and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. So what are you left with? The reliance on CGI becomes greater for the ten plagues naturally, we less of the beautiful Egyptian cities and culture in all its glory as we focus more on Moses and his people in rags, and of course things just become more fanciful. possibly from Sunday school?? Yes, there is spectacle, although the initially promising parting of the Red Sea is almost drowned by waves of climactic silliness. An engrossing film that is a rewarding watch. | Rotten (145). nah. The one thing that people approaching Exodus: Gods and Kings from either a religious or secular background will be able to agree upon is a lack of faith in Scott's devotion to making a good film. This was the worst christian movie I ever reviewed. Irónicamente, la ola de muerte levantada por las diez plagas le da algo de vida a la película, pero es algo meramente visual como ver el agua transformarse en sangre o a una manada de cocodrilos comerse entre sí. In Exodus: Gods and Kings, Scott settles for sticking (mostly) to the Book, skipping the boring parts in order to dish out the razzle-dazzle. It has no sound biblical reference as illustrated in the book of Exodus. Even the music was forgettable (except when it sounded like the original "Stargate" movie soundtrack, which it did a … The scenes depicting ancient Egypt are truly stunning to say the least, as are the spectacular battles scenes. Don't have an account? Moses' tale of taking the Hebrews out of Egypt and slavery makes for some massive eye candy scenes of course. John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley add support in this sometimes campy and shallow, sometimes solemn, but mostly absorbing interpretation of the story of Moses. Bale's Moses actually argues with God in this film, well the young boy version of God (eh?). Too solemn in its mighty grandeur, Scott's treatment seems already mummified. | Rating: D+ Ravishing cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, and an evocative score by Alberto Iglesias. By the way, many people (including Christians and Jews) will try to psychoanalyze the filmmakers and the actors, but speculating on their decisions and comments is a futile exercise. Why was Ramesses (the Egyptians) after the Israelites when he had just let them go? We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future. Exodus: Gods and Kings is playing in both 2D and 3D theaters, but whether the premium charge is worthwhile will be up to the viewer. Pretty much a suicide mission and had left Zipporah and their son to fend for themselves. Obviously a religious offering, but in order to make it more appealing to the masses, they toned down the religious parts and made it more of a historical disaster flick with a fantasy element. Exodus: Gods and Kings review – holy Moses, wholly acceptable for the devout. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy |, December 28, 2014 Audience Reviews for Exodus: Gods and Kings Nov 06, 2016 Moses' tale of taking the Hebrews out of Egypt and slavery makes for some massive eye candy scenes of course. Exodus: Gods and Kings received generally negative reviews from critics. Coming Soon. Scott's film eschews all the Hollywood glam of DeMille's biblical epic. Might be acceptable, if all you need is pretty sights. Sounds cool but no, nothing like that, all we got was a large shadow that slowly engulfs the Egyptian city bit by bit, literately taking life like snuffing out light. The rivers ran red with CGI blood, the hail storms were impressively CGI, the swarms of flies were actually less impressive CGI. Miraculous things that take place are very much down to earth looking in the film, such as the parting of the Red Sea, Moses talking to himself when he's actually talking to God, Moses essentially getting lost during the Exodus, and each of the plagues being explained as natural disasters that have each had a knock-on effect. The curse of death to every newborn child was easily the biggie, the one you waited for because you wondered just what they would come up with. The story of Moses is being brought to the big screen in a more grand yet more "accessable" fashion. |, January 2, 2015 Coming down from the mountain with skepticism, Exodus ultimately leaves … Sadly, by the time we get to much of the action, it doesn't have any weight. Copyright © Fandango. come to think of it, shouldn't he really remain neutral over things like this, let mortals sort their issues out themselves. Amazingly both Moses and Ramesses survive this whilst every other human and animal is killed. I've said this so many times now, but this wasn't a bad film, just very average, looks great in places, but still totally average. Dare I touch on the casting here? Why on earth they went that long way around and not along the coast I dunno, something to do with the Philistines I believe, not friendly folk or whatever, hey lets not go there right. | Rating: 2/5 As for Biblical accuracy, well starters I don't believe Moses has ever been depicted as a hardened, sword wielding badass in the Egyptian army, plus we never really see him with a staff, he's mostly got his ornate sword. I don't think she will have had enough biscuits and tea to go around. | Rating: 6/10 While interesting as yet another Hollywood biblical/historical epic, it is disappointing, even meager, in
