Gods and Egypt has arrived and for those seeking an eye-candy, action packed, swords and sandals epic, we can inform you that a piece of sunshine just shined down on you from the movie gods.
Gerard Butler (soon to be seen in London Has Fallen) stars as Set. He is an Egyptian God and in director Alex Proyas’ world, Gods have come down to Earth to rule and live among the humans. His father Ra (Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush) has ascended into a higher world and left his Earthly kingdom in the hands of his “favorite” son, Osiris (Bryan Brown). That does not make Set happy. So, as our film stars and Osiris is ready to hand over the crown to his son — Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), that proves the perfect time for Set to return from his desert banishing (let’s call it what it is) and forcibly take the crown.
That action sends Egypt into a period of darkness that has Bek living in exile and the mortal citizens of the land living in fear and frankly, living as slaves.
The emotional pull of Gods and Egypt truly arrives in the form of a thief named Bek (Brenton Thwaites), who is madly in love with Zaya (Courtney Eaton, Mad Max: Fury Road). He doesn’t believe in the good of the Gods and she believe that one God in particular, Bek, is full of good heart and must return to the throne. She hatches a plan that finds her love heading into danger. Will it bring the reclusive, supposed-to-be king back? Or will Egypt plunge further into the depths of darkness.
Gods of Egypt is solid enough for a February release. The ancient Gods versus Gods mythological film’s effects are the big selling point here, and they are pretty spectacular. Except, and this is supremely odd, for a few spots where it seems that the CG failed Proyas and hinder his story.
There are mythological creatures, deities and all sorts of other spokes in the wheel of an epic from this era that we’ve seen before. In fact, Gods and Egypt feels quite Clash of the Titans (the old one, not the remake!).
Also, with all the talk of diversity in Hollywood — with the white washing of this year’s (and last year’s) Oscars –one cannot help but witness Gods of Egypt and wonder why there aren’t more people of color in the picture? If this film takes place in the Arab country of Egypt, which is technically in Africa, it is astounding that the only true diversity is the presence of Chadwick Boseman as the wise man Thoth.
This was an issue for us and made it difficult to take the first act of the film seriously. It felt more like a Roman mythological piece than one set in ancient Egypt. People with British accents walking in Egyptian clothing in the Egyptian desert does not scream, “all is right with this world.” What’s fascinating is that Proyas is Egyptian! And perhaps that is why by the time the second act begins, the conscious feeling that the race of the people of this story is not exactly as it should be does indeed sleep away into the subconscious and is (sadly) forgotten.
The bottom line is there is a finely defined audience for a picture like this and for what it’s worth, those of you who enjoy these types of fantastical films, Gods and Egypt will deliver. Sadly, for everyone else, it misses the mark.
Grade: C