The Prince of Egypt

Plot synopsis:
In ancient Egypt, Hebrew slaves are hard at work making bricks and setting up giant statues and other monuments. Through song, it is implied that they call on their God regularly, seeking deliverance from their slavery, under which they have labored for hundreds of years. On this particular day, while the men are toiling on one side of the Nile River, on the other side their homes are raided by soldiers in the Egyptian army. They take infant boys from their mothers by force and kill them. However, a Hebrew woman, Yocheved, steals away to the river with her baby and her two older children, where she sets the baby adrift in a reed basket--hoping and praying this will save her son. The reed basket makes a tumultuous journey down the river among both dangerous animals and large boats--with several close calls. Eventually it makes its way to the Pharaoh's palace, where his wife and young son, Rameses, play with a lotus flower. The Queen finds and opens the basket. She looks at the baby with love and compassion, chooses to keep him, and names him Moses. Moses' sister, Miriam, having followed the basket, sees this and prays that someday Moses will come back to deliver them from slavery.Many years later (about twenty years, give or take), Moses and Rameses have become rather reckless young men, much to the disdain of their father, Pharaoh Seti. Moses in particular has a tendency for trouble-making; Rameses in turn often finds himself entangled in his brothers tomfoolery, though he is generally more serious. After damaging a temple that was under renovation via an especially foolhardy chariot race, Pharaoh reprimands his sons--especially Rameses since he is next in line for the throne. When Rameses angrily says that one ruined temple won't undo centuries of tradition, Seti retorts, "But one weak link can break the chain of a mighty dynasty!" After he's dismissed, Rameses leaves in indignation and shame. Moses asks Pharaoh why he is so hard on Rameses, especially since he knows Moses is the most responsible for the damage. He replies that since Rameses is the next Pharaoh, he needs to be trained to never turn away from his responsibilities and traditions, even if Moses is the one trying to lead him astray. Moses declares his confidence in Rameses' seriousness and devotion, and tells Seti that he just needs an opportunity to prove himself.Moses finds Rameses sulking over his father's words. He tries to comfort him by sarcastically pointing out how it would be impossible for one man, even a Pharaoh, to ruin the Egyptian empire. Rameses resists his efforts at first, but eventually gives in. Moses points out in jest that Rameses' problem is that he cares too much. Without missing a beat, Rameses says Moses' problem is that he doesn't care at all. Moses replies, "Oh, so I suppose you care more than I do that we're... late for the banquet for example?" Panicking, Rameses runs to the banquet hall with Moses right behind. Moses assures him that no one will notice them enter... until everyone notices them enter. The large hall is filled with people. Fortunately their timing is perfect, because (as their mother, the Queen, whispers to them) Pharaoh Seti had just named Rameses as Prince Regent. Pharaoh had taken Moses advice to heart.Moses proposes to Seti that the high priests, Hotep and Huy (who dislike the two brothers), should offer tribute to their new regent. He agrees, and the two priests decide to offer a beautiful young woman named Tzipporah [the T is silent], a Midianite slave girl who had been captured recently. Though they refer to her as a "delicate, desert flower," she proves to be anything but gentle. Afraid (at first) and angry, she nearly bites Rameses' hand when he gets far too close--so he offers her to Moses instead. Though he tries to decline (as Rameses pushes him towards her), she defies him too and insults him. Rameses laughs and asks, "Are you going to let her talk to you like that?" Moses responds by telling her to show proper respect for a prince of Egypt. She replies, "But I am showing you all the respect you deserve... NONE!" She yanks the rope tied to her wrists from Hotep's hands, but Moses grabs the rope before she can try to escape. She pulls as hard as she can and demands to be set free. Noticing an indoor pond behind her, Moses says "As you wish" and lets go abruptly--causing her to trip and fall into it. The whole room erupts into laughter, except for the Queen who turns her face away in shame. Moses sees this and stops laughing, ashamed that he disappointed his mother.After telling a nearby servant to send Tzipporah to Moses' chambers, Rameses declares, "If it pleases you father, my first act as Regent is to appoint Moses as Royal Chief Architect!" As he says this, he takes a blue scarab ring from his hand and gives it to Moses. The hall