A rootin' tootin' adventure

AN Old Testament action hero goes head-to-head against an Egyptian pharaoh and his heavily-armed hordes in Exodus: Gods and Kings but the real mover and shaker in Ridley Scott's newly-minted biblical epic is a fresh-faced cherub with a knack for bringing plagues and other forms of unpleasantness upon those who oppress His chosen ones.

Depicting God as a pre-pubescent with a petulant streak is a bold and controversial move but Exodus never attains the lofty heights it aspires to.

With prince-turned-prophet Moses leading the charge - first as a dashing field general and then as a conflicted emissary for a higher authority - turning the Bible into an action-adventure is Hollywood's way of swaying modern-day masses.