Sometimes if you watch a movie with extremely low expectations, you end up enjoying it. It also helps if you did not pay money to see Gods of Egypt in the theaters. I actually enjoyed watching Gods of Egypt. It took me some time to adjust to the world, which is similar to, but should not be equated with our knowledge of ancient Egypt. In Gods of Egypt, the ancient gods actually walk among human beings on Earth and exist in another realm. I used to love Egyptian mythology, but that did not help me in the rapid introduction of each god and his or her motivation and relationship with others. Gods of Egypt can be a bit confusing though if you basically accept everything at face value and do not think too much, you will find it easier to follow along.
There are two stories narrated by the human protagonist played by the brother in Oculus. One story focuses on the human protagonist, his lack of faith in the gods and how the gods’ hierarchy affects his life. The second story is about Jaimie Lannister’s maturation from a god with everything going for him to a god who needs to adjust his priorities and think of others more than himself. The gods look different from human beings. Usually they are eight-foot tall humanoids with gold colored blood, and they make human beings look like hobbits. They can also transform into golden animals. Gods of Egypt has a steampunk vibe, particularly when it focuses on its antagonist played by Gerald Butler, who is basically a god and a god vampire/Dr. Frankenstein without a lick of sense and daddy issues.
Gods of Egypt is dominated by action adventure sequences so while it takes itself seriously and makes a stab at dealing with economic inequality, the story is basically an excuse for people to run from point a to point b while fighting and escaping. The one woman who looked like she could be an interesting butt kicker, Gerald Butler’s wife, Nephthys, is on the screen for a second so you won’t get your required daily dose of women kicking butt vitamins from this film. There are two other women, but they are so one-dimensional and cartoon terrifying that they did not capture my interest.
I think the marketing team failed to explain to potential audiences what Gods of Egypt was actually about. The timing did not help either. Everyone, including myself, is sick of movies set in Egypt or the Middle East with British people (we’re looking at you, Ridley Scott). Forget black people. You can rarely spot a person with a brown face with a speaking line.
Gods of Egypt could have had a better reception if it just said that it was Thor meets The Lion King for people who prefer ancient Egyptian mythology to Norse mythology, a B movie stab at Marvel’s leftovers and had a different title. Gods of Egypt is primarily a fantasy adventure action film that has more in common with Indiana Jones than actual history. Unfortunately it is still a little depressing that we live in a world where it is more instinctual to create a fantasy world with an eight foot tall humanoid being that turns into a giant golden falcon than a fantasy world with more than two black characters in Gods of Egypt. The director apologized, and I enjoyed the film, so Alex Projas has one point over Scott in one category.
What I do find interesting is that no one criticized Gods of Egypt for its disappointing gender dynamics. Women are mainly sex objects who need to be rescued or complete castrating bitches. They want pretty dresses. That opening scene with Jaimie Lannister suggests a certain level of exploitation and domination that goes unquestioned throughout the whole film. The whole Set and Hathor storyline is rapey, but it is initially played as if she is a femme fatale.
Gods of Egypt’s cast is very good, but I really did not need Geoffrey Rush as Ra. He is a magnificent actor, but no one would trust him to save the world daily. Gods of Egypt clearly left the door open for a sequel, which would not be unwelcomed. If you are looking for an action film and need to turn your brain off or multitask with the tv blaring in the background, Gods of Egypt is the perfect film to watch.