Joel Edgerton and Christian Bale in Exodus: GOds and Kings

There is something about an epic looking film that has all the makings of something really eventful and meaningful on the screen,  and when it fails to live up to that expectation , it just falls flat and no amount of 3D and CGI effects can save it.

For a movie, that takes the well known and faith promoting story of Moses and the exodus of the Hebrews from the enslavement of the Egyptians, told over many generations, and makes the  retelling of the story so uninspiring  did a disservice to the cherished tale.

Whether one believes in the spiritual manifestations of the story or not, it is a brilliant homage to the idea of the strength of man to overcome extreme circumstances, the power of faith and the ability to seek out a new life.  The story of Moses is forever etched in the much loved film ” The Ten Commandments” in the person of Charlton Heston. The reason that movie was successful , typical of the genre of that day, was because of the story and the way it resonated with the audience. It continues to do so today.

Exodus: Gods and Kings gets lost and distracted in itself.  It tries to humanize the story and puts some sort of imagery to what is God.  However, it  lacks in its total disconnection to the audience.  It seems to have no soul at its core. Ironically, it is all about the soul but the story line felt so soulless.

Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton ( as the key characters , Moses and Ramses) are brilliant actors and could have been used more to bring about great performances , as is, they could only give glimpses of their talent to a script that was beneath their skill sets.

The film’s special effects team should be commended for  the work that was done on the film.  There were some fantastic scenes that helped to keep the audience their seats, in spite of the story.   I mean we all know the original story, but the liberties the filmmakers took with it and mapped out on the big screen just failed.

Save your movie dollars for another movie or a Christmas gift for a loved one.