Faith Driven Consumer, the group that first raised concerns earlier this year about NOAH‘s failure to resonate with its target faith audience, continues to serve as an advocate for more than 41 million consumers who spend $2 trillion annually. The organization’s Faith-Friendly Film Review system measures the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumer audiences.
The 20th Century Fox release EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, an epic film about the biblical story of the deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt led by Moses, receives a rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars from Faith Driven Consumer.
“Ridley Scott’s EXODUS represents a strong departure from the Bible and will likely fail to resonate with millions of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The depiction of God as a seemingly non-sovereign, petulant eleven-year-old boy who may even be a figment of Moses’ imagination presents a major hurdle for faith audiences. Scott’s portrayal of God makes him almost unnecessary in the film to the point that EXODUS wouldn’t have suffered much if He had not been in it. Ultimately, the movie misses the central point of the story,” said Chris Stone, Certified Brand Strategist and Founder of Faith Driven Consumer.
“While Mr. Scott is free to superimpose his 21st century skepticism about God and supernatural wonders into the story as he sees fit, his revisionist take on this pivotal story will result in hundreds of millions in box office receipts being left on the table. That’s irresponsible for any movie maker—particularly someone of his caliber.”
Faith Driven Consumer’s Faith-Friendly Film Reviews are based on five core criteria: Overall Faith and/or Biblical Relevance; Faith-compatible Depiction of Characters and Character Relationships; Faith-compatible Depiction of Situations, Family Viewing Suitability; and Entertainment Value. The 20th Century Fox release EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS rated 1.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 3 in each of the above categories for a total rating of 2.5 out of a possible 5 stars, making it a film that will likely not resonate strongly with faith-driven audiences.
