The Ark (2015 TV Movie) User Reviews

Can't see the Wood for the Ark ?

[JETTCO48 · 4/10 · 6 November 2021]

The biggest miracle in this Bible story is...... just WHERE did Noah get all that wood.... Gopher, or otherwise???

This version is set in a vast desert wilderness - not a sign of a tree for miles and miles; and yet, we see old Noah gallantly struggling home with just one branch. Regardless of where he got it from, it would take him a couple of days just to get that one branch back, let alone the very LARGE pieces we later see he's managed to install. At this rate, I reckon it would have taken him about 20 years to float his boat. Later on, the kids relent and start to help a bit but ????

The cast are excellent but, sadly, the writing and the planning of this one let them down badly.

If you want a traditional Noah's Ark story, stick to 1966's "The Bible....in the Begining.". There you will find John Huston doing a fine DIY job, complete with animals going in, two by two, torrential rain and a proper flood..... not to mention a cracking score by Toshiro. Mayuzumi.

The Ark

[a_baron · 6/10 · 12 April 2015]

You know the story, but what would your wife say if you told her you were informed by an angel that God had chosen to save you while he drowned the rest of mankind for its sins? You want to build a boat seventy miles from the sea when it hasn't rained for a year? Why don't you lie down on the couch and tell the good doctor all about it? Well, not the last part, but you get the drift. Other family members were not exactly chuffed either, the consensus being that the old man had been out in the sun too long. And of course this view was shared by the crowds who denied even the existence of the Man Upstairs, but weren't our ancestors supposed to be superstitious heathens who believed in all manner of spirits?

Whatever, this special TV adaptation of the story of Noah and his ark is not concerned with anachronisms; the word science did not exist in his time, but it's unlikely he spoke English either.

One serious criticism must be made of it, it is curtailed greatly towards the end. After they enter the ark we see nothing until Noah is back on dry land. Whatever restrictions the film makers were under, they should have extended it for at least another half hour.

The oncoming storm

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 31 March 2015]

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.

Don't Bother

[fcwaggoner-101-62314 · 1/10 · 25 March 2018]

Not true to the Biblical account. The movie totally missed the main part of the story ( i.e. the epic flood, 40 days of rain etc etc) while rewriting the story to include the saving of many people outside Noah's family. Total disappointment.

Not Noah's Ark

[Inaxsesable · 2/10 · 20 October 2017]

While the film quality of the film was OK this was clearly not the Christian version of the Film. I did not even know that Islam and Hindi faiths had their own version of Noah's ark with some pretty substantial deviations. This is not quite as much of a heresy as Russle Crowe's version but it is still an awfully big departure.

Is Not A True Biblical Account

[ldysheba · 1/10 · 11 April 2020]

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

Not a accurate movie. Horrible

[cbtacco · 1/10 · 29 March 2021]

Noah only had three sons, not four. Before the flood, there was a moisture circling the earth. The earth was not a desert before the flood. There are so many discrepancies. At the end of the movie it showed Noah back at the same place he built the Ark. After the flood that place would be totally unrecognizable. Plus he landed on Mount Ararat. The only people on the Ark were Noah and his wife, his sons and their wives. Not hundreds of other people too! Shameful movie.

Not ture to the Bible

[rrhonda-48605 · 1/10 · 3 March 2021]

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Flash Flood

[freezageeza1966 · 6/10 · 1 April 2015]

OK first off you may think me daft for adding the "spoiler alert" to this review.After all let's face it.You have to be an alien from the outer reaches of space not to know what happens with this story.But there is a reason for this which will be explained further below.

I'll start by saying that almost any drama from the BBC has high expectations.They have an enormous eye for detail,employ quality actors for the roles at hand and the entire production normally screams quality.

For the most part The Ark is no exception.David Threlfall and Joanne Whalley played their roles as Noah and his Mrs extremely well and what we are treated to here is more of a story of Noah trying to convince his 4 (shouldn't it be 3?) sons and everyone else that he really has had a message from God,and isn't going bonkers by trying to build a large boat in the middle of the dessert.