congratulates him with cheers and applause, but as he inspects the ring with gratitude, he notices Tzipporah on her way out--glaring at him intensely. It is clear from his facial expression that Moses is not looking forward to that night with her.After the banquet ends, Moses nervously enters his room. Seeing someone seated on his bed behind a curtain, he composes himself and pulls it back. It turns out to be a servant; Tzipporah had tied him up thoroughly (and Moses' dogs too) and had escaped out the open balcony by using several bed-sheets tied together. He sees her sneaking out quietly with a camel and supplies. As he climbs down the sheet-rope, he notices a couple of guards about to cross paths with her. He calls to them, getting their attention, while Tzipporah stops in her tracks. However, instead of having the guards recapture her (he can see her standing behind them by this point), he tells them about the man tied up in his room and orders them to investigate. This surprises Tzipporah, but she runs while Moses watches the guards leave. He follows her as she leaves the palace and travels through the Hebrew settlements. She asks and is given water by a man and a woman at a well near the outer edge of the settlements. She thanks them and escapes into the desert on the camel.When Moses goes to watch Tzipporah leave (clearly captivated by her), the Hebrew woman recognizes him. She says that she is his sister, Miriam, and that the man (named Aaron) is his brother. She assumes that he knows they are his older siblings, and that he has come to see them at last. Aaron tries to prevent Miriam from speaking to Moses, because he can see that Moses has no idea who they are and would end up punishing them for these assertions. He does this by claiming that Miriam is delusional, first because of fatigue from their daily labors (not that it was too much; they quite enjoyed it), and then later because she is mentally ill. Miriam angrily denies these claims and insists that Moses is their brother. Moses is incensed at her words, but Miriam relates how their mother, Yocheved, set him adrift in a basket on the Nile to save his life. Confused, he asks from whom. She answers, "Ask the man that you call 'Father'!" Truly angered by this, he approaches her as she claims that God chose him to deliver the Hebrews out of slavery. He grabs her arm and throws her to the ground, saying, "You will regret this night."Despairing, Miriam starts to sing Yocheved's lullaby to Moses that she sang as she set him in the basket. Walking away, Moses stops because he begins to recognize the song (he had been whistling the tune the previous day). As he turns back around to look at Miriam, he realizes that she was telling the truth. Shocked, Moses runs back to the palace in denial. As he tries to convince himself that this is his true home, and it's all he ever wanted, he falls asleep. He has a nightmare (or possibly a vision) showing what happened the day of which Miriam spoke, including the deaths of the Hebrew infants--thrown into the Nile to drown and be eaten by crocodiles.When Moses wakes in horror, he searches the palace for evidence of this terrible event. It is still night. Eventually he finds a large relief mural with hieroglyphics showing and declaring the death of the Hebrew baby boys--by the command of the man he called "Father." Presumably having been awakened by the torchlight passing through the halls, Pharaoh Seti approaches him and explains that this was a reluctant precaution on his part to keep the slaves from over-multiplying and uprising. He says, "Moses, sometimes... for the greater good... sacrifices must be made." Because Moses is clearly saddened and disturbed, Seti tries to comfort him and justify himself, saying, "They were only slaves." However, due to his new-found knowledge of his Hebrew origins, this drives Moses away from him for good. He leaves Seti's embrace and runs out into the night.Early that morning, Moses' adopted mother finds him sitting by the river where she found him in the basket all those years ago. Confronting her about his origins, he says sadly, "So everything I thought... everything I am... is a lie." She responds, "No! You are our son, and we love you." Asking why she took him in, she says she didn't. She expresses her belief that he was truly sent by the gods, saying, "Here the river brought you, and it's here the river meant to be your home." She embraces him, hoping to comfort and reassure him of their love for him.However, as Rameses presents his new renovation plan to the high priests for the temple he and Moses ruined the previous day, Moses is still deeply unsettled. He is only paying attention to the Hebrews, as if noticing them and their sufferings for the first time. He is especially racked with guilt because they are cleaning up the destruction he caused. As he sadly