Exodus: Gods and Kings [DVD] [2014]

Best by a country mile on the story of moses. It's not the cartoon version no. It's a bit more graphic than that. So if you don't mind that. Or get past that even. Based on a true story. True....

Fantastic film. Although it deviates in some ways from the biblical narrative of Exodus in the Torah, particularly: in omitting the concept of wielding a staff of power to perform the Creator's miracles and also introducing the concepts of Moses (also called Moshe by the Hebrews) initially leading a revolution and teaching the Israelites the arts of Warfare, and also allegedly crocodiles killing each other to thicken the Nile to blood; the film stays true to the spirit of the story, and is a very good adaptation of the book - not withstanding the fact that the special effects are first class and add to the drama of the film. The cast handpicked for the production was excellent. Christian Bale portrays a fantastic interpretation of the protagonist Moses (whose journey from Egyptian general and atheist to the chosen leader and liberator of his people, and devout believer is astounding), along with the performance of Joel Edgerton as his cousin Ramses II, and the brotherly relationship, the chemistry the two characters have with each other - and particularly the rivalry that follows afterwards. Other performances from supporting actors are also brilliant. Minor as they are in comparison to the whole film; John Turturro does a brilliant job in portraying the Pharaoh Seti I - Ramses father and Moses' foster father (and the relationship he has with the two boys - especially Moses who despite he is not his blood, Seti favours and loves the most and wishes he could succeed him), Sigourney Weaver delivers a fantastic performance as Queen Tuya - Ramses' mother and Seti's wife, and the scheming and manipulative personality she gives the character, Ben Kingsley is brilliant as Nun (descendant of the Tribe of Joseph) as well as Aaron Paul who plays his son Joshua (Moses' successor who helps the Israelites take back Canaan in the Book of Joshua), Andrew Tarbet and Tara Fitzgerald who play Moses' siblings Aaron and Miriam are also good, Maria Valverde who plays Moses' wife Zipporah adds an additional romantic element to the film, and the film is further expanded by the performances of the child actors Hal Hewetson who plays Moses' son Gershom, and Isaac Andrews who does a fantastic job of playing the mysterious, capturing and engaging character of the Creator himself - in the form of a young boy. Ridley Scott really did himself credit when directed this epic. Exodus: Gods and Kings truly is a film worth watching for anyone who is interested in the Bible or otherwise. And sends out the message that, even though everything and everyone seems to stand against us, with faith we can overcome whatever struggle is given to us, and the Creator is closer than we think - and is always right behind us to help us endure it.

I enjoyed this, a relatively old school swords and sandals epic given the Ridley Scott treatment with all the quality effects that are available these days.It plays as largely a two hander - Christian Bale as Moses and (an almost unrecognisable) Joel Edgerton as Ramses who start as "cousins" but there's soon a parting of the ways and a "war of attrition" between the two and their people begins. You probably know the drill from there as God steps in and things get rather nasty - crocodiles, frogs, flies, maggots, locusts, disease, rains of stones and that's all before things get really serious.There's a grittier, more naturalistic feel to events alongside the more fantastical elements as the film even offers up a few relatively rational explanations for events (with a nod and a wink) outside the Hand of God. It all has an impressive, epic scope and spectacle to it leading up to the grand finale. The leads are good and the supporting cast is impressive also as the likes of Turturro, Mendelsohn, Paul, Weaver, Kingsley and others pad out the smaller roles.It's pretty dark and intense stuff for the most part as you might expect but it succeeds as a big budget event pic and is certainly worth a viewing.

Using a nice quick literally method too explain a brilliant made film by the best in the business of our age, metaphorically speaking a tale of the bible without the miracles & a tidal wave if God was considered like a modern day super power of the age of Moses, if there ever was or is a God, & like in the old testament set 1300 years before Jesus which is a very, very long time in human history of which a few phenomena occurred between now & then, I'm no scholar but this was probably dramatized slightly altered reality of the age of Moses, the prophet from God who sent down the ten commandments for us all to obey...It you're a God who has to do bad things to an even more evil & cruel power, different people from different places & beliefs some except a monotheistic God, & many do not, this holds the theme that even if God has to do bad things his ways are better than evil ways of others so he destroys them for it by parting the redsea, is probably where God or the U.S, are needed now... Probably for the same reasons as the Commandments state which are?One god only, no idles, names in vain, sabbath, honour, married parents, no murder, no adultery, shalt not covet, no false witness, no theft, that's all ten so kill arabs, & Africans wouldn't be a bad idea, lord..? Except that is murder? God breaks his own rules or? Does it matter?