Posted on 12/10/2014 9:35:14 PM PST by NKP_Vet
Exodus: Gods and Kings comes to us courtesy of 20th Century Fox, which is distributing Ridley Scott’s $140 million would-be epic. The producers this time around are Chernin Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, Babieka, and Volcano Films. The film opens wide in America on December 12th, 2014, and it has already opened in some overseas markets as of December 3rd. Over the next few months, it will of course attempt to play a two-sided game. On on hand, the film will be targeting the overtly religious moviegoers that have made quite a bit of noise this year. On the other hand, 20th Century Fox wants the general moviegoers worldwide who just want a major spectacle-filled blockbuster regardless of the film’s would-be religious dogma.
Working in the film’s favor is the relatively well-known (if not “all-star” in a box office sense) cast, featuring the likes of Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, and John Turturro in roles of various sizes. Also of note is director Ridley Scott, who allows Fox to put things like “from the director of Gladiator” on the marketing materials. 20th Century Fox is one of the best studios in terms of overseas box office, so I can’t imagine anything less than a worldwide hit regardless of the film’s quality or racially-correct casting.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
First Impression: The title is off-putting.
Exodus: Gods and Kings
Gods - Plural
Kings - Plural
Of course, in the story of Exodus there is only one God and only one king.
Who is the other god? The god of the Egyptians? That is a false god. God is the one true God. That is the whole point, isn’t it?
Who is the other King? Moses? Moses is not a king. Moses is the son of Hebrew slaves and could never be king. Again, that is kind of the whole point.
It seems like the assumption of the movie is that it was a battle between two gods and two kings, and God was the better god and Moses was the better king, so the Israelites prevailed. This is a perversion of everything in Exodus.
This is a lot of analysis for four words, of course. Maybe it is a fine movie. But if they can’t even get through the title without going astray, I am going to bet against it.
Wrong movie I think. This is really a reprise of “The Ten Commandments” with Charleton Heston. Tough sandals to fill
Don't you mean "Noah"?
"The Ten Commandments" circa 1954 w/Charlton Heston is the original movie about the biblical exodus. Newman's Exodus is about the founding of the nation of Israel. The current Exodus is also related to the biblical exodus, but not much farther than the name only. From the trailers, it looks be worse crap than Crowe's 'Noah'.
Good point...I go to the movies just for entertainment....nothing more nothing less.
This reviewer’s main problems with the film seems to be that it doesn’t cast black actors in the lead and that it sticks pretty much to the familiar bible story rather than taking a “new twist” like the Noah movie did. I consider these features not bugs.
“It is overly reverent to the sacred text yet offers no religious emphasis for the sake of not offending those outside the dogma.”
I hope that by “overly reverent to the sacred text” that he means it follows what the bible actually says.
Offering no religious emphasis is actually preferable, since explaining the whole “Moses as precursor of Christ Jesus” analogy is probably a bit more than what was budgeted for the film.
I have to say I (necessarily) have watched our documentary "Rockin' the Wall" in theaters 20 times and I like it more every time.
Wasn’t that the movie “Noah”?
Kind of a rarity among religious films - and a great Christmas movie if you haven't seen it yet.
even my 20 year old daughter rolled her eyes and laughed "Maybe we should have seen "Gone Girl". hahahaha. I liked the tank battle scenes but it just didn't ring true and looked like it was written by what someone "thought" war was like and not actual messy combat.
someone should start a FReeper film critic thread. Save some of us money and time.
FReepers tend to live by their values, rather than an agenda.
I agree with the OP on this one.
We are in the middle of a full blown culture war. Time to pick sides is long past.
These same people have completely ceded pop culture to the enemy. I, for one, choose to fight on that battlefield.
Anyway, despite its flaws, I liked "Fury." Give it a B+ for the tank action scenes.
Christian Bale (regarding Moses)
Bale has already been making the interview rounds trashing Moses as a terrorist. I’ll pass.
In this latest Exodus movie the director has the Red Sea parting as a result of an earthquake, God had nothing do with it.
I would assume God just used an earthquake to part the sea.
Point I was making is an earthquake is not mentioned in Genesis.
I assume you mean "Exodus" and that was just an unintentional slip. In any event, a certain amount of dramatic license is allowed when making a two hour biblical movie as long as it is consistent with scripture. There was lots of non-biblical material included in the movie "The 10 Commandments". If the authors want to suggest God used an earthquake to part the sea that doesn't bother me - especially if it occurs in response to Moses' lifting of his rod.
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