I’ve always wondered what accounted for Richard Gere's status as a major Hollywood star, and this film doesn’t really clarify things. It presents a fairly conventional telling of David’s journey to becoming king of Israel. The story begins when God grows dissatisfied with King Saul’s actions (played by Edward Woodward), prompting the prophet Samuel (Denis Quilley) to declare that young David will take over. Naturally, the current king isn't happy about this and tries to discredit his potential replacement in the eyes of both the military and the populace. From there, we are taken through various biblical events, including the famous scene with the slingshot, as well as conflicts between father and son, a coronation, and David’s own struggles with God—particularly concerning his connection with Bathsheba (Alice Krige). As far as sword-and-sandal films go, this one feels rather slow-moving, lacking any truly memorable performances. The adaptation from the Holy Bible itself is incredibly straightforward and doesn't exactly spark excitement. Perhaps it could encourage people to read the original stories in the Old Testament, which are typically filled with deceit, immoral behavior, and flawed individuals; if so, then maybe it has some value. Otherwise, it’s a lengthy television movie where money seems to have been invested in costumes and settings, but there's not much else that makes it worthwhile.

Source on TMDB