Review of Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) by Brotherdom — 30 Dec 2014

Exodus is a failed remake of the movie classic The Ten Commandments and seriously downplays God and faith. What is unexpected however is how miserably the movie fails to deliver on its secular assets. The story line was weak and confusing, character development nonexistent; the acting was lackluster, and nothing memorable about the dialogue.

As for special effects, the movie opens with very impressive scenes of ancient Egypt in all its glory. When it comes to the two visual milestones, the burning bush and the crossing of the Red Sea, Cecil B. DeMille is still the hands down winner 58 years later. A big budget and computer graphics are not enough.

This movie suffers from a lack of message, emotion, and entertainment. It assumes you know the story of Moses, but then departs so far from the Biblical narrative to leave you frustrated and dissatisfied. If you are not familiar with the story, the gaps are so plentiful that all you are left with is a war movie and a chase scene, both of which are poorly done. For example, as Pharaoh chases Moses he loses his entire army in a landslide. A few minutes later, he is leading a division of chariots across the Red Sea!

If you are hoping this movie will bring a Christian message to a younger generation, this movie fails miserably. Unfortunately, it also fails to entertain the secular audience. The movie is fittingly named Exodus, which is what moviegoers should do.