Joseph - King of Dreams
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Movie Reviews of Joseph - King of Dreams
Movie Review: Lukewarm At Best
Summary: 1 Stars
I am a great fan of "Prince of Egypt", which is what drew me to "Joseph: King of Dreams". I'm glad to say that I rented it instead of buying it. The story overall is an insipid, shallow re-telling of the Biblical version (I'm familiar with the Christian version only--I can't speak to how this compares to Jewish and Islamic traditions).
Here are the main problems with this film:
1. The songs are cringe-inducing and suck up valuable time.
2. There is very little characterization. Joseph is an unsympathetic brat. His brothers are bland, stereo-typical animated villains. Reuben doesn't even get a name-drop.
3. There is no spirituality. God is mentioned once or twice by Jacob and in a pointless sung montage. Joseph never shows any devotion or gratitude to God for his gift.
4. The greatest moments of the story--the brothers' redemption and Joseph forgiving them--are shoved into the last five minutes of the movie with almost no set-up at all.
"King of Dreams" does have a few bright spots:
1. Potiphar's role is expanded and fleshed out. He is actually the most dynamic and interesting character in this.
2. Asenath, Joseph's Biblical wife, gets some screen time (though she is as bland as her husband).
3. The animation is decent for a direct-to-video release. The animators at least put some effort into this, even if no one else did.
I recommend "Prince of Egypt" if you want a beautiful, spiritual animated film. If you have your heart set on "Joseph", I recommend Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Technicolor Dreamcoat." It may be goofy and campy, but at least it admits it. And the songs are better.