blasphemous and sensual and moving,without being lascivious or silly.Big time credit to the director, Michael Sajbel, he does a fabulous job. His shot are epic and evocative and he really gets his story across. Tiffany DuPont is a complete unknown to me, but after a while, I fully accepted her as Hadassah, she is quite appealing. Luke Goss is powerful and believable as Xerxes. John Rhys-Davies does the best work in the film as Mordecai, He is one underrated actor.The look of the film is really beautiful, the score is excellent and whether or not your familiar with Ester's story, you'll enjoy this. gives some motivation for Haman's actions and I thought that worked really well. A special mention for "Tiny" Lister too, who play Hegai, he steals every scene he's in.All in all this was a really good picture. I especially loved the use of the necklace that Hadassah wears, I won't reveal its importance here, but it was a wonderful plot device. Highly recommended.