Set and Horus Feast on Guilty PleasureMay 06, 2016

You must be stark mad to enjoy "Gods of Egypt".

Alex Proyas was the son of Greeks who lived in Alexandria, Egypt. He was three years of age when his family moved to Sydney. Three would be a young age to recall Pompey's Pillar, the Temple of Taposiris Magna, and the replica of the Alexandrine Pharos Lighthouse, but Proyas was aware of gold flowing through his veins. Production started on the wrong foot.

"Gods of Egypt" was still in post-production when it was criticised for its casting of mostly white actors as deities of Ancient Egypt. Some would suggest the movie posters were thought by a ten year old. Proyas issued an apology in lieu of the lack of diversity in Hollywood. Many thought it was an unusual act by a filmmaker. Michael Bay might not consider it, but those who have seen the movie thought that this fantasy epic could be Transformers with bling.

It was easy to dismiss "Gods of Egypt", as initial receipts suggest that it would earn around $15 million during its first weekend. A potential bomb, as the movie cost about $150 million. On the other hand, those who have seen "The Crow" and "Dark City" saw a gem in the midst of computer-generated imagery (CGI). One couldn't help but admire Proyas's vision of Ancient Egypt, even if viewers would be reminded of Hasbro.

The gods must be temperamental

Osiris was about to be crowned the king of the Egyptian Empire until the last-minute arrival of his brother, Set. The god of the desert murdered the god of the afterlife and resurrection in front of the populace. It was chaos except the part where a mortal named Bek must forged an uneasy alliance with Horus.

The script by Matt Sazama could have benefited from campy one-lines, but Proyas might have thought that British humor would do. And he was nearly right on this one. Everything about the set was too shiny for the human eyes to admire and appreciate, but one couldn't help but notice Proyas's vision. Ancient Egypt predated other civilizations, but popular culture would have a few links to it. There would be hardly any change after seeing Gerald Butler at his hammy best. He may be the best thing about this movie. Even Chadwick Boseman was aware of how the film would turn out, as his Thoth seemed to make fun of himself.

In fairness to Proyas, the other filmmakers who set their stories in Egypt didn't take themselves seriously. But one couldn't help but wonder about the gold. Too much could be bad, but not here. It would be guilty pleasure. This might achieve a cult following.

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