Gods of Egypt

When I went to the cinema to see Gods of Egypt, I was expecting a heroic audiovisual orgy with nothing to surprise me. And I wasn’t too far off the mark, as this film more or less fits the previous description. It's a truly colourful film, with a large number of imaginative elements that both help and hurt it. I rolled my eyes considerably during the scenes in which the gods are transported in chariots by birds and bugs, and the same was true of their Terminator-like appearance. On the other hand, I was probably most impressed by the line with Geoffrey Rush, who elevated the overall acting quality. A film to fill an evening, with which one of the most overused critical clichés can be applied: “It neither impresses nor offends.” (14/03/2016)

Unfortunately, Alex Proyas is going downhill a director and this film pays the price. Gods of Egypt had quite a lot of potential, since Egyptian mythology is interesting and properly mysterious, but the unnecessary and not very nice looking CGI spoils the impression. At times the film comes across as too naive and everything comes off as it suits the filmmakers, something wise viewers shake their heads at, but I did find some good things. The scene with the riddle, the traps, the big worms, or the seductive “Elektra”. and the likeable “Jaime” not a king slayer this time, but a lion slayer, will certainly please the fans of the series. Fortunately, the film is entertaining enough and there is no boredom, but still it’s quite a grey average. Gerard Butler, who’s good in villain roles, was also fine. 55% (18/05/2016)

An opulent fantasy with great actors and unbelievable drive. The ultra-baddy Butler enjoys his every sentence and the catchphrase-spouting Thwaites/Coster-Waldau duo isn’t too bad either. Elodie Yung is damn hot and more than suitable as the goddess of love. Action like in a video game, but with some great ideas and the CGI environment (jungle/desert/underworld) changes so often that it doesn’t get boring. A nice surprise and I’d gladly watch it again. Proyas is good at fairytales too. P.S.: Grampa Rush is cool. I am not one God, I am all gods! (02/03/2016)

When I was thinking about how I should review this movie, I looked at the reviews of the newish Clash of the Titans, to which I gave four stars back then. But then I realized that one star was given to Gemma Arterton, who showed off in any way possible. Here, there were not enough chicks for my eyeballs. There were some, but nothing that would dazzle you. On the other hand, it is exactly what you might imagine. Only with the difference that Alex Proyas is not low-grade, and so he turned Gods of Egypt not only into a fantasy, but at times into a sci-fi. And I have to say that I didn’t mind. A pleasant and pretty movie wind down that is story-wise crazier by the minute. And that’s good. Because you don’t know beforehand what you will get. (25/05/2016)

I expected hell, I got a passable average. The 140 million budget is evident in the film, the production design is really lavish and the whole thing looks much more interesting and atmospheric than in the trailers, unfortunately the visual effects are still crap. It's also nice to note that Gods of Egypt is ultimately more of a fairy tale than gritty and serious-looking fantasy, so some naivety and occasional illogic can be forgiven. The story moves surprisingly fast not only because every now and then the setting changes or a new and usually well-done monster appears, but also because of the likeable characters and, within reason, good actors. Gerard Butler's villain is fine, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is even better as a good god who needs to grow up a bit, and there are some very nice actresses milling around. So I'm not ashamed to say I had a pretty good time. I won't say it's a good film, but it serves as a spectacular cinema washout without any problems. (15/05/2017)