Three of his sons would rather work the land and carry on as normal hoping their dad would one day regain his sanity,while the forth would rather take trips into the local town (representing the evil of the world that needs to be cleansed) and stay with his girlfriend and smoking the wacky stuff!! Only Noahs wife sees the need to support her man no matter what and only after much boat building and family arguments,do all but the 4th rebellious son join in.

And so it goes on for nearly an hour and fifteen minutes,at which point I'm looking at the clock thinking "this is only on for an hour and a half.There is a lot still to cover in this story.There must be a part two".

WRONG!!

As compelling as this drama was up to this point,it came to rather an abrupt finish. The end when it came was covered in the last ten or fifteen minutes in what I can only describe as a flash flood.Everything from the animals running hell for leather to get to safety (albeit from a distance),to the flood,waters receding (no dove in sight) and everybody getting off the Ark and going forth etc........all rushed in a complete mess of an ending.

So much of a great opportunity was missed here by the BBC. Sure there were a few quibbles in the story (everybody speaking with Northern English accents for one)but rushing a great story such as this to such an abrupt ending was unforgivable.A part two was needed to cover all the time on the Ark during the flood and the aftermath. The whole story was not told here and it deserved better than this.

Shame on you BBC!!.

So hence the spoiler alert because if you are expecting more,you ain't gonna get it.

absence of soul

[Kirpianuscus · 7 January 2018]

...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.

Not bad, but also not great.

[dan1213 · 5/10 · 3 April 2015]

I feel like this TV movie could have been condensed into 60 Minutes as the middle section felt like it dragged on just a bit too much and i found the end not very satisfying, as someone said in the comments below, 'blink and you'll miss it' has never been so true with regards to the flood, some heavy rain followed by a cut back to show the Earth from space followed by them walking on dry land again, i found that very anti climactic.

It features a mish-mash of different accents and ethnicities, i understand this is the 21st century but as this drama was set so long ago i feel the BBC didn't need to be so politically correct as it takes you out of your suspension of disbelief.

They tried hard to give the characters some back story in a vain attempt the make us care about their fate, and i wouldn't say it failed completely, David Threlfall put in a great performance as did his wife but their children didn't have any individuality or personalities, they were all very wooden and seemed to be reading from a script quite obviously.

They were quite cheap on the effects like the storm itself and the boat didn't look particularly durable but then again this isn't a blockbuster movie, if you're willing to overlook that and the mixture of characters and accents then you'll find it to be watchable if not memorable.

Great show, how it varies from Christian Bible story

[broncster-49912 · 8/10 · 8 October 2017]

I just watched this movie, not knowing about it 2 years ago when it came out. I really enjoyed the humour and 'real-life' story line of a family who might wonder where Dad (Noah) got his direction from, and how the people who live in the 'city' were a depraved society. Once I was finished watching it, I read Wikipedia accounts of Noah and it was interesting to find out the Qur'an's version of Noah has this 4th son, and the Baha'i faith's version apparently indicates the extra human (40 or 72) occupants in the Ark. Regardless of this extra 'non'-Christian content, I agree that the ending was too abrupt (I find many Christian movies this way) but up to the ending, it was a good, entertaining, enjoyable movie.

Could have been amazing if it stuck to the facts.

[verahull · 7/10 · 12 April 2024]

I liked the idea of it. Great cast. But I'm not sure why they did not stick to the original story.

It could have been so powerful.

I mean NOAH had three sons, not four.

In this TV movie there is a younger son Kenan.

Kenan in the Bible according to Genesis 5:9-14, is Kenan was a son of Enosh and a grandson of Seth.

However, I really enjoyed this version for what it was. Making them Northern was fantastic so relatable.

The fact that Noah had such faith to do as he was asked is amazing to me. It's such a great piece of our history. I am proud to believe it and have faith in the same God Noah had faith in. His story is mentioned in the New Testament as a warning to us today. Love it

All the acting was really good. Great casting.

