Trailerblazing -- Gods of Egypt

Gods of Egypt -- February 26, 2016 -- directed by Alex Proyas -- starring Gerard Butler, Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Courtney Eaton, Abbey Lee, Geoffrey Rush

Are you ready for an adventure? The era of sword-and-sandal epics is upon us again, if this trailer is anything to go by. This film looks like one of those works that cinemas were made for, boasting eye-popping fight sequences, larger-than-life (literally) characters, flashy sets and a visionary director. Let me first say that Proyas should be making more features. Dark City and Knowing -- to name two -- were haunting mind trips into dystopian dimensions of human existence. Proyas is capable of translating the universal sense of fear and wonder into narrative in a way that not many filmmakers are. The cast is terrific. Butler usually does well as a villain or antihero and has another chance to show off his physical prowess. I have to say, though, I keep waiting for him to holler 'this is Sparta'... never mind, I had to get that out of my system. Thwaites was impressive in The Signal and is on an intriguing artistic path. Coster-Waldau is such a versatile actor and I am glad that he is getting more roles which showcase his aptitude for action and comedy. On that note, Gods of Egypt appears to be made in the vein of classics that millions of us had grown up with, such as the Indiana Jones trilogy. Action, romance and humor is always, ALWAYS a winning combo. In today's world, we need a film like this one and fantasy in general to take us out of our headspace and transport us to a domain where magic is possible. Counting down the days until February 26.