watches them, he soon observes one of them being whipped violently and repeatedly. It is an old man who is having difficulty with his heavy burdens. He notices Miriam and Aaron working near the man, with Aaron holding her back from trying to interfere. Here Moses fully accepts who he is, and being moved with anger and pain, he runs to stop the cruel overseer from beating the man. But in the process, he ends up knocking the overseer off a high scaffold to his death. Horrified by what he has done, and being witnessed by many (including Rameses and the high priests), Moses starts to run. The Hebrews stand back in fear, except for Miriam who calls his name and takes his arm to calm him down--but he pulls it away and keeps running.He is intercepted by Rameses, who grabs him and asks him whats going on. However, he pushes him aside and continues to run. He nearly makes it out of the city before Rameses catches up to him on his chariot. Moses exclaims, "You saw what happened--I just killed a man!" Rameses claims he will "make it so it never happened." However, Moses refuses to accept any more lies about his life. Because of his disgust at both his killing of the overseer and his past indifference towards the slaves, and because he knew he has neither power nor moral authority to free the slaves, he ignores Rameses' pleas. He tells Rameses he can no longer stay in Egypt. When Rameses tries to stop him, Moses grabs his shoulders and yells, "No! Everything I've ever known to be true is a lie!...I'm not who you think I am." Asking what he means by that, Moses simply answers, "Go ask the man I once called 'Father'." Turning to leave, Moses stops when his brother pleads with him to stay. But Moses only says "Goodbye Brother," and runs--with Rameses calling his name.Moses wanders far into the desert. After several days, famished from lack of food and water, he stubs his toe and breaks his sandal. He angrily discards them and the rest of his royal ornaments, except for the ring given to him by Rameses. A sandstorm soon overtakes him, and he surrenders himself to it. However, he survives; a camel pulls his head out of the sand (thinking his hair was grass). He notices the camel is saddled and holds a water pouch. He digs himself out hastily and tries to take some of the water, but he only has enough energy to loop his arm around the pouch before passing out. Fortunately the camel drags him to a large well with some troughs, where he gorges himself on the liquid goodness within--much to the surprise of a nearby sheep. Soon after he arrives, Moses observes some bandits attempting to steal water from three young girls. Moses manages to drive the bandits away by sending their camels on the run, but in his exhaustion he accidentally falls down the well. The three girls turn out to be Tzipporah's younger sisters, who are unable to get Moses out of the well until she comes along. Thinking they're only playing around (after the youngest says they're "trying to get the funny man out of the well"), she's surprised to hear him struggling as they try to pull him up. She hurriedly tells him they'll get him out soon and pulls him up in a few seconds. However, once she realizes it's Moses, she drops him back down the well as retaliation for embarrassing her at the banquet several nights previous. (This is done in relatively good nature, though, as she is aware of his help in her escape; it is assumed that she pulls him back out shortly afterward.) As she swaggers away, her two youngest sisters look to the third one for an explanation; she answers, "This is why Papa says she'll never get married..."That evening, Tzipporah's father, Jethro the High Priest of Midian, holds a celebration in thanks for what Moses has done. Moses claims that his past actions (and inaction) make him unworthy of any honor (Tzipporah is surprised by his great change in attitude since they first met). However, Jethro refuses to believe his claim, referring to how Moses helped get all his daughters out of perilous situations. He tells Moses that if he wants to see what his life is worth, he needs to view his life "through heaven's eyes," which he eventually does. Moses grows to become a member of Jethro's tribe, working with Tzipporah and her sisters as a shepherd. Over time, he and Tzipporah become friends, fall in love, and get married.One day (probably about ten years, give or take, after Moses left Egypt), while chasing a stray lamb, Moses discovers a cavern with a bush that "burned" in a way he has never seen before, with an unusual fire that didn't scorch. The bush then speaks, revealing that it is the voice and presence of God, who has heard the cries of the Israelites. When Moses nervously asks what is wanted of him, the voice says that He has chosen Moses to deliver the Hebrews out of slavery (just as his sister, Miriam, had declared), by