Going into the theater, my expectations were surprisingly low for the film Noah. Biblical movies have, in the past, been a shocking disappointment for me. Up until now I’ve seen film after film of cheesy low budget portrayals of the Bible’s greatest stories that deserve higher quality productions. But Noah did not disappoint.

The film is as epic as it claims to be with breathtaking cinematography and award-worthy performances by Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly and Emma Watson to name a few. The director took some poetic license with regard to the original story of Noah as the bible portrays it, and yet he does it in a very believable way without contradicting the Bible. Many sequences in the film are not biblically correct; however, the biggest points of the story and the personal trials Noah (Crowe) could have very well faced were not heavily altered.

Watson gave what could very well be her greatest performance ever as Ila. The entire cast truly devoted themselves to the time period and the intense roles to make the film even more compelling. Set and costumes also receive big thumbs up for their authenticity and great attention to detail.

All of the animals in this film were CG therefore no live animals were used in the making of the film. I didn’t know this until after I saw the film, but I assumed going in many of the animals would be CG. Some scenes were so real it was hard to tell at times.

I recommend this movie despite much of the negative feedback it has received in the media lately. Overall, Noah is a family-friendly movie with intense adult themes infused with unforgettable performances combined to make a quality film.