Exodus: Gods and Kings

MARKELLUS’S VERDICT 3.5/5

I went into this movie thinking it would be a “Gladiator” version of the Ten Commandments, and that’s pretty close to what it is. Now, the old 1956 Charlton Heston classic is a movie that I never really cared about until I saw it way later as an adult. After getting hooked on watching it one Easter, I finished the movie thinking it was a stunning cinematic experience. I’ve always been fascinated by stories of duality, the “two sides of the same coin” journey, and this was one of the best.

The tale of Moses versus Ramses is just an intense story, and Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton really bring a dramatic depth that I never really got from the older version. Ridley Scott is all about making this a old school Hollywood epic despite giving off a “gritty realism” vibe in most scenes. It doesn’t have as many battle scenes as the previews would have you believe, and I feel that it could have used a little more character development and a few more scenes between the two main actors. I was also a little surprised that the movie starts in middle of the brothers’ story, and how “biblical” it actually was considering the grittiness they are going for.

Good acting by the leads, good directing by Scott, great special effects in the plague scenes, and a story that I personally love, although I think original Cecil B. DeMille version is a little more encompassing. I viewed it in 2D, but there’s some wide epic scenes that I bet will look great in 3D.