Exodus: Gods and Kings

Trying to film a biblical story in order to have at least a little idea for a logical explanation is nonsense, which Ridley also realized in the end. What he didn't understand is the fact that there is a much better portrayal that has been around for decades and he won't even come close to it. Yes, this is more palatable for a modern audience, but the story is good on its own, and this shift to the action level won't help it in any way. (04/06/2015)

A two-and-a-half-hour biblical recitation that will surely appeal to the religiously initiated, but fans of complex filmmaking and especially of Ridley Scott will not find a single moment that they would later recite with relish to their atheist friends. Visually, it’s on a high level, which is par for the course with Scott, but with zero narrative drive or a more detailed elaboration of the motivations of the main characters that would have given their relationship and development a much stronger (or rather at least some) emotional insight. In terms of craftsmanship, everything is sort of OK and it's still much better to look at than most of the wannabe cool CGI fantasy crap, but considering the ambition and depth of the story, Exodus is a film surprisingly devoid of soul and creative personality... 60% (09/10/2015)

A Biblical epic about Moses, in which there is no need to analyze the characters and their relationships, because we all know them well. We should be satisfied with the beautiful epic concept with breathtaking exteriors and nice costumes, and the spectacular depiction of legendary disasters and crossing the ocean should be enough to turn the film into a blockbuster hit. Except that we’re not satisfied and it’s not enough. I am an atheist and biblical events alone are not enough for me. These were supposed to work as the bases for a thorough depiction of the motivation of the characters and the difficulties of the fundamental historical stage of humanity and its political and ethnic problems. Exodus either lacks all of that or gets it over with as quickly as possible. It is a super serious work that is less entertaining than the silly Dracula Untold. (12/28/2014)

The retelling of a biblical story zillion times... this time reinterpreted by Ridley Scott. Well, if I didn’t know that Joel Edgerton is such an extremely flexible actor (those different masks, work with his body, accent), I'd say it all hinges on Bale. But Edgerton is the real hero of Exodus: Gods and Kings. Overall I'm not thrilled, but I guess it's good not to forget about some of the Hollywood classics. However, I consider The Prince of Egypt cartoon to be the best of all the treatments. (08/24/2019)

Ridley Scott did well in Gladiator, he caught a good period when people were hungry for swords and sandals and essentially started the resurrection of these films. It was a thematically simple and audience-friendly film. In Kingdom of Heaven, he turned it around and approached it from the end, which resulted in a box office flop, but now it is gaining glory and prestige with the passage of years. In other words, Balian's journey to self-realization and what he wants has matured like wine, just like Titanic, its timelessness is even more striking, and the film is of even higher quality. Exodus is a hybrid the two aforementioned pieces, but unfortunately, it is not very viewer-friendly because the classic story of self-realization is mixed with fantasy elements and religious themes. As long as it's a classic story with traditional values, everything is fine, except for the woeful PG13 rating. Scott knows how to handle panoramas and camera shots, and he always has. Unfortunately, as soon as the Bible comes into play, it becomes bad and starts to clatter. Go see it in the cinema because visually, it is good, and even without Hans Zimmer, it's okay. But as a whole, it is closest to Robin Hood – or less awkward at least. We'll see what the director’s cut will bring, and I hope it will be R-rated and at least 30 minutes longer. Maybe there will be the same boost in quality as in the case of Kingdom of Heaven. Even without the extended version, it is a film that will mature along with the viewer's life and film experiences. (01/03/2015)