speaking to Pharoah the words which he will be taught to say. Moses is at first apprehensive, given that he was the son of Pharoah, the man who murdered the children of the slaves. However, the voice commands Moses to go forth, promising to smite Egypt with His "wonders" when Pharaoh will not listen. He promises to be with Moses. Afterwards, God's presence departs, leaving the bush no longer alight. During this conversation, Moses' attitude and feelings go from shame and fear, to peace, confidence, and joy.Moses returns to Tzipporah and excitedly tells her of what transpired in the cave, and what he has been asked to do. Since she is overcome at first by the immensity of the task given him, he tells of his desire to see his people free, like her family is free. She lays aside her fears for him and decides to accompany him back to his former home. Upon reaching the palace, Moses finds that his father (and mother, presumably) is dead, and Rameses has become the new Pharoah, married with a son of his own. The two brothers greet each other jovially, with Rameses eager to welcome Moses back, forgiving the events that drove him away (and seemingly ignoring his Hebrew origins). Moses hesitantly explains that things cannot return to how they once were, and requests that Rameses let the slaves go free, as requested by God. Moses then demonstrates God's power, as his wooden staff becomes a snake. Rameses smirks at this "trick," but is confused, thinking that Moses has something else he wants to talk about. However, he "plays along," and has Hotep and Huy conjure their own magic, which is consists of convincing showmanship. This impresses the rest of Rameses' court, but not Moses or Tzipporah.Rameses and Moses then meet in private, where they discuss the slaves, the duties of Pharaoh, and the actions of Seti. Frustrated by Rameses refusal to acknowledge the humanity of the slaves, Moses' relation to them, and the sins of Seti, Moses declares that he can no longer hide in the desert while his people suffer. He returns the royal ring that Rameses had given him so long ago. Rameses is saddened, then angered, that Moses came back for the Hebrews and not for him. He declares that he does not acknowledge his brother's God, and refuses to allow the Hebrews to leave. Moses pleads for his brother to reconsider, but Rameses claims he will not be the 'weak link' in his family's dynasty, showing that Seti was successful in setting Rameses on an unalterable path. He then orders the workload doubled for the slaves out of spite.Several of the slaves--including his brother Aaron--shun Moses because of the extra workload, and they doubt that God called Moses to deliver them (or even cares for them). Miriam however, harbors no ill will towards her brother, claiming that God saved Moses from all his trials and adversity for a purpose. This encourages Moses to not give up.On the Nile river near them, Moses sees Rameses, his son, Hotep, and Huy on a royal barge. Moses approaches them, and yells for Rameses to let his people go. Rameses scoffs at this, and sends his guards after him--until Moses places his staff in the water, turning the Nile to blood. Unsure how this is achieved, Rameses demands that Hotep and Huy duplicate or explain this. Using some red powder, they claim that the power of their gods can do the same, and Rameses just dismisses Moses' "trick" once again. Aaron claims that nothing will help them, but Moses promises that God will see to it that they are made free.A series of plagues then begin to befall Egypt. Locusts destroy crops, the Egyptians come down with terrible sores on their skin, and fire rains down from the sky. Even with all these events and several more, Rameses still refuses to give in to Moses' request. They are both frustrated with each other. Many monuments, statues, and structures become damaged or destroyed.Soon after, the land is covered in darkness (except for where the Hebrews live), and Moses goes to see his brother once again to convince him to let the Hebrews go. As they talk, Rameses eventually opens up, they reminisce on their past, and a flicker of mutual brotherly love seems almost rekindled, until Rameses' son comes in and demands to know if Moses is the reason for what has befallen Egypt. With his son close by, Rameses once again sheds his friendlier side and acts as Pharaoh. Moses explains that the plagues would end if Rameses would just fulfill his request, and says something even more terrifying will happen if he doesn't, pleading for Rameses to think of his son. Rameses says he does, and proposes that he will "finish the job" that his father was not able to do, promising a greater massacre among the slaves than ever before.Moses leaves sadly, and instructs the slaves to put lamb's blood above their doors for protection. He informs them that the firstborn of every household