Pitch Meeting: The Mythical Gods of Egypt
An epic tale that fell short of expectations right from the beginning. Discover the unraveling of a doomed cinematic adventure in the land of ancient gods.
Screen Rant's Pitch Meeting series is diving into the ancient world with its latest episode on Gods of Egypt. The 2016 action film follows a young thief named Bek who teams up with the Egyptian God of Air, Horus, to take down the ruthless Set. Starring Gerard Butler, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and other talented actors, the movie explores a gripping tale of power and betrayal.
In a recent episode, Screen Rant's Pitch Meeting hilariously revisits Gods of Egypt. The video, featured at the top of this article, playfully points out the movie's flaws, such as its weak plot setups and overly simplistic resolution. It also teases Lionsgate's ambitious plans to turn the film into a franchise, despite its lukewarm reception. Additionally, director Alex Proyas' response to negative reviews is humorously called out in the episode.
Gods of Egypt Was Always Doomed To Fail
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Horus in Gods of Egypt - Gods of Egypt Was Always Doomed To Fail
Gods of Egypt has received a low 14% approval rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the worst-reviewed movie for many of the cast and crew. Gerard Butler, however, has faced even harsher criticism for movies like The Bounty Hunter, Playing for Keeps, and Movie 43. The writers of Gods of Egypt, Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, have also struggled to impress critics, with none of their five released movies earning a "Fresh" rating on RT. Here's a comparison of Gods of Egypt's score with their other films:
Title | Release Year | RT Critics Score |
|---|---|---|
Dracula Untold | 2014 | 25% |
The Last Witch Hunter | 2015 | 18% |
Gods of Egypt | 2016 | 14% |
Morbius | 2022 | 15% |
Madame Web | 2024 | 13% |
The movie also continued an unfortunate downward trend for director Alex Proyas with critics. While his earlier works, such as The Crow and Dark City, received praise, his more recent films faced mixed reviews. Despite commercial success with Garage Days, I, Robot, and Knowing, critical reception had been on the decline.
One of the key reasons signaling trouble for Gods of Egypt was the predominantly white cast in a setting and culture that called for diversity. This decision sparked criticism even before the movie's release and contributed to its failure at the box office, especially when up against popular films like Deadpool and Eddie the Eagle in the usually quiet month of February.
Source: Pitch Meeting
Editor's P/S:
The Screen Rant's Pitch Meeting episode on "Gods of Egypt" effectively highlights the film's shortcomings with its witty and sarcastic approach. The video cleverly exposes the weak plot, simplistic resolution, and overly ambitious franchise aspirations. It also humorously addresses director Alex Proyas' defensive response to negative reviews.
The article further provides an analysis of the film's critical reception, demonstrating that it was not an isolated incident but part of a broader trend for the cast and crew involved. The low approval ratings and lack of "Fresh" ratings for other projects by the writers and director suggest that these individuals may have been partially responsible for the film's failure. Additionally, the article underscores the importance of cultural diversity in casting, emphasizing that the predominantly white cast in a film set in ancient Egypt contributed to its negative reception.
