near the end of 1996 , analysts remarked that the year would be the last in which disney would stand alone as the animation king .
the following year , 1997 , saw the first sleeper entry into the genre from a studio other than the magic kingdom : twentieth century fox gave baronial russia to the masses in the form of anastasia .
at best , that 's all it was -- a sleeper hit , designed to surprise but not shake the industry .
in 1998 , however , things have been decidedly different .
there have been a number of pushes on disney 's death grip on the market , and fifty - one weeks into ' 98 , a new champion has emerged
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dreamworks ' the prince of egypt succeeds where all of the other conventionally animated products have failed .
the other two contenders , warner brothers ' quest for camelot and disney 's own annual entry , mulan , lacked inspiration and drive respectively .
although camelot was borderline - abysmal , and ca n't really be considered a shot at the title , mulan had the makings of winner .
unfortunately , it was saturated with traditional , disney - cute animation , and lost points against the rapidly - changing face of the competition .
in making the prince of egypt , dreamworks has strayed from all of these hallmarks and created a genuinely unique product .
the animation is flawless , and , aside from a bug 's life , is the best - looking movie to date .
the animators have nimbly mixed both flat and spatial effects , and the 2d/3d combination is something that artists from disney and fox have heretofore struggled with .
the key to success , however , was that the visuals were used not just because they looked cool but also as a method of advancing the plot .
namely , some of the most important action sequences ( like the parting of the red sea ) were done almost entirely in 3d .
dreamworks is the first studio to prove that they 've got the stuff of success , and that they 're capable of challenging disney .
the story is also well - written , and the characters voiced with talent . for the most part , the plot follows its source material -- the book of exodus -- although only in the most general sense .
the writers took a few creative liberties , and most do not damage the story in any way .
in fact , the shakespearean relationship between moses ( val kilmer ) and the pharaoh rameses ( ralph fiennes ) makes the story more interesting if anything .
moses , a hebrew , is saved from the slaughter of the firstborn sons by his mother when she sets him in a basket on the nile ; he floats into the pharaoh seti ( patrick stewart ) 's palace and is taken in by the royal family .
moses grows up but learns of his heritage and flees into the desert , where he discovers the burning bush and is commissioned by god to return to egypt and free the slaves .
by this time , rameses is now pharaoh , and the two brothers , now on opposite sides of the line , face off in a battle of wills and divine intervention .
the cast of voices is most impressive , and also includes such noteables as sandra bullock , jeff goldblum , danny glover , and steve martin .
the script does not have a lot of one - liners in it , and god is reduced to a voice that might well be mistaken for the same one that spoke to kevin costner in field of dreams , but overall the story is exciting and interesting .
it 's decidedly for an older crowd , and the tykes who have n't had a few years of religion class will be hopelessly lost .
but for those who make the bid , the prince of egypt can be a great watch .
created a genuinely unique product the story is exciting and interesting the animation is flawless they 've got the stuff of success voiced with talent the visuals were used not just because they looked cool but also as a method of advancing the plot the cast of voices is most impressive the best - looking movie to date succeeds where all of the other conventionally animated products have failed a new champion has emerged the story is also well - written can be a great watch noteables