will die, unless the blood is upon the door. In the night, the angel of death comes, and passes over the protected doors. In the homes where there is no protective sign, the angel takes the lives of the firstborn children, including Rameses' son. Moses goes to his brother after this, amidst the mourning of the Egyptians, and is at last given permission to take the slaves. He tries to comfort Rameses, but he orders him to leave.Moses is at first distraught, because of all who have died (among many other things), but Miriam encourages him, saying (or singing, rather) how at long last, the Hebrews (and any who will go with them) are finally having their prayers answered, and their faith affirmed. Tzipporah also tells how her own faith has grown, and the three of them, with Aaron, lead the exodus of the slaves. Most of the people are still somewhat in shock, but as they make their way out of Egypt, their spirits lift. After they finally reach the Red Sea, the watchman's horn is sounded behind them, and they see that Rameses has gathered his army of chariots to kill the slaves out of revenge; there appears to be no place for them to run. Suddenly, a pillar of fire descends from the heavens, separating the Hebrews and Rameses' army. Moses then walks a short distance into the Red Sea, and with his staff, parts the waters. At first the people are afraid to pass through (and probably afraid of Moses also), but Aaron, having overcome all his previous doubts, goes forward--encouraging the others to do likewise.The slaves make their way through, but eventually the pillar of fire disappears, and Rameses and his men decide to ride through the parted sea, rather than turn back and acknowledge defeat. Moses is able to get everyone across just as the water descends, drowning Rameses army. Rameses, meanwhile, is washed back ashore on the other side. The people are shocked by what happened for several moments, but eventually they realize that they are finally free, and they begin to celebrate. Moses begins to celebrate with his family, but then turns back to look across the sea, and thinks of his brother Rameses. Knowing that they will never see each other again, he quietly says goodbye one last time. Rameses, meanwhile, is conscious, and crying out Moses' name in rage, despair, and regret.As the Hebrews continue on their way, Tzipporah declares to Moses that they are free, thus reminding him that he accomplished the seemingly impossible task that God had given him. He acknowledges this with joy. The final scene shows Moses descending from Mount Horeb (Sinai) holding two stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments which God has given them to live by.

Tags: tragedy, inspiring

Review:
With "The Prince of Egypt," DreamWorks makes good on its promise to deliver a state-of-the-art animated film that will compete favorably with the best Disney has to offer.
(I do wonder, though, if three soundtrack albums--the film's soundtrack, an "inspirational" album, and a "country" album--were really necessary.)  The animation team has accomplished something truly spectacular; watching "The Prince of Egypt" is like seeing life breathed into a rich, luxurious tapestry.
The songs are powerful and moving, sometimes no more than one verse in length, sometimes full-blown  seven-minute extravaganzas like "Let My People Go." The one weaker song, surprisingly, is the theme "When You Believe."  Even freed from Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston R&B cheese as it is in the movie, it's a watery definition of faith at best.
That scene also sported the best sound in the 99-minute film.The songs in here were nothing special but they didn't detract from the story because they were all short.
I'd even say, the best animation feature ever produced in the USA (aside from Batman : Mask of the Phantasm).It is a real piece of art, aiming to entertain everybody, not only act as a baby-sitter movie for kids.
The only thing in the entire film I found difficult was the pronunciation of Aaron's name- but that is obviously minor, it just took me a while to 'get' if that makes sense.It's amazing, beautiful wonderful the art, music and sheer intelligence of the story will blow you away..
"The Prince of Egypt" has taken animated movies to a new level..
The beautifully animated has a great story and storytelling, beautiful songs and a great voice cast.Animated movies has been taken to a new level with this movie.
The movie has a serious undertone and some powerful moments, with the burning bush and the splitting of the red sea as the ultimate highlights of the movie.The characters in the movie are well developed, which is perhaps also thanks to the impressive voice cast that consists out of; Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Danny Glover, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Ofra Haza.
