A sweeping epic that addresses a timelessly appealing notion, beings of smokeless fire endowed with tremendous powers by the Creator, but subject to the same laws of destiny and helplessness as mere mortals.
The rendition of ancient lands and giants of history is breathtaking, especially the treatment of Queen Sheba and later the Ottoman Sultans. The attention to detail and special effects are noteworthy. The rendition of the great sultans Suleiman and Murad are satisfying and mirror history.
The debate between Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba is really the spine and heart of the movie and is a delight to witness. Two great minds sparring away, seeking to best each other like a game of mental and verbal chess played with stories as pieces on the board.
Of course, we are intrigued by the supernatural and unseen, and of course, we are tempted to harness incredible powers to our selfish ends, but there is always a terrible price to pay. My only, ahem, wish is that the epic historical themes ran through the entire movie and that there was less mediocrity in the last act.
The rendition of ancient lands and giants of history is breathtaking, especially the treatment of Queen Sheba and later the Ottoman Sultans. The attention to detail and special effects are noteworthy. The rendition of the great sultans Suleiman and Murad are satisfying and mirror history.
The debate between Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba is really the spine and heart of the movie and is a delight to witness. Two great minds sparring away, seeking to best each other like a game of mental and verbal chess played with stories as pieces on the board.
Of course, we are intrigued by the supernatural and unseen, and of course, we are tempted to harness incredible powers to our selfish ends, but there is always a terrible price to pay. My only, ahem, wish is that the epic historical themes ran through the entire movie and that there was less mediocrity in the last act.