"shatter the Western image of a placid savior with fair hair and blue eyes"
Jesus may well have been an Arab in features. Change the messenger, don't change the message. If they want to change the message, then it's not Jesus is it?
Can't judge the movie without having seen it (a press report is not much to go on)
If the Christians of SA like it, then maybe it isn't so bad.
(But in that case, it will never win any awards from Hollywood!)