The character's movement and interacting is done really good and with eye for detail.Another wonderful about his movie is the music composed by Hans Zimmer and friends and songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
Before commenting on the film as a whole, I want to make that clear, because in the inevitable rush to pick this film apart (the plot, the voices, the religious significance, the literary accuracy, the moral issues, the music, the comparisons with Disney and de Mille, etc...) one might easily become distracted from the aesthetic and technical triumphs of The Prince of Egypt, and that would be unfortunate.
Even believing people, who swear by the bible found the movie excellent.'The Prince of Egypt' is a romantic drama, which draws you in and won't let you go...
As the author of THE WORLD OF ANIMATION, an Eastman Kodak book which won three international book festival awards and as an animation writer-director, I have for many years longed for the U.S. animation industry to remember that Walt Disney, nor any of the pioneers of animation limited their art to children's audiences.With THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, the DreamWorks animation team has finally taken us full circle and helped the United States join the rest of the world in offering us the first U.S. animated feature since, perhaps, FANTASIA, created for mature audiences while remaining child-friendly.
Disney was careful to avoid the existing Hollywood queens of song of the period, Judy Garland  and Deanna Durbin, the latter, whose prodigious vocal talent actually saved Universal Pictures from going belly up a short time later.However, at the bottom line, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT will become a true classic and has taken the art of animation up to a new threshold, a model to which future animators will aspire.Raul daSilva, New Haven, CT, USA.
It's not every day that they make a animated movie about a story of the bible.
The first thing I would like to point out is that the Title of this Film is "The Prince of Egypt", NOT the "Ten Commandments." or "Exodus."I say this because I hear a lot of criticism claiming  that Dreamworks skips over Moses' descent from Mt. Sinai, the Golden Calf, and his 40 years in the desert etc....
I don't think Dreamworks wanted to tell that part of the story with this movie.
What about the Risk of making an animated film about one of the most important stories in the Bible, knowing all the while that you could offend scores of people's religious faith?I would also like to say that the animation impressed me more than either of the "insect features" that came out shortly before this movie.
And the all-star cast lend their voice talents superbly without distracting from the story or the characterizations (though Ralph Fiennes' Welsh accent does seem a little out of place for Rameses).This movie is a must-see for all movie buffs and students of history, not just for families with a mini-van full of kids.
It tells a story of biblical proportions (literally!) about slave Mozes' life as The Prince of Egypt, and does it in a great way.
The classic tale of Moses freeing the Hebrew slaves in Egypt was one of favorite Bible stories when I was a kid - and still is.
Now, DreamWorks with stunning art, animation and music by Hans Zimmer, bought the story to a new level.Everything about this movie is so beautiful - the animation and the music.
The story was easey to follow and my children learned a lot from the movie and asked more questions about Moses and the slaves and slavery.
The telling of the Exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, through animation, makes the story accessible to all ages.
Spectacular cartoon adaptation about known story , it focuses Moses , the Hebrew leader , leading the Jews out of Egypt and realized in musical style .
An Egyptian prince named Moses (Val Kilmer provides a voice for both Moses and God, Charlton Heston also played both parts in classic adaptation) who is adopted and brought up in the court learns of his identity as a Hebrew and later his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people .
This vivid storytelling although fairly standard follows appropriately the Moses'life , the son of a Jew slave, from birth and abandonment on a basket over river Nile , as when the Pharaoh Seti (voice by Patrick Stewart) ordered the killing of all newborn babies , being pick up by Egyptian princesses and he's raised in the royal court , becoming into Prince of Egypt .
Finally , Moses climbs the Mount of Sinai bringing the holy tablets , meanwhile Jewish people worshipping the golden calf .This is a monumental animated version of the Biblic book of ¨Exodus ¨ with drawings carried out in utter conviction and impressive special effects , including the computer generator parting of the Red Sea ; in spite of making by means of usual C.G.
Obviously changes were made to the story to make it work as an animated feature , in fact , there is a short list of differences between the movie and the Biblical account of the Exodus .
