Gods of Egypt (2016)

Alex Proyas' "Gods of Egypt" is a film that is boldly and unabashedly silly and preposterous. Few other words can describe it. It has the pratfalls that beset typical Hollywood fare. It is already the subject of controversy due to its preeminently Caucasian cast. It has both critics and audiences sharpening their knives, a film supposedly destined for failure.

Oh, but it works because the film truly bonkers. Truly insane. Truly out of its mind.

Proyas, a gifted and visionary filmmaker, is renowned for having thought-provoking and striking imagery in all of his films, and this film is without exception. Where in any other film do you get to see goddesses horse-riding giant fire-breathing serpents? Or wagons carrying infinite amounts of gold dumping their load in a funnel-like tube ala dump trucks? Or for that matter, gods bleeding gold? Or Gerard butler riding gold- chromed giant beetles into battle? Or gods that have body parts that, when disfigured, instantly become detachable jewelry? Or...

Admittedlly the plot is indeed silly even by blockbuster Hollywood standards, however a lesser Proyas film is still more visually inventive than the usual Hollywood movie factory output, and that is always a plus. Whereas a film like "Pan" bludgeons us over the head with its disgusting cynicism and disrespect for the source material by portraying its titular hero as a clichéd messiah figure, Proyas directs with the exuberance of a kid in Disneyland - with Disneyland replaced with an Egyptian museum exhibit – eager at the chance to create his own action packed tale while still respecting the gods as, well, gods.

What is there to say about the plot, except that it has gods and it has Egypt? You get exactly what's on the tin. You get a chiseled hero in the form of Horus (Nikolaj Coaster-Waldau), his athletic and quippy comic sidekick (Brenton Thwaites) and beautiful love (Courtney Eaton), who set out to defeat Horus' evil uncle Set (Gerard Butler, simultaneously parodying his "300" persona while being supremely sinister).

The whole thing sounds very Greek. But rather than eschewing the silly tone and making it "Gladiator"-style dark and dreary ala the recent "Clash of the Titans" movies, Proyas and the actors let loose and have a ball with the material, never being too self aware while being silly enough to make for compelling viewing. Even rising star Chadwick Boseman (terrific in both "42" and "Get on Up"), as Thoth the god of knowledge, relishes in chewing the scenery with every moment, never afraid of being campy. Not bad.

Look, it's clear that the film is a B-grade Saturday night matinée film straight from the 1950s. Ever heard your grandparents told you about those? The ones where there's usually a double feature showcasing silly low budget sci-fi/horror/fantasy plots with handsome men and gorgeous gals, supremely cheesy one liners and having no purpose other than to put a goofy smile on your face from start to finish, almost guaranteeing a good time out? Well, this is one such movie, but with a blockbuster budget and the added pleasure of having Proyas wrapping the fun around with his wonderful thought-provoking visuals and production design, and going wild with this thing. Two set pieces involving a gigantic worm-like demon and the Egyptian afterlife are visual marvels, triumphs of set design and visual effects, evoking senses of awe and wonder like films from yesteryear and other gifted visionar

Fmovies: I just saw Gods of Egypt with my 5th and 7th grade boys on 3D Imax, and we loved it! An original movie for a change, not a sequel, or prequel, or reboot, or franchise, or comic book adaptation, or spin-off film. This movie had very striking visuals, sweeping music, fun acting and action sequences, and engaging characters. It moved along very briskly, despite its slightly long run time. We had no difficulty following the plot (which is certainly no less plausible or linear than Episode VII!) or understanding who the somewhat unfamiliar Egyptian mythological characters were as some reviews suggested we might. There was a nice character arc for Horus, and even a thoughtful message from the gods to humankind at the end. Ethnically inaccurate casting choices--yeah, it would have been nice to see a more authentic cast, but these actors got the job done, and that is no reason to skip the movie if you like this sort of film, in my opinion. Give this film a chance, you may enjoy it much more than you expect!

It's a mythological movie, always liked mythological movies, and this one was no exception. I went into the movie not having read any of the critics reviews, and when I came home afterwards, I was surprised to see so many critics have bashed the movie. The only problem that they can cite is that this movie had too many white actors in it! This was never a problem in the past, The Clash of the Titans and the Immortals were similar mythological movies from just a few years ago, also with a mainly white cast and it was never even mentioned for them. Since this movie came out so soon after the 2016 Oscar awards ceremony, which was criticized heavily for not having any black actors or black-based films nominated, maybe this movie got unfairly caught up in the fad of the times?

