The Prince of Egypt
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Movie Reviews of The Prince of Egypt
Movie Review: A Tale of Two Brothers -- Wonderful Bible Story
Summary: 5 Stars
It was interesting picking up an early DreamWorks animated feature and to have it surprise and delight in their take on the story of Moses from the Old Testament. In 1998 they decided to put together an animated feature that would combine a majority of animators and a minimum of CGI. The result was quite good.
We are all familiar with the story of Moses but the way these creators wrote the tale was different than I'd seen say on The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston. No, we have two brothers who grow up and love each other. Moses is the practical joker and Ramses, destined for greatness as the Pharaoh, is teased and can't seem to take a joke. The story depicted here does make changes from the Bible, as the film itself states at the beginning. The story as given is a more human approach that I think children and families would better understand. This is not your daddy's Bible class!
In the background are the Hebrew slaves. When Hebrew children are being slaughtered, or the Hebrews are being squashed down, the usual Egyptian response was "They're just slaves." This nonchalant, superior attitude was throughout the film.
Moses' doubt that he would even be chosen as a prophet was interesting. His anguish that the first born sons of Egypt would be slain and his lament that no matter what, he still considered Ramses his brother was touching.
The movie was not heavy-handed in a religious way. You could see the DreamWorks guys having fun with the parting of the Red Sea, the mysterious force that represented the Angel of Death and the sweeping desert vistas. Great artwork!
Voice actors included Sandra Bullock, Patrick Stewart, Steve Martin, Val Kilmer and Jeff Goldblum among many others. They did a great job here in vocal expression and tone that was believable and at times dark.
The "Making Of" feature on the DVD was fun to watch. The artwork including sketches and production stills was bold and beautiful. The art direction and discussion of computer techniques which may have been cool in 1998 are pretty much routine in today's CGI world. However, to listen to them you get excited about the animation yourself.
Finally, The Prince of Egypt is a musical. Lots of songs and music that give an overall theme of redemption and freedom. Does the bright thread know that it is part of a tapestry? No, it cannot see the tapestry but should take on its view. Heavy stuff, man!
Music composed by Hans Zimmer and friends and songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz really made the movie what it was. Quite a miracle of animation, a serious story, and if there was a fault, some of the characters were a bit too "Disney-esque" but that makes it a family film so it's all good. Academy Award winner for Best Original Song 1998 "When You Believe."
Favorite scenes for me were the pillar of fire and the Red Sea split, the chariot race, knocking off the nose of the Sphinx, and moving heiroglyphs on the walls during the "dream sequence." Excellent animation.
Recommended.
What's the DVD made of?:
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Letterbox - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Release Material:
Making Of Music Video: "When You Believe"
Audio Commentary: Brenda Chapman - Director, Steve Hickner - Director, Simon Wells - Director
Documentary: Chariot Race - Basics of Animation
Trailers:
1. Original Theatrical Trailer
2. TV Spots/Previews
Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Notes
Biographies: Cast & Crew
Stills/Photos: PRINCE OF EGYPT Art Gallery
Other DreamWorks fun:
Prince of Egypt: Dreamworks Classics Collection
Miriam's Gift: The Prince of Egypt Book and Keepsake
Movie Review: Excellent Film For The Entire Family
Summary: 5 Stars
The story of Moses is a compelling one. "The Prince of Egypt" manages to meld that story into a very easily digested tale for the whole family. Though some liberties are taken, "Prince" keeps the basic elements of this wonderful tale intact. The only truly noteworthy changes are that Moses confronts Pharoah instead of his biological brother, Aaron, doing most of the talking and Moses and Ramses are raised as brothers by the Pharoah. In the Bible, Moses is raised by Pharoah's daughter, and Aaron plays a larger role in the overall story, doing most of the speaking to Pharoh as a representative of Moses.
With those minor details out of the way, "Prince of Egypt" is one of the best films around for the entire family to watch. It begins with the finding of Moses on the Nile River by Pharoah's wife, then shows him grow up as royalty in Egypt. He and his brother, Ramses, pretty much have full run of the roost. They get into plenty of trouble with each other, and their chariot race sequence is one of the best "chase" scenes in cinematic history. When Moses finds out that he is Hebrew, and that most of his people are slaves to Pharoah, he begins to notice the horrible things happening to his people. He accidentally kills one of Pharoah's guards when he attempts to protect one of the slaves, and, upset, he leaves his home in search of himself. God reveals to him that he is to lead his people out of Egypt, and he must go and tell Pharoah (who, by now, is Ramses) to, "let my people go."
