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You could read the Book of Exodus in less time than it takes to watch Ridley Scott’s provocatively pointless big-screen version, and it would probably be more entertaining. Even at 2? hours, this biblical blockbuster feels rushed, as if the story has been shorn of all its connective tissue. Sweeping but never stirring, “Exodus: Gods and Kings” summons an immense budget to create something curiously humdrum.

Christian Bale, a very meat-and-potatoes Moses, gets demoted from elite Egyptian general to humble shepherd-in-exile, before meeting his Maker while neck-deep in mud (don’t ask) and then becoming a leader of men. Meanwhile, the Old Testament God — that fascinating, fearful cocktail of love and caprice, forgiveness and wrath — takes the form of a petulant 11-year-old boy (Isaac Andrews). It’s the only interesting creative decision the film takes.

That aside, this is plodding, over-literal stuff. As with Scott’s equally unnecessary “Robin Hood” (2010), “Exodus: Gods and Kings” seems to assume that an often-told tale can be improved with gritty period detail and epic battle scenes. And yes, there’s much to admire on a purely technical level, whether it’s the costumes and set design, or the CGI-assisted re-creations of ancient Memphis and the parting of the Red Sea — depicted here as something closer to a tsunami.

But verisimilitude alone doesn’t make a story more engaging. Nor does the script’s attempt to draw analogies with contemporary issues, including immigration and the Israel-Palestine conflict. When Ramses complains that liberating the enslaved Hebrews would cause problems “from an economic standpoint alone,” you’ve got to laugh.

The Japan Times has five “Exodus: Gods and Kings” T-shirts to give away. The deadline for entries is Feb. 9. For more information, visit .