Anyways, there's a lot to love about this film. Watch the depiction of the flat Earth, with a Sun being dragged around by Ra's chariot. They could've gone with a modern scientific depiction of the round Earth and the Sun, but this is mythology, they wanted to stay true to the mythological depiction, and so they did depict it like mythology has it. But their depiction is a lot of fun, it is sort of a retro-modern depiction.

I never felt the movie dragged at any point.

Gods of Egypt fmovies. So, this is a big budget action and special effects movie about Egyptian gods battling each other to rule the world, right? When you go to a movie like this, you have certain expectations--its not likely to be on the Best Picture short list next Oscar season, and everyone involved with making this movie knew this. But from the very first breathtaking camera shot, you can tell The Gods of Egypt was crafted with enthusiasm and a spirit of fun and unrelenting inhibition. For what this movie was striving for, it is absolutely on target. I saw it on IMax 3-D with my 5th and 7th grade sons, and we loved every minute! Visually dazzling, a soaring musical score, satisfying play-to-the-back-row acting, interesting and somewhat unfamiliar mythological characters, amazing costumes and set pieces--I think this film delivered on all fronts. In a way, Gods of Egypt is more original than many similar films of this genre in that it is not a prequel or sequel or reboot of a franchise, or a comic book adaptation. For instance, while it shares its episodic and implausible plot and style, it is a far more original film than the beloved Episode VII (but without decades of nostalgia and anticipation to paper over its weaknesses). It introduces and creates characters completely new to us in a fascinating and beautiful imaginary world. You will not forget the striking image of the stern but grandfatherly sun god Ra (Geoffrey Rush plays it large here!) circling the disk of the world with his space craft/chariot, sun in tow, as he daily battles a hideous chaos monster in defense of all humanity! The judgment of souls in the underworld is another well-presented scene. Horus has a nice character arc. It ends with a worthwhile message from the gods to humanity. More importantly, it literally offers a thrill or two every 5 minutes for its entire duration. And unexpectedly, this film has no mummies whatsoever! I feel the culturally inaccurate casting issue, while perhaps regrettable, brought an undeserved sense of negativity about this film. In any event, these actors appeared to be 100% invested in making this film work, and they got the job done, in my opinion. We recommend that you set this concern aside and enjoy the many pleasures The Gods of Egypt offers--a no-expenses-spared B movie that presents striking and immersive visuals, appealing characters, and a clear understanding of its limitations and aspirations. I seriously don't understand the horrible reviews, and suppose that people who hated this film probably brought a preconceived negative expectation in with their popcorn. Give it a chance, there is much to enjoy in The Gods of Egypt!

This was a movie I was really looking forward to as i love Egyptian mythology, the effects are awesome, acting is good, Nikolaj Costar-Waldau and Gerard Butler make exciting opponents, good fighting scenes, fair amount of appearance by many different Egyptian gods. Overall greatly entertaining for anyone who is interested in lore, myths, legends and fantasy movies. Just ignore the negative reviews, sit back and enjoy the show :) Indeed, it may even be one of the best movies which has a plot in ancient Egypt in the last few years. Geoffrey Rush as Ra is the cherry on top. Runtime is over two hours which passes away in a jinx since the action is non stop and there are always new extraordinary god characters on screen with different skill sets, good and evil characters with lots of variety. Have a good time.

My expectations were clouded by other reviews because there were so much downsizing this movie, I even postpone my trip to the theater to see if this was a razor's edge or if it was dull as a old beat up sword. Long story short, I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The storyline was very well put together. A lot of thought went into this movie and that includes the 3D and special effects. I remember reading about the Gods when I was very young. My parents brought home books that told stories of Gods and Goddesses. So naturally, I was all hyped up about this movie. I can say with this is one of those guilty pleasures of a movie and I plan on watching again and again. I really enjoyed this movie. I am in hopes that this movie will have a sequel with the same level of intelligence, stamina, 3D and special effects to bring the characters to life on the big screen. I gave it an 8 because there were a few places where the story sort of got off track, but not a deal breaker in my book. If you enjoy fantasy and have a thing for Egypt, then this movie may be right up your alley. Just one question, when is the blu-ray going to be released. Sign me up.