Gods of Egypt
Starring Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Directed by Alex Proyas
Truth be told, Alex Proyas’ ambitious soon-to-be box office bomb Gods of Egypt contains all the familiar problems of current sword and sandal epics, but it certainly is gorgeous to look at.
First the bad news – ignoring the glaring whitewashed cast portraying ancient Egyptians, the embarrassing dialogue is plucked right from a video game script and the plethora of gonzo sci-fi/fantasy elements woven into the flick make for one truly nutty outing. The mythical immortal gods of Egypt are locked in a fierce battle as the fate of mankind hangs in the balance. That’s all you really need to know. Also, Geoffrey Rush plays the sun god Ra and he lives on an airship while defending the planet from a giant space worm. So, there’s that.
Yet, as downright crazy as it all seems, the level of commitment from the talented cast is surprisingly commendable. It’s like they’re all aware of how bad it is but that’s not stopping them from giving it their campy best.
Gods of Egypt is also funny; sure, it garners plenty of unintentional laughs but there are also numerous written gags that make it blatantly clear no one was taking anything too seriously and the movie is all the better for it. In short, this bizarre misfire has no shortage of vacuous writing and standard storytelling but a lot of thought and effort went into the production design and visual effects. Gods of Egypt may be a trainwreck, but it sure is a beautiful one.
