David, from Angel Studios

His heroism and humanity inspired diverse artists and creators, including Michelangelo, Donatello, Caravaggio, Madeleine L’Engle, Joseph Heller, Darius Mihaud, and Lionel Hampton. He was also Jewish. In fact, he was King of Israel long before the notion of Palestine existed. Some consider him a national origin myth, like King Arthur, but the idea of King David dated back to Biblical times. Yet, according to history/legend, King David wasn’t just common-born. The young shepherd has become the ultimate symbol for all ultra-longshot underdog victories. Of course, it required faith, as is fittingly emphasized in Phil Cunningham & Brent Dawes’ animated feature David, released by Angel Studios, which opens Friday in theaters.

As the young shepherd protects his flock from a lion, David’s story almost ends before it begins. Yet, his faith preserves him. That is quite “providential,” because when David returns home, he finds the Prophet Samuel waiting to anoint him the successor to King Saul. Rather ominously, Saul is not inclined to willingly relinquish power—quite the contrary. Consequently, David’s parents fear the worst when Saul’s soldiers escort David to the palace.

However, David’s presence was “requested” to sing and play lyre as one of the terrified musicians summoned to calm the King’s tempestuous spirit. Once again, the underdog prevails, endearing himself somewhat to the King and forming a close bond with the presumed royal heir, Jonathan. Young David’s resulting proximity to power allows him to volunteer to face the giant Goliath. While others fear the colossal Philistine, David has faith that the Almighty will protect his chosen people (and if not, death will probably be preferable to life as slaves to the imperialistic Philistines).

Hopefully, even Ivy League heathens know how that battle ended. However, there is still the awkward business of Samuel’s prophecy. The Philistines won’t give up their dreams of conquest either. Plus, the Amalekites always lurk in the shadows.

This is a banner year for Biblical animation, because the previously released The King of Kings (also from Angel Studios) and Book of Joshua: The Walls of Jericho were both quite good. The 3D-CGI character design for David sometimes looks a little clunky but the backgrounds and architectural renderings often capture an appropriate sense of grandeur. This will very much resemble the Holy Land of many viewers’ imaginations.

Cunningham and Dawes nicely express young David’s youthful exuberance without overwhelming the film with silly slapstick. They also maintain a brisk pace covering the David’s childhood up through the encounter at Ein Gedi quite thoroughly, but use considerable license to abbreviate subsequent events. Still, this animated David is much more theologically sound than the ill-fated Richard Gere movie.

There are no famous voices featured in David (at least for some of us), but perhaps that is just as well, because the audience will not be distracted by the sudden sound of a third-rate celebrity. Instead, the filmmakers cast well-known Christian pop vocalists, experienced voice-over performers, and Israeli thesps. The first category includes Phil Wickham (who performed at the Charlie Kirk memorial) and Lauren Daigle as grown David and the virtuous songstress Rebecca. Miri Mesika (who was an Olivier-nominee for the West End production of The Band’s Visit) brings great warmth and humanity to David’s mother Nitzevet. The film is also well served by the booming clarity Brian Stivale (The Garden cartoon franchise) and Adam Michael Gold, as Samuel and Saul.

The truth is the Bible is full of compelling stories. Frankly, animators have been out-performing their live action counterparts lately when it comes to adapting them for the screen. David is a solid case-in-point. Obviously, it often addresses faith—how could it not? Yet it should be reasonably accessible for audiences who do not ardently identify as Christian. If you have ever referenced David vs. Goliath, you ought to appreciate the animators’ work, because this is probably the best realization of the archetypal battle. Recommended for families and open-minded animation fans, David opens this Friday (12/19) in theaters, including the Regal Times Square in New York.