The Ark

...is the basic sin of this bizarre film. it is a lesson of a boring teacher, it is a preach from a not brilliant pastor but it is not a real film about Noah and the flood. and, sure, many religious films are made for a precise and small public. but, in this case, more details are different. first, the story. who is just a sketch. second - the too obvious moral message,, mixing contemporary social problems with the period of the flood. not the last, the effort of Joanne Whalley and David Threlfall to save a lost cause. it is not a bad film. only an anonimous one. un convincing. and soulless.

Writer Tony Jordan has gone to a back to basics re-telling of the story of Noah. Less of the actual floods and the animals going two by two. After all this is a BBC television movie and the budget was never going to be mega unless Russell Crowe had signed on.

David Threlfall plays Noah and Joanne Whalley plays his loyal wife with their three grown up sons living a hard working life in the desert (it was filmed in Morocco.) Noah is committed to God but a visit to the local market town with his son shows him a life there without belief where violence, faithlessness and cheating is close at hand.

This version has the family in the centre of the drama as well as faith. When Noah gets a visit from God's messenger, family loyalties are put to the test as he goes about building an ark first by himself, then helped by his wife before the rest of the family pitch in which is made to look like hard even bad breaking work.

The film tries to be a modern small scale parable with its comparison to a world of science and bankers although I think it does not entirely carry it off as it comes too close to be rather preachy. The film also disappoints as it strips maybe too much of the familiar traits of the tale such as the animals going to the ark as well as the flooding.

Threlfall is a stern but kind hearted Noah who puts his love of the family first and he does well to be the centre of the film although I guess some viewers would find the northern accents rather off putting and accuse it of being a Shameless in the Desert which is rather unfair.

How can you not fear God and create such a false image of the biblical message?

If Noah's Biblical family were like in the movie, only Noah would have survived the flood.

Only Noah and his three sons, Shem, Japheth, and Ham, and his wife and his sons' wives entered the ark.

Before the flood, Noah had only these three sons.

Book of Revelation 22 18. I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.19. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are written in this book.

The writers did not hold true to the Bible. So disappointed in what they did, and the movie is just not good.

This movie and everyone who participated in its development gets an (F). No star for you.

Disappointed, Angry, Sad, Hurt, Deceived. WARNING If your looking for a religious movie that's TRUE to the Bible DON'T WATCH THIS! its full of lies!!!!!!!!!!!!!