The tale then takes us through the plagues that wreak havoc on Egypt as long as Pharoah refuses to free the Hebrews. The final plague, and definitely the most chilling, is the Passover. This, for those uninformed, is the time when the Angel of Death comes down into Egypt and takes the life of the first born children in every home that is not painted by the blood of a lamb on the door. This sequence was very moving, and the worst part is when the actual Passover has been completed, and the unbelieving families realize what has happened. The finale, the epic parting of the Red Sea, is just as, if not more, moving than the same event in "The Ten Commandments." It ties the characters of Moses and Ramses together in a most painful way. Moses and Ramses share a great love for each other as brothers, but neither can deny their true calling in life. The final moments showing Ramses on the banks of the Red Sea are very moving, and almost brought me to tears.
I've rarely seen an animated feature in which the voice actors have done such a grand job. Val Kilmer is wonderful as Moses, making you feel the pain and joy in his voice. Ralph Fiennes portrays Ramses with plenty of regal flare, but there is a constant hint of grief in his voice. Danny Glover, , Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfeiffer and Patrick Stewart are amazing in their respective roles of Jethro, Miriam, Tzipporah, and Seti. Steve Martin and Martin Short are hilariously devious as Pharoah's high priests intent on proving that their gods are much more powerful than Moses' God. The standout of this group, however, is Jeff Goldblum as Aaron. In my opinion, his performance in this limited role is one of the best voice acted roles I've ever witnessed. His character made the film for me, and, other than Ramses, had a strong effect on me as I watched the film unfurl.
The animation in this flick is on par with Disney's giant animated flicks of the last couple of decades, namely "The Lion King." The music is wonderful as well.
In all, this is simply one of the best animated stories ever. I place it well above plenty of Disney's top films, and feel that it deserves much more respect than it has ever received. Well done, SKG, this is a premier piece of animated work.
Movie Review: Timeless Story for a New Audience
Summary: 5 Stars
I am tremendous fan of good-quality animation but a movie is only worthwhile as long as it is accompanied by good-quality storytelling. "The Prince of Egypt" tasks some risks in altering the text of the story of Exodus but it manages to deliver both on its big-budgeted epic scale. No one can replicate Charles Heston's 1956 performance yet I found this film to be a respectable homage to DeMille's "The Ten Commandments". Plus the kids will learn a thing or two.
In the past 10 years we've seen far too many computer-animated slapstick films spurted out like candy bars from a vending machine. Disney took us "to infinity and beyond" with Toy Story and "Antz" was a good laugh. But honestly, it's sad to see how many companies are cutting corners and neglecting the beauty that traditional animation can capture.
"The Prince of Egypt" does neither. It maximizes the potential of its time by using hand-drawn animation to capture the beauty and details of the Egyptians' tunics and the woven tents of Midian. At the same time computer effects bring an intricate nightmare of hieroglyphics to life. It looks more than neat. It looks damn good. And the other factor is the degree of brutality that this film can push into a PG rating without overdoing it. (They come pretty close, though.) The slaves are beaten and we see the weariness in their sagging eyes. Moses' face shows utter horror when he kills a man. The Egyptians scream with fear when plagues manifest their lives. We're not in Disneyland anymore, kids. (And even the first Disney films were creepy: "Snow White", "Pinnochio", and even "Dumbo" just to name a few.)
I was more nitpicky about the character alterations, especially Aaron, who is depicted as the skeptic one. No doubt it is intended to contrast Miriam's rock-like belief in Moses but I found it offensive. At least Dreamworks stayed clear of annoying sidekicks and had two oily scheming magicians-Steve Martin and Martin Short need no introduction-with a few tricks up their sleeves. Ramses' transformation into Pharaoh consumes him with pride until his empire is destroyed. As for Moses, his journey is an extraordinary tale and yet relatable to anyone who embarks on a new challenge be it personal, social, moral, or spiritual.
