The Prince of Egypt
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Movie Reviews of The Prince of Egypt
Movie Review: very human interpretation, great family film
Summary: 5 Stars
Though we are not religious, this is a film that everyone in my family enjoys. There is action, ethics, history, and of course, human values in the psychology of brothers and family. It is also visually stunning with a wonderful sound track. And the voice characterizations! Completely believable and moving. That makes for a compelling viewing experience that you find most often in Disney, so it is nice that for a time there was some competition with Disney.
I kept comparing it to the version with Yul Brenner and Charlton Heston. In that version, the brothers are loving but also severe and potentially deadly rivals, vying for the throne. Moses is more loved than Ramses, who wants only power and apparently cannot even love, almost evil. After his vision, Moses becomes otherworldly, losing much of his humanity as a prophet, whereas in the DW version he remains completely human and feeling, even on occasion unsure of himself. Both have wonderful side characters, though their hard edges are avoided in the DW version. Both interpretations are interesting and worthy.
Warmly recommended. This is completely satisfying and the religious aspect can be taken as part of the story, not something you have to believe or follow.
Movie Review: Brilliantly conceived and executed.
Summary: 5 Stars
While some of the information in this feature film has been said to be in contradiction with the Holy Scriptures, The Prince of Egypt still remains a landmark achievement in the field of animated filmmaking. The film begins with the birth of Moses, who is sent in a basket down the Nile so that he may escape the law from Pharoah to execute all children born. Plucked from the river by the Pharoah's wife, he grows up in the palaces of the Egyptian ruler, believing himself to be of royal blood. However, a chance encounter with a slave girl, who is his sister, changes his entire life, and he takes a journey across the desert to escape from his pain. After finding happiness with his future wife, he is called upon by God to deliver the Hebrew people from the bondage of Egypt. From here on out, the movie is nothing but sheer magnificence, displaying a fine ensemble of the plagues brought down on Egypt and the famed parting of the Red Sea. The special effects and animation sequences in the film are nothing short of a masterpiece, the sound from the DVD brings each moment to life, and the musical score from Hans Zimmer and songs from Stephen Schwartz make this one of the greatest animated films in history.Movie Review: Dreamworks Creates an Animated Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a beautiful movie and a great DVD. The animation is some of the best ever done. Notice, in particular, the life-like Nile River and Red Sea at the beginning and end of the picture. The chariot race that opens the movie is thrilling and the parting of the Red Sea is breath taking. Frankly, I hesitated to see this because I believed that it would just be "The Ten Commandments" re-visited. However, the creators decided to focus on how the God's edict to "Let my people go" would effect the relationship of the two brothers--Rameses and Moses. This point of view permits the audience to have a strong attachment to both characters and the things that happen to them. Another surprise is that the creators did not tone down or "Hollywoodize" the religious aspects of the story. They realized that the great power of this story is its spiritual element. The DVD "extras" make it well worth the price. In particular, I found the comparison drawings showing the creation of the chariot race to be particularly compelling. The music and songs perfectly compliment the action and are never distracting. Clearly, Disney is not the only studio that can create a great animated film.Movie Review: Great tale, great teaching tool
Summary: 5 Stars
I just plain love this as a movie and as masterful traditional animation, but it's also proven to be a Godsend (pun intended) in my work as a religion teacher of inner-city public school students with absolutely no background in the Bible or its characters. Most read far below their grade level; most have never heard of Moses and some have never heard of Egypt, even by 5th grade. Decades ago, old movies on local TV filled in the cultural literacy gap with Hollywood chestnuts like "The Ten Commandments"...now most kids just play video games or watch "American Idol." So...I SHOW THEM THIS MOVIE! They love it...it's thrilling, reverent, and fine for any Christian faith tradition from Catholic to Evangelical, with some lovely touches of Jewish culture thrown in (like haunting Hebrew-sounding chanting)...and our school is fortunate enough to have a DVD player and TV room to show it in. The voice performances are spot-on (catch Ralph Fiennes as haughty Pharoah), and the "FX" for the death of the first-born is as chilling as anything I've ever seen in live action. A few cute funny touches, but no grating "talking animal comic relief" stuff...an underrated classic.Movie Review: A Masterpiece of Animation
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best made animated movies of all time. First off, the animation is amazing. It alone is reason to see this film. More importantly, it is an inspiring story regardless of your religious background (those worried about seeing a 90 minute propaganda film need not fear,) and is very respectful of the history and cultures it deals with. I was most impressed by how accurately Egypt was portrayed (the middle eastern people in it actually have dark skin!) The film's creators really did their homework in making 19th dynasty Egypt and its surrounding tribes come to life. The use of traditional Jewish tunes in the music is a nice example of this.
Finally, this story makes the characters in Exodus very likeable and human. There is great character development and moral dilemmas. There are also no "cutesy" sidekicks or silly songs in this movie; the story is treated seriously which I appreciated greatly as well.
Besides the absence of cutesyness, the film is quite graphic in its depictions of slavery and death, so very small children might not like it, but I encourage all older children and adults to watch it, it is a wonderful film.