Gods of Egypt

When I went to the cinema to see Gods of Egypt, I was expecting a heroic audiovisual orgy with nothing to surprise me. And I wasn’t too far off the mark, as this film more or less fits the previous description. It's a truly colourful film, with a large number of imaginative elements that both help and hurt it. I rolled my eyes considerably during the scenes in which the gods are transported in chariots by birds and bugs, and the same was true of their Terminator-like appearance. On the other hand, I was probably most impressed by the line with Geoffrey Rush, who elevated the overall acting quality. A film to fill an evening, with which one of the most overused critical clichés can be applied: “It neither impresses nor offends.” (03/14/2016)

When I was thinking about how I should review this movie, I looked at the reviews of the newish Clash of the Titans, to which I gave four stars back then. But then I realized that one star was given to Gemma Arterton, who showed off in any way possible. Here, there were not enough chicks for my eyeballs. There were some, but nothing that would dazzle you. On the other hand, it is exactly what you might imagine. Only with the difference that Alex Proyas is not low-grade, and so he turned Gods of Egypt not only into a fantasy, but at times into a sci-fi. And I have to say that I didn’t mind. A pleasant and pretty movie wind down that is story-wise crazier by the minute. And that’s good. Because you don’t know beforehand what you will get. (05/25/2016)

I expected hell, I got a passable average. The 140 million budget is evident in the film, the production design is really lavish and the whole thing looks much more interesting and atmospheric than in the trailers, unfortunately the visual effects are still crap. It's also nice to note that Gods of Egypt is ultimately more of a fairy tale than gritty and serious-looking fantasy, so some naivety and occasional illogic can be forgiven. The story moves surprisingly fast not only because every now and then the setting changes or a new and usually well-done monster appears, but also because of the likeable characters and, within reason, good actors. Gerard Butler's villain is fine, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is even better as a good god who needs to grow up a bit, and there are some very nice actresses milling around. So I'm not ashamed to say I had a pretty good time. I won't say it's a good film, but it serves as a spectacular cinema washout without any problems. (05/15/2017)

Whoever was expecting a fiasco after the trailer, got it. A film that is a mess of all sorts of things and yet you remember nothing from it (except maybe Courtney Eaton – and not really because of her acting). The generational refresh in the style of The Mummy is boring, predictable and, above all, incredibly badly made. The beautiful production design, the costumes and the exceptional colour work are completely wasted thanks to the crazy visual effects and the weird work with camera and light. Alex Proyas has always been seen as a visionary director, so it's hard to guess why he made the worst mythological fantasy in years. Gerard Butler was traditionally entertaining, but otherwise a complete waste of time and it doesn't even work as guilty pleasure. Bless The Mummy and Prince of Persia, they are more moderate and clearer films. (07/19/2016)

If you still like to watch any episode of TV's Hercules or Xena now and then and enjoy the deliberately simple naivety and bickering of mortals and gods and goddesses who don't go far for a 21st century catchphrase, Gods of Egypt is for you. The film is nothing more than a relaxing fantasy, which fortunately is not take itself seriously. It's a pity that the film is not shorter and a bit more interestingly cast (all the actors are of course dominated by Geoffrey Rush as the god Re, who circles the flat Earth with his ark, dragging the Sun behind him).___P.S. Great music by Marco Beltrami!___P.P.S. I've seen the dubbed version and it's not terrible, except for Gerard Butler, who is voiced by Zdeněk Mahdal. (02/26/2016)