The new epic film Noah starring Russell Crowe has been drawing fire from some religious quarters.

Noah has been the subject of controversy with some religious groups claiming the story has been inaccurately portrayed. That has prompted Paramount Pictures to add a disclaimer to its marketing material saying “artistic license has been taken” in telling the story.

Well, that’s what happens when you turn a work of fiction into a movie.  A lot of people — myself included — had some issues with the way Peter Jackson depicted The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit on film.  But a movie isn’t a book; they are two different ways of telling a tale, and if the source material is good enough, it will survive pretty much intact.

As it is, the biblical story of the flood has blockbuster movie written all over it, and it’s been the subject of movies since the silent era.  The only surprise here is that it wasn’t directed by James Cameron with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead.

But no one tells it better than Bill Cosby.  Maybe they should have filmed his version.