Fleeing from the city in despair, Moses finds himself being called by God. He is given the task of being the messenger in order to free the Hebrews and to lead them into a country where milk and honey flow.While Disney films only focused on fairy tales, myths and legends, this is the first non-Disney animated feature to take place in Egypt while telling a religious story about Moses, but not only that.
The animation, like all of Disney's films, is an example of pure beauty with astounding visuals including the look of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the river of blood, a whale in the Red Sea, and the Burning Bush (even the character animation is pretty good).The voice acting is excellent.
Even the songs in both the ending credits and music videos were pretty damn good.The Prince of Egypt became the start of Dreamworks Animation's attempt to make three more traditional animated films (1998-2003) before making successful computer animated flicks (1998-present) and will always be recommended to the animation industry as a masterpiece since the landmark of Disney.
I tend to worry about A Listers in animated films, but this, people, is a truly talented voice cast, who are truly excellent when they are given a good script, which was exactly what they got.
The Prince of Egypt is an excellently told, powerful story that anyone can love..
Better than the average Christian movie, but not worth recommending to anyone".And then I bought the soundtrack CD, and it's one of my top five favourite musicals of all time, a powerful story told in music that ranges from heart-wrenching to inspiring, right up there with Les Miserables and the rest.
(Well, maybe the fat lady who sings isn't exactly 2-D :-) ).A couple of points to note: it's not an evangelical Christian movie, it just retells the Old Testament story that stars Moses, Pharoah, and God, with a few embellishments such as a chariot race.
Somebody did a lot of studying on Hieroglyphics and Egyptian paintings, as several specific scenes in the movie can attest.I'd also like to say a few things about the meshing of music with the story.
In this way, the guys at Dreamworks got the nuts and bolts of the story compressed down in order to give themselves more time to develop characters and other things necessary to make a good movie.
I hope that its great success will allow the people at Dreamworks to make another Biblically based movie, hopefully as good as its predecessor.
Very elaborately thought, this movie is a must, I say, for every kid who has ever heard of Moses and the Red Sea, and for everyone who wants to see a state-of-the-art animation film.
Two scenes especially, cause gooseflesh: the slaughter of the firstborn and the opening of the Red Sea. With the Ten Commandments as the only movie before to depict these, it was eccentric to see an animation cause such emotions.
A standing ovation for Dreamworks, and pathetic remarks for Disney, for falling way behind their biggest rival.Lastly, for those who have doubts about Hebrews working as slaves in Egypt, well, both the Bible and Quran say so, "if you believe".Oh, and Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston are terrible performers with their song while Ofra Haza just beats them by herself.
In my opinion, the story of this movie is not like what most of people think: conflict between good and bad.
It tells the story of Moses in it's own beautiful artstyle and storyline depicted of his time before he was called to deliver the Hebrew People from the Egyptians.
The Prince of Egypt is not a perfect film and like any film telling a biblical story or anything religious at all, it never will be.
It is a religious movie-as Moses is the story being told, but many non-religious people like it and even starred in it!
The Prince of Egypt has always been one of my childhood favourites because I remember even seeing it in the cinema, and even back then I thought it was a great movie.
I mean sure, it might've been a hit when it first came out, but pretty much everything about it is just epic: the story (even though it's taken from the Bible), the animation, the characters, the music, the visuals, songs and even the voice-acting.
I mean a lot of big actors like Val Kilmer, Sandra Bullock, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Patrick Stewart all starred in this movie.I think one of my favourite things about this movie is how the characters develop, particularly with Moses and Ramses.
The story is so strong, and the Moses and Rameses characters are so well developed, the animation is awesome, and the music..
And when you hear the music and experience the animation together, you have the movie that is called Prince of Egypt.Truly a wonderful movie!
Amazing animation, superb voice acting, and a fresh new look at the Moses story.
Not only did I find the animation several notches above par and all the big "production numbers" (parting of the Red Sea, plagues, etc.) as good as I'd heard, but I was also extremely impressed with Moses' hieroglyphic-inspired dream sequence.Several people have mentioned that the animated film is the last refuge of the American movie musical, and this movie shows why, on the whole, it will continue to be a safe refuge.
