Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? No.
Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? OK.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” is an epic, an adaptation of the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt – his struggles to accept his destiny, and his inevitable conflict with the Egyptians. It features a star studded cast, comprising Christian Bale (Moses), Joel Edgerton (Rameses), John Turturo (Seti), Aaron Paul (Joshua), Ben Kingsley (Nun), Sigourney Weaver (Tula), and Isaac Andresws (Malak, a representation of God).
A disclaimer: I’m Christian, and I badly wanted this film to work. I’ve also never watched “The Ten Commandments” so I came in with no preconceptions. Sadly, even that wasn’t enough to save this. There’s no lack of ambition in “Exodus: Gods & Kings,” but it’s thwarted by the curious directorial choices made.
Highlights
Clear themes of duty and destiny
It’s hard to go wrong when a higher power is explicitly instructing you on what to do next, and the movie makes that clear when Moses is unable to free the Israelites through his own power. It’s made more interesting because Moses is far from the willing servant that is expected, and chafes under Malak’s orders. Still, at the end of the film it’s clear that he has come to terms with that is expected of him, and learns to value his duty.
Tuya’s strong characterisation
In a patriarchal world, it’s rare for a strong female character to emerge. Tuya manages to pull this off without sacrificing any of her femininity, making her one of the only memorable ladies in the film. Sadly, her role diminishes in the second half of the film.
Depiction of Malak as a delusion of Moses
Stylistically, this was an interesting interpretation of Malak, since only Moses can see him. We doubt that Moses is talking to God for perhaps a scene or two – until supernatural forces come into play. Then this whole beat starts getting overplayed and pointless.
Letdowns
No compelling conflict
The conflicts provide no emotional resonance, resulting in outcomes that we’re not invested in. Moses and Rameses have no strong bond to begin with, so when they find themselves on opposing sides, the audience doesn’t care. Moses is clearly in the right and the obvious protagonist in the film, so why would we sympathise with Rameses’ struggles? Even Moses’ arguments with Malak are coloured by one simple fact – Malak is omniscient, and Moses is not. Why would we root for Moses to disobey Malak?
No proper resolution between Moses and Rameses
For all that’s built up between the two main characters – the film ends without giving closure to their conflict. You’re left with a strong sense of dissatisfaction at the end. Then again, there was never a strong bond between the two in the first place, so perhaps there’s no need to have any sort of catharsis to their struggle.
No sense of danger or tension
The problem is that firstly, Moses is morally correct to pursue his course of action, and secondly, he has a supreme being aiding him. Karma and the universe are on his side. Moses is never in danger of dying, being wrong, or not having enough resources. And since Rameses doesn’t mean anything to him, there’s absolutely no cost for Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses is too passive
Moses spends a good part of the film speaking his emotions, or having someone explain his emotions for you. But there’s no clue to what drives him. He just gets pushed around by the plot, and acts only because he’s told to. He hardly initiates any action, because he has no motivation to begin with.
Battles feel too artificial
It’s just too clear cut and clean to be believable. It feels like a beautifully choreographed battle, rather than a desperate fight for survival. None of the fight scenes have any sense of tension to them. They look good, there’s no doubting that, they just don’t look believable.
Water effects look horribly cheap
The problem is magnified when said effects are used in a critical scene in the film. The cartoonish water breaks your sense of disbelief as you gape at the animated liquid. Did they run out of money for the effects?
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” is a disappointment. It has so much going for it – a strong cast, an evocative setting, a powerful story – yet the actual craftsmanship of the movie falls short. Perhaps the bar was set too high for this movie, but then, what would you expect of an adaptation of an epic?
“Exodus: Gods and Kings” opens in cinemas 11 December, 2014 (Thursday).
This review was also published on Yahoo Singapore Movies.
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