every other way. This one's in the lower third. Well...they were pretty much all heavily CGI, aaand that's that. It primarily seems to exist to host its excellent action sequences. By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie. Joel Edgerton of Australia of all places, actually did look right in his role I thought, its all in his eyes, along with the makeup he actually did look very ethnically authentic I thought, surprising sure, but credit where credits due. I haven't seen a biblical epic since I was a kid and in all honesty, I wasn't overly bothered about seeing this, but hey its a Ridley Scott film. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. Oh boy, religion, a scary word. Many of the events that occur in the film are almost bordering on sensible, plausible explanations or ways of looking at the Bibles religious aspects. Even though all of the contrived melodrama and less than ardent acting, Scott's direction makes EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS a valuable piece of filmmaking. After I reviewed the movie, I placed it in my recycle bin. Sweeping shots of the Egyptian cities take advantage of 3D immersion but it … This 10-digit number is your confirmation number. While sporadically stirring, and suitably epic in its ambitions, Exodus: Gods and Kings can't quite live up to its classic source material. |, July 16, 2020 Hey come on now, surely you all know this? Ridley Scott, 118 mins, starring: Christian Bale, … I love the sequence where after everything that's happened, Moses just turns up on his wife's (Zipporah...who has facial tattoos??) Coming Soon. While sporadically stirring, and suitably epic in its ambitions. Amusingly this film actually felt more of a realistic take on the Biblical story more than anything. Moses had galloped off back to Egypt to free the Hebrews because 'God told him'. Read reviews and buy Exodus: Gods and Kings (Blu-ray + Digital) at Target. Please click the link below to receive your verification email. By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy not that she had much to do anyway. Forgot your password? | Top Critics (63) The story of how the Israelites left their lives of slavery in Egypt behind them, and travelled the massive distance all the way to what is today Israel. You'll feel like you're sitting through a boring sermon, delivered by somebody who had too much to drink the night before and just wants to go back to bed. [T]he visual spectacle is reason enough to see Exodus: Gods and Kings. and the Terms and Policies, Even if Exodus: Gods and Kings is the better movie, it can never truly be the better movie. They won't be able to see your review if you only submit your rating. We don't even know the specific period all this was supposed to have taken place because yet again, the Bible doesn't say. Death of livestock was pretty simple, no explanations required there, same with the darkness that descended on Egypt...it all went dark so people used lots more torches. You know, Ramesses is looking for Moses the outlaw, the rebel, he's executing the villagers left right and centre to try and get them to reveal him. Just leave us a message here and we will work on getting you verified. I could still detect his Scottish accent for God's sake...errr! |. Even if we don't consider the racial problems in casting, the emotional motivations are flimsy at best. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2020 – Rotten Tomatoes. Errr...K, what the hell is she suppose to say or think about that?! Moses watches all this from a distance, planning his revenge with his band of merry religious followers. According to statistics from the Pew Research Center’s Religion and Public Life Project, 28 percent of American adults have left the religion in which they were raised for another religion, […] Yet that's what director Ridley Scott did with "Exodus: Gods and Kings," the Biblical tale most memorably put on film in Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 version, "The Ten Commandments." Its all standard stuff until God steps in and tips the scales with his Godly powers, bit one sided I thought. Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers. Regal 20th Century Fox The … [Dariusz] Wolski's imagery is also fueled by the production design of Arthur Max which is beyond impressive. It has no sound biblical reference as illustrated in the book of Exodus. You can learn a lot about somebody by looking him in the eye. Ridley Scott took far too many liberties and the acts of Moses are not as illustrated in the Bible. Why build such a real world if you're not going to populate it with interesting people? |, April 15, 2020 Exodus: Gods And Kings opens in the city of Memphis on the western bank of the River Nile. A film awash in dubious logic and problematic decisions. This guy just doesn't fit in this role at all, he is far to British for a start (I can tell) and doesn't even try to quell his accent. A leader will be saved and the savior will lead. Then you have the entire finale, yikes! The strange portrayal of God as a mysterious young child, well-played by Isaac Andrews, is compelling. No amount of pretty visuals can mask clunky dialogue and thinly veiled characters. Does beg the question, why would God willingly kill children? Mainly, it's what most of us would expect, for better and worse. Read full review 38. |, February 2, 2021 Joel Edgerton as Ramses, the bad pharaoh and Moses’ nemesis in “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” a film directed by Ridley Scott. However Moses soon discovers his Hebrew parentage, and Ramses banishes him to the desert -- often a death sentence. In terms of sheer scale, Ridley has succeeded in his endeavours. Slant Magazine Eric Henderson. drama, Chernin Entertainment, | Rating: C Indeed at first things come across as another gobsmackingly good historical with every element and every detail perfectly recreated with loving care and attention. Moses intervenes when Ramesses threatens to cut Miriam's arm off for not speaking the truth about Moses background, but why would he do this when he's not even sure himself. Read critic reviews. Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr. National Newspaper Publishers Association, Best Netflix Shows and Series To Binge (January 2021), The 100 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now (January 2021), 100 Best Movies on Amazon Prime To Watch (January 2021). Movie Review. The one thing that people approaching Exodus: Gods and Kings from either a religious or secular background will be able to agree upon is a lack of faith in Scott's devotion to making a good film. Sign up here. Then he just pops up with a gazillion people in tow and expects everything to be fine and dandy. Moses returns from exile and demands that Ramses let his people go, but the arrogant ruler is unmoved, leading to a battle of divine wills. The shame is, Exodus: Gods and Kings actually starts to do this. The film features a number of visually stunning scenes, but above all else, Scott's Exodus movie is still a straightforward drama - meaning that the primary focus is on its human characters. However, his Moses is a sullen and aloof man who is never compelling. [Full review in Spanish]. It's humanistic and so gritty you'll feel like taking a bath afterwards, but not in the Nile, which is turned a lurid blood red as one of the ten plagues. So lets talk plagues, ten plagues to be precise. At the start of the ten plagues some fishermen are brutally eaten alive by crocodiles which kick starts the blood rivers plague, not sure this is in the Bible, not sure why this was needed at all, just to spice things up a bit huh. No amount of pretty visuals can mask clunky dialogue and thinly veiled characters. Just below that it reads "Ticket Confirmation#:" followed by a 10-digit number. Ramesses follows and loses many of his chariots when they fall off the side of a slim mountain path, another bit of modern action and carnage for the young crowd then. All rights reserved. The issue of boils was nicely implemented with decent makeup effects and they lasted some time too, when the plot moved on people still suffered from boils, they didn't just go away for the next scene. The sensational portrayal of the jealous and merciless Pharaoh Ramses by Joel Edgerton is a real scene-stealing, he is quite impressive in wonderfully understated turn. John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley add support in this sometimes campy and shallow, sometimes solemn, but mostly absorbing interpretation of the story of Moses. But God has a mission for Moses: Free the Israelites from slavery. All rights reserved. Controversy and constant déjà-vus aside, the latest telling sure is gorgeous but can leave you feeling empty. Some of that shines through in this screenplay. The Egyptian character of Viceroy Hegep is completely invented for the film, this slimy guy is the one who reveals Moses birth secret to Ramesses in order to gain his favour (stereotypical baddie). Same could also be said for John Turturro who looked fab as Seti I, and of course Ben Kingsley who always fits in any historical epic of any time period, its virtually an obligatory move to cast the man. Exodus: Gods and Kings ... For Christian audiences, one approach to Exodus: Gods and Kings would be to distrust and dismiss … "Exodus Gods and Kings," however, is so desperately dull, with horrible script, cheap looking sets, lack luster performances, I can honestly say that it's the worst movie I have seen in a very long time. Being a Scott epic there was never a doubt in my mind this film wouldn't look awesomely slick, and I was correct, this film does indeed look awesomely slick. The invasion of frogs, ditto, accept for some closeups on real frogs, same with the locusts. |, December 4, 2020 Coming Soon, Regal The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review. Choose from contactless Same Day Delivery, Drive Up and more. Seems like a risky thing to do considering you only just heard about this claim, of your own birth, not so long ago. or a ghostly Grim Reaper-esque spirit that glides through the city? Astute direction by Scott, with terrific supporting performances from John Turturro, Sir Ben Kingsley, Aaron Paul, Maria Valverde, Dar Salim, and Sigourney Weaver. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Awards Leaderboard: Top Movies of 2020 – Rotten Tomatoes. (Spartacus much?). It is a interesting and remarkably well made epic motion picture with astonishing CGI visual effects, great costumes, marvelous set design, and exceptional acting, we have the story from the Old Testament transformed for modern viewers in the form of a secular sequence of events where the God of the Jews is portrayed as an imaginary image inside the mind of Moses, brilliantly played by Christian Bale, in commanding star performance, which motivating him to take action. Whilst the Hebrews are desperately crossing Moses stays behind, half way across, to have a one to one face-off against Ramesses as the huge tidal wave of sea comes crashing back into place, because its clearly an action flick. Ridley Scott’s 3D Moses biopic is very long, very camp and very grim. oy vey! 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