The Prince of Egypt (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Prince of Egypt' (a Disney animated film directed by Brenda Chapman & Steve Hickner) begins - where else - in Egypt. Action starts in a Jewish settlement where the people are being raided by the Pharaoh Seti's men. The intent? To kill the slave's infants {I know, nice for an animated film}. A desperate woman & her children escape to the Nile River, where the mother sets her baby adrift in a basket, hoping this will save him. The basket eventually makes it to the Pharaoh's palace, where his wife, the Queen, finds the baby inside. The Queen (voiced by Helen Mirren) keeps the baby, & names him ... Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer). Many yrs. later, Moses & his older brother, Rameses (voiced by Ralph Fiennes) have become rebel teenagers, much to the disdain of their father.
But they're best friends, free-spirited, happy, & wealthy; so they don't care about that. Trouble arises for Moses, however, when he discovers his true heritage (that he is Hebrew, & born a slave). Fleeing from his home city in despair, Moses meets a high priest named Jethro (voiced by Danny Glover), meets his daughter, Tzporah (Michelle Pfeiffer), & marries her. From here on out, Moses takes it upon himself to free his people with the hands of God leading him. And he is encouraged to do this after stumbling upon what appears to be a glowing, burning bush that instructs him of his destiny to deliver his people (this scene is GORGEOUSLY rendered). But Moses' task hits a road bump when his brother, Rameses - who is now the new Pharaoh - refuses to give-in to God's word (of freeing the Hebrews). Their final confrontation (at the Red Sea) will forever change their lives & the world, as well.
'TPoE' has a little of everything. It's an extraordinary tale of 2 brothers; one born into royalty, one an orphan with a secret past. There is sadness, adventure & triumph in the proceedings. There is oppression & freedom. I liked its epic homage to Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. Muslim, Jewish & Christian religious leaders were called-in to review this film's script accuracy. So, while certain aspects of the story are changed so the younger audience can appreciate the larger themes of the story (in animation) ... the story is still faithful with regards to the Book of Exodus.
There are majestic, larger-than-life characters. There are scary elements {perhaps too many for young kids}. And there are comedic elements (usually at the hand of the Pharaoh's 2 chief priests, voiced by Martin Short & Steve Martin). There are memorable songs (including the popular "When You Believe", sung by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston over the end credits). There are a few standout sequences of note: 1) a chariot race 2) the plagues 3) the parting of the Red Sea {wow}. And there is truly majestic animation on display (utilizing hand-drawn techniques, as well as CGI). The colors are rich. The textures are interesting. The detail is intricate. The voice acting is spot on by several big name stars; including the not-yet-mentioned Patrick Stewart, Sandra Bullock & Jeff Goldblum.
I mention all of these positives (biggg imagery, biggg themes, biggg emotions). And yet, I did not feel as much from this film as I thought I would. For all the visually dazzling images, spectacular set pieces, & spirituality ... there are portions of this movie that failed to ignite. Visuals & toe-tapping songs aren't enough, sometimes. I typically go bonkers for epic storytelling on such a grand scale as this is. But tedium threatens to poke through in spots. But this is nitpicking. Aside from its too-earnest stretches (it certainly hurts if you're not religious) ... I enjoyed 'The Prince of Egypt' greatly AND give it a high recommendation. Wait 'til you see the animation!
But they're best friends, free-spirited, happy, & wealthy; so they don't care about that. Trouble arises for Moses, however, when he discovers his true heritage (that he is Hebrew, & born a slave). Fleeing from his home city in despair, Moses meets a high priest named Jethro (voiced by Danny Glover), meets his daughter, Tzporah (Michelle Pfeiffer), & marries her. From here on out, Moses takes it upon himself to free his people with the hands of God leading him. And he is encouraged to do this after stumbling upon what appears to be a glowing, burning bush that instructs him of his destiny to deliver his people (this scene is GORGEOUSLY rendered). But Moses' task hits a road bump when his brother, Rameses - who is now the new Pharaoh - refuses to give-in to God's word (of freeing the Hebrews). Their final confrontation (at the Red Sea) will forever change their lives & the world, as well.
'TPoE' has a little of everything. It's an extraordinary tale of 2 brothers; one born into royalty, one an orphan with a secret past. There is sadness, adventure & triumph in the proceedings. There is oppression & freedom. I liked its epic homage to Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. Muslim, Jewish & Christian religious leaders were called-in to review this film's script accuracy. So, while certain aspects of the story are changed so the younger audience can appreciate the larger themes of the story (in animation) ... the story is still faithful with regards to the Book of Exodus.
There are majestic, larger-than-life characters. There are scary elements {perhaps too many for young kids}. And there are comedic elements (usually at the hand of the Pharaoh's 2 chief priests, voiced by Martin Short & Steve Martin). There are memorable songs (including the popular "When You Believe", sung by Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston over the end credits). There are a few standout sequences of note: 1) a chariot race 2) the plagues 3) the parting of the Red Sea {wow}. And there is truly majestic animation on display (utilizing hand-drawn techniques, as well as CGI). The colors are rich. The textures are interesting. The detail is intricate. The voice acting is spot on by several big name stars; including the not-yet-mentioned Patrick Stewart, Sandra Bullock & Jeff Goldblum.
I mention all of these positives (biggg imagery, biggg themes, biggg emotions). And yet, I did not feel as much from this film as I thought I would. For all the visually dazzling images, spectacular set pieces, & spirituality ... there are portions of this movie that failed to ignite. Visuals & toe-tapping songs aren't enough, sometimes. I typically go bonkers for epic storytelling on such a grand scale as this is. But tedium threatens to poke through in spots. But this is nitpicking. Aside from its too-earnest stretches (it certainly hurts if you're not religious) ... I enjoyed 'The Prince of Egypt' greatly AND give it a high recommendation. Wait 'til you see the animation!