Biblical inaccuracies

[christopherscosmith · 1/10 · 5 April 2024]

If you're looking for a Godly Bible based movie this isn't it. It would do better as someone heard the story of Noah's Ark and made a movie off the tail end of the grapevine. I'm totally fine with adding plausible scripting for depth, story and/or length of movie, but not this. Consider, Satan in the garden of Eden removed one word and added one word, and that was enough to start the cycle of sin. So what is this?

After watching this, I had to go back and make clarifications, reading from the Bible, with my son so that he wouldn't be confused after watching this. The trailer seemed fair enough to give it a go, but in the end it was a waste of family movie night for us.

Stick to the scriptures

[leogabs · 5/10 · 25 December 2021]

I would of given it a 10/10 if they stuck to the scriptures.

So cannon I could over look to a point as he is in the scriptures but as the son of Ham not Noahs son but adding people into the ark that where never ever there is just over stepping the mark, only 8 people which where Noah and his family entered the ark and where saved no one else except animals entered.

Also why did you not include the nephlim?

But I will give credit where it is due except those two things it was very well written, great acting, camera work, costumes, ect. You did a much better job than the Noah film with Emma Watson in that film was straight up blasphemy.

Agree to disagree

[nfoxattheswamp · 8/10 · 2 April 2015]

While I will agree with the other reviews on the page and say that it came to an abrupt end and in that sense did it injustice, and also that there where a few things added that weren't biblical like a fourth son, or like other people getting on the boat, or even in one spot the angel didn't add all the things that the bible said the Lord said that the Ark must have, but to me that wasn't the point of the story.

You can say that this movie shouldn't be watched because of the unbiblical characteristics, but I think it gives Noah a great human face and one that we can all really get on board with. (excuse the pun.) The 4th boy is no where in the bible but it allows us Christians to first see how a father should love through Noah, but then how even someone raised in the best possible environment can choose wrongly and even though that person choose wrongly they should be loved and given a second chance. The movie shows in an extreme way that if you truly love them you must let them go and fail for themselves and simply pray that the Lord will mend their heart. That may take a flood in a sense, where they fill like they are drowning. Then also I think it shows a great image of how people can change and there are no singular chosen people, but a collective chosen humanity. When Noah first goes to spread the news that God will flood the Earth they rejected him, but before the flood a few choose to follow God and believe in his Prophet. The bible says nothing about anyone else other then Noah his wife and his sons and their wives getting on the boat, but once again I think this serves greatly as first people can change, but also the path is narrow. If anything I can relate the difference in this movie to the Oratorios of old. Composers would add in a few things, but it still portrayed a beautiful image of Christ and God ( I mean just look at Handels Messiah even that, as biblical as it is, has minor word adaptations to fit.

Leaving the unbiblical, over all this movie is a really great movie and almost had me in tears when the Mother talked about how Noah had unquestionably loved all of his sons. It is a really good movie and even with the few not mentioned in the bible things I would completely suggest watching it.

I will say the ending is to short for my taste, but honestly how much can you do with a person stuck on a boat for 40 days? I mean I just look at the secular Noah made in 2014 it was completely unbiblical and had me praying for an end to the continuous ocean voyage. Even with out the unbiblicalness I would never suggest that movie to anyone and in fact advise them not to watch it. My point in all that being. Who really wants to see a man and his family on a boat for 40 days keeping up animals? Exactly. I would have liked to see more after the flood but once again that would really just be adding on to the bible.

In the end it is a great movie with a great moral behind it and great images of what a Godly family and what a Christian should be in general. Loving.

Great, very realistic

[tjesseflournoy · 10/10 · 21 December 2020]

While not completely biblical with the amount of people on the ark, this movie is not about the details because the added script is to build characters. I think it portrayed what you could see as a real Noah with real challenges. Some good one liners... "To say if you don't know there's a God, is honest. But to say there is no God you would have to say you know everything, and if you were to say you know everything, you're an idiot."