Exodus: Gods and Kings is this year's big blockbuster religious film that is based on the story of Moses and his brother Ramses. Many folks had high expectations of the film due to the likes of Christian Bale being part of the cast. However, Bale was not enough to save this movie from getting skinned by critics.
At the moment, the movie is trending at 28 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and a metascore of 52 percent. Clearly, this film did something terribly wrong, and it has nothing to do with the spectacular visuals.
The acting and overall plot are off and, apart from Bale, no other actor was good enough to stand out, and that is a huge problem for a film of such importance.
Reviews from critics:
While Ridley Scott is rightly hailed as a master cinematic world-builder, Exodus' ancient Egypt sometimes feels small and CG-heavy despite the use of practical sets, locations and swooping camera moves meant to convey an "epic" feel. The grandeur and scale of Rome that Scott's Gladiator conveyed is missing in his depiction of Egypt. - IGN.
Don't expect any acting nominations for the picture. Bale garbles a few too many of his lines, but he has an imposing physical presence. Edgerton is competent, but we miss the hammy exuberance of DeMille's Ramses, Yul Brynner. Ben Mendelsohn, however, has fun with the role of the sniveling, treacherous viceroy who exposes Moses' true heritage. Ben Kingsley adds gravitas as the elderly Jewish leader, but most of the other actors are stranded with far too little to do. - Hollywood Reporter.
All Hollywood's takes on the tale -- from Cecil B DeMille's The 10 Commandments to Dreamworks' The Prince of Egypt -- have run with the sibling rivalry angle despite scant supporting evidence. In Scott's case, it was a good call. There's an integrity at work here which finds full force in the final reel, as Moses tries to save Ramses from himself, then turns terribly potent in end-title dedication to Scott's own brother, Tony. - The Guardian.
The consensus is clear: moviegoers should steer clear of Exodus: Gods and Kings because it is very disappointing. We expect, despite the bad reviews, the film would make a good amount at the box office since Christians would most likely go out to get a glimpse of what the fuss is all about. They will leave disappointed since the story goes off course from the original several times.
