CREDIT: ITV.COM

Easter is once again upon us, and as usual, Jesus seems to be taking a back seat to the bunny. Oh sure, I'm part of the problem — I will purchase chocolate for my children. And like any responsible parent, I will eat that chocolate while they are sleeping and convince them that they must have eaten it the day before. However, like the other 1.2 billion Catholics out there, I know the reason for the season is Jesus.

It should come as no surprise that Jesus would end up being the featured character in many motion pictures. I mean who ever lived a more fascinating life, and contributed more. Steve Jobs maybe? I mean, he did single-handedly invent touchscreen phones and tablets. Plus, from the way people talked about him when he died, I'm pretty sure he walked on water and cured lepers as well. But until the Jobs film featuring Ashton Kutcher hits theatres, Jesus gets top billing. So, this week, I'll be taking a look at the top five depictions of Jesus in film.

5. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
You hear of things being controversial these days, but it doesn't compare to the uproar that I can recall when this Martin Scorsese film was released. It took me 25 years to work up the courage to see it, and I still think there is a chance I will spend eternity in a fiery pit as a result. In this film, Willem Dafoe plays a flawed Jesus, one who constantly laments being the son of God, makes crucifixes on which others are hung, and is always yelling at people. At times, Dafoe's portrayal of Jesus is more evil than his turn as the Green Goblin. Nevertheless, this is a very interesting film.

4. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
This is the Avatar of Jesus movies. Mel Gibson's film grossed nearly $600 million at the box office, enough to fill up thousands of collection plates. This one tells the story of the last 12 hours of Jesus' life, and made headlines for its brutal depiction of the flogging of Jesus. It was so brutal that a few people died watching it in the theatre! This was made in the good old days before Mel Gibson became a crazed lunatic who keeps getting recorded yelling shocking things at people. Back then he was just a crazed lunatic who made great films, and this ranks among his finest work. An unofficial sequel, The Resurrection, will be released in 2015, and good news, it will be released in 3D!

3. Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001)
What else do I possibly need to say, the title alone sells it. This Canadian production sees Jesus teaming up with a masked Mexican wrestler to protect lesbians from vampire attacks. Terrific plot, and there are quite a few musical numbers. I considered putting another musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, on this list, but this film usurped it. If the film has a flaw (and that's a big if), it would be the fact that Jesus appears cleanshaven throughout. Jesus without a beard is like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the bread.

2. The Life of Brian (1979)
Technically Jesus isn't the focal point of this film, but I had to include it. This Monty Python classic tells the tale of Brian, who was born in the manger next to Jesus. Brian ends up being mistaken for the Messiah on more than one occasion, and even ends up being crucified, during which Eric Idle performs the classic song “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Some called it blasphemous. Norway banned it when it was first released. Those poor Norwegians were deprived of one of the great comedies of all time.

1. Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
Robert Powell plays the quintessential Jesus in this classic miniseries. Come on, look at the photo above, doesn't that look exactly how you picture Jesus? Co-written by legendary author Anthony Burgess (A Clockwork Orange) and directed by famed director Franco Zeffirelli, this telling of the entire life of Jesus clocks in at six hours. If you thought The Avengers felt long (I certainly did), well, this one is nearly three times as long. Thankfully Jesus is more powerful than the Hulk, Judas is far less annoying than Tony Stark, and as far as Scarlett Johansson's character goes... well, I actually have nothing negative to say about Ms. Johansson. Delving into watching a six-hour film can be quite daunting, but it truly flies by. Plus watching it is the equivalent to going to church six times, so if you have been lax about getting out of bed on Sunday, watching this should more than make up for it.