Oh man. This is good. That was my first thought as soon as the credits of Noah started, as I sat in my chair attempting to comprehend what I had just watched. Director Darren Aronofsky has crafted the definitive version of Noah’s Ark (right alongside Donald Duck’s portrayal of the tale), and Russell Crowe has never poured more of himself into a role. Spectacle, thought-provoking characters, exhilaration; it’s all here in spades. Frankly, I say just go see the film right now, but if you want a more in-depth look at this mesmerizing movie, do stick around.

Noah (Russell Crowe) is chosen by The Creator to help save his family and the animals of  earth by building a massive ark that can survive an epic flood that is coming. Noah’s strictness in keeping with the The Creator’s orders at first enchant the family, but soon drive hostility between them, specifically with his son Ham (Logan Lerman). But all of that is nothing compared to the apocalyptic scenario that soon consumes most of the human race, as well as challenge Noah and his family.

Perhaps the most brilliant aspect of Noah is it’s ability to shift from an doomsday action flick into a character piece seamlessly, without it feeling jarring at all. On the contrary, it makes perfect sense for the film, as the true ramifications of Noah’s actions soon come to light. While on the ark, he attempts to live as much like God as possible, which simultaneously reveals his flawed humanity. At some points, Noah becomes indistinguishable from some of the “unjust” people he fought early on in the film and that’s the point; Noah shows how far sacrifice can take us, and where it can take us as people. Russell Crowe always makes sure Noah looks on the outside like a stalwart soldier, but always with a glimmer of gripping indecisiveness in his eyes.

While such thought provoking story ideas are stupendous, the best portions of the film in my opinion are the ones dealing with prior to the ark, namely anything involving the gorgeously designed Watchers. They have a sense of elegance to them that nicely juxtaposes with movements that seem to harken back to the Clay-Motion monsters of yore. Brought to life through the voices of Frank Langella and Nick Nolte, they have some of the film’s best moments and also show the price of sacrifice, albeit in a more positive manner . It’s not just in these creatures that the film succeeds; sweeping landscapes litter the movie, while Anthony Hopkins delivers many riveting exchanges of dialogue (even if one bit with him and Emma Watson ends in a clumsy manner).

While a few things on the ark do get a little clumsy in terms of symbolism (though maybe that’s intentional for reasons I can’t get into without revealing major spoilers), the tensions between people on the ark more than makes up for such minor missteps, as these compelling sequences lean more on the order of The Shining than Veggietales. Taking such a dark take in this environment is risky, but it pays off divinely, especially in a late sequence involving Russell Crowe and Emma Watson. Such bold filmmaking choices that work out perfectly are simply par for the course for this production, that rivets in every single second it carries on it’s glorious journey. Noah, as if it weren’t already clear, has plenty of ambition that results in a thrilling adventure that tremendously conveys the places belief can take us.

To read about one Lovejoy students incredible journey acting in Noah, click here