Exodus: Gods and Kings

A two-and-a-half-hour biblical recitation that will surely appeal to the religiously initiated, but fans of complex filmmaking and especially of Ridley Scott will not find a single moment that they would later recite with relish to their atheist friends. Visually, it’s on a high level, which is par for the course with Scott, but with zero narrative drive or a more detailed elaboration of the motivations of the main characters that would have given their relationship and development a much stronger (or rather at least some) emotional insight. In terms of craftsmanship, everything is sort of OK and it's still much better to look at than most of the wannabe cool CGI fantasy crap, but considering the ambition and depth of the story, Exodus is a film surprisingly devoid of soul and creative personality... 60% (10/09/2015)

Exodus is classic Ridley Scott, and after the disaster that was The Counselor, I needed this. It’s got the epic storyline, brutal battle scenes, and some absolutely stunning visuals—like the Ten Plagues—that are going to haunt me for a while. The score is solid, the performances are great, and honestly, the only thing that bothers me is knowing there’s a four-hour version out there. If Ridley had released that cut in theaters, everything might have made more sense. I went to the bathroom for like a minute during the movie, and when I came back, it felt like I missed a huge chunk of the story. You can tell they had to cut a lot to fit it into two and a half hours. Still, despite the pacing issues, I can't find much else to criticize. I don’t get the hate from some critics who call this one of Scott’s worst films. Sure, it’s not perfect, but nobody else could’ve made it this well. I think everyone should just watch it and decide for themselves. I know I’m satisfied. (04/01/2015)

The retelling of a biblical story zillion times... this time reinterpreted by Ridley Scott. Well, if I didn’t know that Joel Edgerton is such an extremely flexible actor (those different masks, work with his body, accent), I'd say it all hinges on Bale. But Edgerton is the real hero of Exodus: Gods and Kings. Overall I'm not thrilled, but I guess it's good not to forget about some of the Hollywood classics. However, I consider The Prince of Egypt cartoon to be the best of all the treatments. (24/08/2019)

Ridley Scott did well in Gladiator, he caught a good period when people were hungry for swords and sandals and essentially started the resurrection of these films. It was a thematically simple and audience-friendly film. In Kingdom of Heaven, he turned it around and approached it from the end, which resulted in a box office flop, but now it is gaining glory and prestige with the passage of years. In other words, Balian's journey to self-realization and what he wants has matured like wine, just like Titanic, its timelessness is even more striking, and the film is of even higher quality. Exodus is a hybrid the two aforementioned pieces, but unfortunately, it is not very viewer-friendly because the classic story of self-realization is mixed with fantasy elements and religious themes. As long as it's a classic story with traditional values, everything is fine, except for the woeful PG13 rating. Scott knows how to handle panoramas and camera shots, and he always has. Unfortunately, as soon as the Bible comes into play, it becomes bad and starts to clatter. Go see it in the cinema because visually, it is good, and even without Hans Zimmer, it's okay. But as a whole, it is closest to Robin Hood – or less awkward at least. We'll see what the director’s cut will bring, and I hope it will be R-rated and at least 30 minutes longer. Maybe there will be the same boost in quality as in the case of Kingdom of Heaven. Even without the extended version, it is a film that will mature along with the viewer's life and film experiences. (03/01/2015)

It will sound empty or conceited, but I would really love for Exodus to have four or even five hours. For the brotherly bond, high intrigues, secondary characters played by famous names, or the paranoia of the main hero to have enough space for the key scenes to hit with full force and shake me. This way, most dialogues feel like filler, where Christian Bale can shine, but will never have a chance to turn a spectacular sight into a true epic. Views into the distant landscape, ten shots, or the final water are therefore just episodes awaited as attractions. I can't help but mention that The Prince of Egypt was an animated film of half the length and still said everything more comprehensibly and complexly at once. (07/08/2023)