Noah

There will be two ways to approach the film – one from a Biblical perspective and the other would be to appreciate it from a cinematic point of view and the director's fascinating perspective of Noah's character. Those looking for the former will be sorely disappointed.

Although Aronofsky has dipped liberally into the well of fantasy in his recreation of Noah's tale, he does it in a manner that serves up a quasi-modern story laced generously with allegory and backed by some solid, no-nonsense performances. He does not go overboard on religious subject matter and instead, chooses to give the movie a more human, moralistic direction. There's even an interesting montage describing the origin of the universe. All in all, a lush visual spectacle told on a fittingly grand scale.

Religion based movie isn't everyone's cup of tea. However, Darren Aronofsky's Noah presented a well-worn Biblical parable in the most grandest way. Watch it for Russel Crowe's stellar performance.

Set on a vast canvas with appealing visuals, "Noah" is a fantasy laden, blinkers-on, one dimensional portrayal of the biblical character of the same name. And in no manner does it resemble any epic from the same genre, ever seen before. With computer generated images merging with ash-barren locales, this is a very modern take of a biblical film.

Were this a film by a lesser director, it would be easier to forgive these failings. It would be easy to enjoy Noah as a well-made popcorner that dares to explore dark themes while providing an intense visual experience. But what we have here is about 60 percent of a film that's about 140 percent longer and more flawed than we would've liked. It crumbles under the weight of its own myth – and that myth is Aronofsky, not Noah.

Noah is superbly inventive, but much too overwrought. Aronofsky's experiment has the kind of seriousness and nerve that makes watching it necessary as well as tedious.