Critics split by controversial Ridley Scott film Exodus as first reviews come in

By Chelsea White for MailOnline

Published: 23:31 EST, 29 November 2014 | Updated: 00:03 EST, 30 November 2014

Social medial users have had their say, the director has had his say and even Australian media baron Rupert Murdoch has put in his two cents in, but now the critics are weighing in on new film Exodus: Gods and Kings.

With two weeks until it is in US theatres and another month until British fans see it, the Ridley Scott religious feature is already stirring up its fair share of controversy.

And on Friday, as the first reviews of the epic blockbuster came in, the movie was also splitting critics much like its main character Moses does to the Red Sea.

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Critics' choice: On Friday the first reviews of Exodus: Gods and Kings came in and it is splitting critics much like its main character Moses does to the Red Sea

The film, based on the Old Testament tale of Moses and his battles to free his people from enslavement, is being heralded both as 'bold and uncompromising' and as a 'stodgy adaptation' with far from Oscar worthy performances.

While Scott has been praised for bringing his usual dramatic and imposing visuals to the screen, his top actors have not been given as glowing reviews.

For both Variety and The Warp the fact Scott has chosen Caucasian actors to portray an Egyptian (Joel Edgerton's character Ramses) and Jewish man mistaken for an Egyptian (Christian Bale's Moses) is distracting and dubious.

The Wrap's Alonso Duralde slammed both the film's performances and its inability to make an old story something more than a retelling but left his most sarcastic and scathing comments for its casting.

Always spectacular: While director Ridley Scott has been praised for bringing his usual dramatic and imposing visuals to the screen, his top actors have not been given as glowing reviews

The critic wrote: 'This is the kind of movie where the more lines you have, the more likely you are to have jars of bronzer waiting for you in the makeup trailer.'

He also happily joked about how clearly 'all bets were off' as not only is 'Moses is Welsh and Ramses is Australian' but God is 'petulant British schoolboy'.

Variety's critic Justin Chong also pointed out the issue saying Ridley's film 'continues the dubious tradition of casting white actors in an English-language picture set at the meeting point of Africa, Europe and the Middle East'.

The critic said Australian Edgerton's 'transformation made reasonably convincing through state-of-the-art bronzing techniques and heavy applications of guyliner'.

Question of colour: For both Variety and The Warp the fact Scott has chosen Caucasian actors to portray an Egyptian (Joel Edgerton's character Ramses) and Jewish man mistaken for an Egyptian (Christian Bale's Moses - pictured) is distracting and dubious

Makeup madness: One reviewer said, Australian Edgerton's 'transformation made reasonably convincing through state-of-the-art bronzing techniques and heavy applications of guyliner'

However, Justin said the 'problematic choices' and reservations about them can be looked past by filmgoers as the 'the strength of the performances and the irresistible pull of the story take hold'.

Duralde disagreed describing Bale's performance as fairly 'stiff' and all other characters as one dimensional with 'one note to play, whether it's arrogance or kindness or humility or sadism'.

The critic was even underwhelmed by the famous splitting of the Red Sea scene.

Loosen up: Bale has been accused of being stiff but UK reviewer Robbie Collin felt the film itself was 'bold and uncompromising'

'Even the parting of the Red Sea disappoints; the liberated Hebrews cross over in what seems like an accentuated low tide, and let's just say that 'Interstellar' has raised the bar on computer-generated giant walls of water.'

The Hollywood Reporter's Stephen Faber felt very differently about the scene, praiseing the director's retelling as 'visually thrilling'.

He wrote: 'Scott comes up with a somewhat more credible portrayal of how the Israelites managed to cross the sea before a monumental storm drowned the Egyptians.

'The movie should have ended there, but Scott and the writers seem to have felt obliged to include a few of the later parts of the story... But while these events are integral to the Biblical story, they come off here as the worst kind of anticlimax.

'No movie with such a limp ending can be fully satisfying, and the beginning also falters. But the long middle section is a rousing good show.'

Faber also was left underwhelmed by the acting: 'Don't expect any acting nominations for the picture. Bale garbles a few too many of his lines, but he has an imposing physical presence.'

The bottom line: 'Ridley Scott shows off his gifts as director, but the script and some of the actors let him down.'

While most US reviewers found both good and bad aspects to the blockbuster - which runs at around two and a half hours - UK reviewer Robbie Collin from The Telegraph, could not stop raving about the film.

The critic said the film, and Scott in particular, was to be applauded.

He wrote: 'This is bold and uncompromising stuff from Scott; a Biblical epic to shake your faith in the order of things, not reaffirm it.'

The reviews are somewhat as shock with many expecting the 20th Century Fox film to get panned in the face of fan backlash over the casting, so much so that the hashtag #boycottexodusmovie continues to trend on Twitter.

On Thursday, Rupert Murdoch - whose company owns 20th Century Fox - tried to defend the casting, causing more controversy in the process.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Moses film attacked on Twitter for all white cast. Since when are Egyptians not white? All I know are.'

After being accused of being ignorant, the media mogul backtracked a bit: 'Everybody - attacks last tweet. Of course Egyptians are Middle Eastern, but far from black. They treated blacks as slaves.

'Okay, there are many shades of color. Nothing racist about that, so calm down!'

Not helping: On Thursday, Rupert Murdoch - whose company owns 20th Century Fox and is pictured here earlier this month - tried to defend the casting, causing more controversy in the process

Social media thoughts: The media mogul weighed on on the debate on Twitter

Director Scott defended the casting in an interview with Variety magazine saying he had no choice in order to make his film.

'I can't mount a film of this budget and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such.'

'I'm just not going to get it financed. So the question doesn't even come up.'

Exodus: Gods and Kings opens December 12 in the US and on Boxing Day in the UK and also stars Sigourney Weaver and Aaron Paul, who is best known for his role as Jessie in the hit television series Breaking Bad.

Not long now: Fans will be able to decided themselves when Exodus: Gods and Kings opens December 12 in the US and on Boxing Day in the UK