The music was inspired and often touching, and the person who decided to cast Ofra Haza as Yocheved (Moses' mother) gets a gold star from me.Perhaps best of all is one of the most positive portrayals of God I've seen come out of Hollywood in the last 50 years, neither overdone nor effete.
Patrick Stewart Helen Mirren, Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Sandra Bullock were all beautifully cast.The movie tells the story of the life and spiritual awakening of Moses and how he led the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Exodus.
But then, that's probably a good thing, because it means the film has served one part of its purpose - to draw attention to the nature of God, and His interaction with man."The Prince of Egypt" presents the story of Moses, taking some artistic/dramatic licenses but remaining true to the spirit of the original story, as stated in the beginning of the film.
It could be argued that the qualities which have made Disney animated movies such stereotypes (a musical with a coming-of-age story and talking animal comedy relief sidekicks) pop up in some degree here - the closest we come to that style of comic relief are in the Egyptian magicians, or in the opening chariot sequence - but nonetheless, "The Prince of Egypt" doesn't compromise in presenting the not-so-pleasant yet important aspects of Moses' story - the Plagues and their aftermath, in specific.
Moses's fear, awe, wonder, and excitement are completely understandable when presented to us in this sequence.My only disappointment with the story was the drastic reduction in Tzipporah's role in the second half of the movie, but, again, that wasn't really the point of the movie, and I'm pleased with the role she did play, as an active partner in their marriage, accompanying Moses on his trek rather than remaining behind and/or being a passive or reclusive subordinate (an unfortunate portrayal of marriage I've come to expect from most Hollywood productions).Musically, I find the original musical numbers superior to the pop renditions featured on the CD Soundtrack, especially "When You Believe" (which actually has Michelle Pfeiffer singing Tzipporah's part).
It seems that every year and a half or so, Disney brings to the big screen an animated feature film that although is very good, leaves adult audiences trembling in fear that they would have to take their kids to it again and again and again while not being entertained themselves.
"The Prince of Egypt" does make changes in the story for dramatic purposes, as is stated in a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie.
None of Disneys movies come close to the realistic graphics and movement of Prince of Egypt.
What kills "Prince of Egypt" is the story DreamWorks chooses to tell; that of the Book of Exodus of the Old Testament.
The story in The Prince of Egypt is one of the "good ol' Biblical histories", buy the movie is not the best animation I've seen.
The animation is excellent, the music is pretty good, especially the sequence with the plagues, and the voices are really well cast.
because this was the best movie, animated or otherwise, that I've seen in a really long time.
"The Prince of Egypt" isn't just for Sunday school, it's a well made animated epic with lush, detailed backgrounds, a story that's tight, an excellent soundtrack and performances that are just as good.
You would think that this movie is a Disney knockoff when you hear that there are several songs throughout, but this is a story that will appeal both to children and adults.
The voice acting is also very good and there are some subtle but interesting choices that will speak differently to you depending on your views of this biblical story (such as the casting of Val Kilmer as both Moses and God).
I feel like because of the spectacle of it, the well made animation, the acting, the soundtrack and the tried-and-true story of a Prince who must choose between his adopted family and his biological one, one to come to blows with his brother, that you can enjoy "The Prince of Egypt" even if the passage isn't a part of your faith.
I think reasons this movie would be appealing to people interested in religious films, especially children's, or musicals, or even just good movies in general.
The Prince of Egypt is a good attempt to bring the story of the Exodus to the screen in a fresh new way.
The movie focuses on the relationship between Moses and Ramses, and the other part of the story most of us are familiar with is told in a fresh way, the animation is as good as anything that has ever come out of Disney.
The Prince of Egypt is the story of Moses, savior of the Hebrews.
Following the Biblical story of Moses, "The Prince of Egypt" does take a few creative liberties, but compared to so much other Hollywood garbage based on Bible stories, this film is very true to its roots.
Good animation, an excellent basis for a story, and a great voice cast highlight this masterpiece.
Prince of Egypt is not one of these animated features.There was one tiny thing that kept throwing me out of the movie.