Black Swan bought a lot of critical and commercial goodwill for Aronofsky in 2010, yet no one would have anticipated he would invest that goodwill into a Biblical epic, especially one nearing three hours long. Whether the new elements added to Noah will enthrall or enrage audiences is yet to be seen, but win, lose or draw, a project of this epic of scale is worthy of your attention. Noah ( Russell Crowe ) is a heavily taxed man. Plagued with nightmares of damnation and death, he is reached out to by the Lord to undertake the building of an ark before the apocalypse lays waste to all the eye can see, a cleansing fire before a great flood to wipe evil from Earth. Noah's task is to build an ark, load it up with all of the animals and start anew. As Elwood Blues would put it "he's on a mission from God."