Review of Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) by Gonzalo M — 18 Apr 2015

A familiar story told in an unconventional way, Exodus: Gods and Kings is a film of vast visual appeal and technical achievement, yet also a reminder of why story-telling must never take the back-seat. Based on the biblical story of Moses and the exodus of the Hebrews, directory Ridley Scott seeks to invigorate the classic story with his interpretation, leading to mixed results.

The best way to sum up Exodus is to say that the film should be better than it is. The cast is strong, as is most anything with Christian Bale, the CGI cutting edge, and the overall visual aesthetics bordering on breathtaking. After all, Ridley Scott is a master of enthralling epics, and has proven himself mightily in period pieces of the past. To be sure, it's very watchable, and the world building is impressive. But the film leaves you wanting.

The prime reason the film fails to really enliven and transcend its source material, is that it lacks anything really interesting to say. The scenes feel a bit rushed, the characterizations shallow, and the inner conflict of Moses rather haphazard. It departs from the Bible on several occasions, but doesn't seem to justify its departure in any interesting way. What the film is saying about God, freedom, family, and its protagonist is all a bit muddled. We never get a sense that the events are as impacting on its characters as they should be. For something that has been done before, you would think that Scott would have had more to offer.

3/5 Stars.