Exodus: Gods and Kings Review
RYAN: I don’t know if it counts as a remake or maybe a retelling of the story of Moses from the Bible. There’s Charlton Heston in the classic Ten Commandments and there’s the animated musical The Prince of Egypt. There have been others and now Ridley Scott puts on his Gladiator hat to give us his vision of the story.
CAROLINE: You’re really drawing a comparison to Gladiator with this one?
RYAN: Well it’s not best picture, but it’s more aligned with that type of film than with a lot of the other movies he’s directed. It stars Christian Bale as Moses and Joel Edgerton as Rhamses, the ill-fated brothers. You know it’s a great story and it tells the basis for the Jewish holiday Passover.
CAROLINE: That’s true. How how’s Christian Bale?
RYAN: He’s fine. They’re all fine – Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley, and Sigourney Weaver who, by the way, has like only two lines in the movie – but she’s fully made up to look very Cleopatra-esque, which was cool. All of the costumes and makeup were very good in this film. The details are incredible.
CAROLINE: How’s the 3D?
RYAN: It’s great. I forgot it was going to be a 3D screening and I was wearing my glasses. It’s the first time I wore glasses under 3D glasses and it was comfortable but the 3D is really good. We’re getting less 3D movies than we did a couple years ago – which is good… as long as they are good.
CAROLINE: Precisely.
RYAN: It’s such a large film – it’s epic. It’s the Bible. The whole design from the sets to all of the extras and the effects! They’re so good. That’s part of what really makes this version so cool – seeing everything with today’s effects.
CAROLINE: Yeah that’s always a perk of an update. Do you think it will get any nominations?
RYAN: It might for some design or maybe even effects. But I don’t think it will in any of the major categories. It’s too long. I wasn’t bored, per se, at any time, but some of the battle scenes dragged a bit and it just didn’t have to be two and a half hours.
CAROLINE: Preaching to the choir on that note, honey.
RYAN: Most interesting I found the manifestation of God in the film – I don’t want to give it away but it’s different and unexpected and very well done.
CAROLINE: That sounds intriguing.
RYAN: Although I’m quite familiar with this biblical story, I found this version fascinating. And due to the scope, effects, 3D and epic nature, I recommend it in the theater.
Nathan December 12, 2014
Frankly, this movie had me at Ben Kingsley. Despite the amazing cast, I think I’ll wait and rent it to watch when I’m folding a depressing amount of laundry so I can enjoy the film without needing to focus my full attention on it.