I found the music heart wrenching and unforgettable. Many of the songs are a blend of prayers asking for help and the lyrics only amplify what they are saying, especially when the children sing "Song of the Sea" in Hebrew in gratitude as they leave Egypt. The splitting of the sea IS the impression that DeMille would've done if he could've done it in his time. I was overall impressed with this film adaptation of Exodus. The catchphrase "family film" doesn't do it justice. It is a work of art in itself and a respectable piece of faith and effort in its time.
Movie Review: It works wonderfully and then it doesn't
Summary: 5 Stars
Before they basically made movies full of jokes without a sense of heart, Dreamworks did Prince of Egypt. Dreamworks was pretty much a new company at the time and had a degree of success with Deep Impact and Antz. But a falling out prompted former Disney head Jeffrey Katzenberg to start the company with one of the big projects being this. While it's a fine film to appreciate and there are times where I was almost stunned by the animation, it does other things wrong and it's hard to figure out where they are but they're in here.
Re-telling the story found in Exodus, the story centers on Moses, a young Egyptian prince who's brash and very little compassion for the Hebrew slaves that are working hard to build whatever the Pharoah commands them to. When Moses sees the lack of decency and heart in the Pharoah and Moses' brother Rameses, Moses flees. Years later, an encounter with God gives him the strength and gifts to free the Hebrew slaves, even if it means unleashing plagues upon Egypt.
First, I'll mention what doesn't work: the music. I don't know; it's one of those things that should work but either I didn't like the songs themselves or I just simply thought they should've been taken out altogether. I did like the song "When You Believe" but the rest I can't remember at all, except for what scenes they were in. However, the score by Hans Zimmer is quite excellent with some really great cues. But in some cases the sound effects (such as the Red Sea stuff) practically drowns out the score sometimes. The voice acting, still following the new-school tradition of having big name stars, is still in place but at least they're quite good in their roles, especially Val Kilmer.
But ultimately the star of the film is ultimately the animation. Combining 2D and 3D elements that still manage to be better blended than most films, everything just looks top notch from backgrounds to character animation such as a full-on shot of a woman crying. And then of course we have individual scenes such as the Passover plague, the hailstorm, the pillar of fire and of course the show-stopper: Moses parting the Red Sea and its eventual closing. Even after so many years, they're still impressive scenes and luckily the DVD transfer brings them out clearly.
While I doubt I'd buy the film, watching it did have a really enjoyable film and would be a good one to watch. Too bad the company started to produce laugh-only films after this.
Movie Review: Animated film the way It should be done
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a grown man and I still get a little choked up when I watch this movie. It is animated film the way they should be done but seldom are in this digital age. It has all the necessary ingredients for an animated classic, good animation, a classic story, and beautiful, even haunting music.
The animation looks hand drawn, though at least some digital techniques were used, particularly in the very dynamic action sequences. But it works. Some scenes look almost cinematic in their detail. The filmmakers mimic live action photography very well. Look for the artificial sun glaring on the camera lens that does not exist.
As for the story, well a story that has been around for three thousand years will certainly stand the test of time. If you are familiar with the Exodus story from the Bible then you may notice that significant license was taken when translating it to film, a fact the filmmakers acknowledge from the opening. Nonetheless story is powerful and poignant. The characters are portrayed realistically, complete with inner conflict and the uncertainties that plague us all. Even the traditionally evil pharaoh is not truly evil. He has a motivation to act the way he does.
For those who may not know what type of film this is I issue a warning. This is a musical in a very traditional sense. If you don't like musicals you may not like this movie. Having said that however, I found the songs to be catchy and the lyrics to be poetic. Particularly touching was the song of Jethro, well performed by Danny Glover, and the Exodus sequence, which is the one that gets me every time.
The film does have a few sequences that may be frightening to very young children, particularly the final plague inflicted on Egypt. They are not so intense as to make one keep the kids from watching but may warrant a little parental explanation, so watch the movie with them.
The DVD also has some extras that the adults might find interesting, good commentary and some "making of" features. I found the multilanguage presentation of the song "When you believe" fascinating. In it the exodus sequence is replayed while the seamlessly dubbed voices shift between many of the languages in which the film was released.
I need not say much more. As of this time almost three hundred reviews have already been written on this film. Read them and you will get some different perspectives.