1/2
USA 2016
Opening April 21, 2016
Directed by: Alex Proyas
Writing credits: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless
Principle actors: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Courtney Eaton, Geoffrey Rush
On the day of his ascension to the throne of the kingdom of Egpyt, the god Horus (Coster-Waldau) is deposed by his uncle, Set (Butler). Under Set’s rule, the kingdom descends into a dark time of slavery and conflict. Despite the grand movements of the gods, it takes a mortal thief (Thwaites) to inspire Horus to fight for the good of Egypt once more.
There is no doubt about it: Gods of Egypt is a terrible film. The story is barely cohesive, the special effects are obvious and unimpressive, and the acting is laughable at times (but really, what does one expect of a Gerard Butler film?) These aspects alone are enough to deem a movie a failure, but there is even more going against it: whitewashing. It’s a bit ridiculous that a film that takes place in Egypt should have vastly white cast, and since early in its production Gods of Egypt has been deeply criticized for being yet another example of how Hollywood whitewashes stories that should have minority leads. This is a legitimate criticism and might be enough of a reason for some viewers to not want to see the film. However, despite its faults, Gods of Egypt still somehow, inexplicably, manages to be entertaining. There is a B movie charm to it in the same vein as the sword and sandals films of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The action rarely stops and the story is ridiculous enough that if one doesn’t pay too much attention the gaping plot holes cease to matter. Don’t waste any money watching this one in the cinema, but if ridiculous action films are a favorite, then Gods of Egypt might be worth a watch when it inevitably makes it to television. ()