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EGYPT — The biblical-epic “Exodus: Gods and Kings” is now in theaters and all the speculation and curiosities about the big-budget tale of Moses can now be answered.
Director Ridley Scott took on the well-known story and has presented it in the grandest and most spectacular way we’ve seen yet. “Exodus: Gods and Kings” is big, flashy, epic and long. Sometimes all of these massive elements play well for the film and at other times it hurts it.
While there is a lot to like about the story of Moses and Ramses, there are also several things that make this film fall a little short. Let’s start with the things that keep it from being one of Ridley Scott’s best.
Reasons to avoid it
The movie is 150 minutes and at times you feel every single one. The film starts off strong and includes one of the best battle scenes I’ve seen since “Gladiator,” another Ridley Scott film, but once the plagues hit Egypt things start to drag. Granted, some of the plagues are a sight to behold on the big screen, but they can become as tedious on the audience as the frogs were to the Egyptians.
From an entertainment standpoint, that is really the main flaw with the film. While there is a lot of story to tell in Moses’ story, it didn’t have to take so long to tell it. Again that’s not to say every scene is a drag-out fight with your attention span to stay focused, but you will find yourself having that battle on occasion.
Reasons to see it
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” will likely be the most epic spectacle you’ll see at the movies this year. Seeing the re-creation of ancient Egypt is mesmerizing and while the plagues tend to outstay their welcome, it’s pretty incredible to see them play out on screen.
Other high points of the film include Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton. Both deliver solid performances, and while one is the villain and the other our hero, there are times we struggle to know who to cheer for. Both actors give really strong performances that should keep audiences intrigued the whole running time.
All in all the film is worth seeing for the spectacle, but not an absolute must. If we’re comparing it to the other biblical epic released earlier this year, “Noah,” then “Exodus: Gods and Kings” is clearly the better film.
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” is rated PG-13 for violence, including battle sequences and intense images. There is no language in the movie, and sexual content is almost non-existent, but the violence can be strong at times. The imagery of the brutality can definitely be disturbing as well.
John has been writing about movies, news, sports and pretty much anything awesome for more than five years. John is the co-host of the Flix Junkies podcast and will always entertain you with his stories. John is an alumnus of both Utah Valley University and BYU. He, his wife and their two children call Salt Lake City home.
