by Trent Jay

Jan 25, 2000

My wife, her brother, my 4 children (ages 8,6,4,& 2), and I went. We loved it. Yes, the story is familiar, but you've never seen it like this before. The casting is great: Val Kilmer, Patrick Stewart, Danny Glover, Michelle Pieffer, Sandra Bullock. Comedy relief was by Steve Martin and Martin Short.

My 2 year old daughter didn't think she was going to like it because of the previews, but she liked it. Some parts were almost too scary for her to watch. My 6 & 8 year old sons liked it. The particually liked the water turning to blood and parting of the Red Sea, which was very well done (animation, direction, and sound.) My 4 year old sons liked it when there was action. There were some parts that were slow for an extended period of time (as far as young children are concerned.)

My brother-in-law (29) enjoyed it every minute. He & I were impressed with the animation; some parts were VERY life like. The movie was told in the Disney tradition (even though it was not a Disney movie) with music and song throughout. The duet with Miriam & Ziporah near the end was very well worth waiting for. My wife agrees with us.

The story, while not exactly to the Bible, was true to the spirit of scripture. Most of the deviation led to improved screenplay.

 

by Gary Schmidt

Jan 25, 2000

Simply put, this is the best animated feature I've seen. The story is taken from the book of Exodus. I saw very little that was contrary to scripture. The animation is incredible. The animation with the sound made it almost lifelike. The small minute details make this one to see on the big screen. I'm going back to see this one a time or two while its on the big screen. You've got to see it there to truly appreciate the animation and sound. I recommend one with digital sound because its truly amazing. ****1/2 out of *****.

 

by Disappointed

Jan 25, 2000

This piece of ummmm "art" annoyed and disgusted me as I sat through it. It portrayed the human spirit at it's worst... The vengeful killing of the newborn of any race should not be condoned, particularly in the animation format which children are so apt to want to see. Furthermore, this tales continuing message that "my people" instead of "ALL people" should be rescued from slavery was extremely disappointing and offensive. A movie which could have inspired people towards acceptance of each other, instead created separation and prejudice. I would not recommend this film to anyone.

 

by ralph the plumber

Jan 25, 2000

it's bad. really, don't waste time paying for it. wait til it comes to PBS.

 

by Mark Welch

Jan 25, 2000

Kudos to Dreamworks for tackling such a difficult project. I applaud the animation and the effort that went into this movie. But it didn't score high on the entertainment scale for me. It drug in places and the music was absolutely dreadful (why MUST there be music, anyway?). As for the subject matter, religion is something specifically personal to each individual, but what was with the voice of God? He should have had a more booming, awe-inspiring voice instead of sounding almost wimpy. Give me James Earl Jones, not Val Kilmer! And speaking of Kilmer, his voiceover of Moses wasn't inspired. My biggest problem, though, was that no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get the image of Charlton Heston out of my head. This Moses never really aged or appeared to be the powerful figure he was supposed to be by the end of the film. So what did I like? Sea parting; bush burning; and the well-handled scene with the child dying. And the plague was very well done too. It's still too watered down for me to recommend the movie, tho.

10-point scale rating: 5

 

by Mindi Sharbuno

Jan 25, 2000

Prince of Egypt is a fabulous family movie. The children I took to see it thoroughly enjoyed it. My children found the movie was easy to understand, very educational and entertaining at the same time! A MUST SEE!

 

by anthony

Jan 25, 2000

I found the movie's animation breath taking. We've come a long way from Disney's "Steamboat Willis"! Life like depictions of the characters. Moses was made to be "human" and remorseful for what was done to his Egyptian brother. Subtle yet powerful. One reviewer wanted God to be booming in voice, but how does God generally speak to us each and every day...? In gentle whispers. See the movie; you won't be disappointed!

 

by Mikey R

Jan 25, 2000

PROLOGUE: You know, after last year's winter movie season, I'll never be the same. Granted, Entertainment Weekly correctly predicted (in Aug. 1997) that the holiday movie season of 97 should be one to remember. They were right. Look at all the incredible movies that were released then: TITANIC, GOOD WILL HUNTING, JACKIE BROWN, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, SCREAM 2, TOMORROW NEVER DIES, AMISTAD, WAG THE DOG... well, you get the point. For this reason, I early awaited the 1998 holiday movie season as much as Christmas itself. Naturally, I was disappointed when I learned that 1998's cream of the crop were already released (PRIVATE RYAN and THE TRUMAN SHOW). Still, I looked forward to one film in particular that might, just might, possess the aura and spectacle of, say, TITANIC. That film was THE PRINCE OF EGYPT.

Let me first get this out of the way. TITANIC, it is not. Granted, this doesn't automatically disqualify it from being a very good movie, it is just that it's going to take an awfully special movie to capture TITANIC's magic. Anyway, I was still quite impressed with this film.

For one thing, the animation is superb. I am still debating whether or not it beats out ANTZ as the best animation of the year. I will not soon forget the parting of the Red Sea scene. Also impressive is the backround imagery, as the artists thoroughly captured the awe and wonder of ancient Egypt.

The all-star cast is also excellent. Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock, Michelle Phieffer, Steve Martin, Jeff Goldblum, Martin Short, c'mon! What is this, a "cram-as-many-celebs-as-you-can-into-a-phone-booth" contest? All seem to take their roles seriously. They are helped by a script which, for the most part, does a good job of not playing to a younger audience and demonstrating maturity.

Problem is, suddenly everyone burst out into song, which I found thoroughly out of place. Sure, Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston sang it, but the song was far too Disney-esque.

Still, this film has more spectacle that most of the movies this year. Give it a try.

RATING: B+ (8.5 out of 10)

 

by Rich

Jan 25, 2000

It was great for me and my 7 year old son to bond to a moving story that held things for both of us. I was able to see a story that reached me and told me about the history of a Biblical story and he was entertained by the animation and characters that made him stay tuned to the action. Good family entertainment.

 

by FELICIA MCMILLIAN

Jan 25, 2000

This is a great religious movie!

 

by Carol Beltran

Jan 25, 2000

This is a wonderful movie, with beautiful songs and unbelieveble scenery. The story is about the Exodus and tells the life of Moses, from his birth to when he wrote The Ten Commandments. Some parts of the movie are very realistic, like the plague scene and when the children die, but the most incredible scene is when Moses opens the sea! For that scene alone, it's worth seeing this beautiful movie !!!

 

by Becky

Jan 25, 2000

The voices and characters were great! the graphics were outstanding and the music was terrific. It was nice to see a biblical story that had some real substance to it and not a lot of fluff. If you like cartoons and a great timeless story, go see it. Even if you are not a kid, it will still be worth it!

 

by Coram

Jan 25, 2000

Fantastic animation. And the best part of the movie was that the voice of God was that of Moses' himself. Must see.

 

by Julie Phillips

Jan 25, 2000

In our group, there were 2 adults and 3 children ranging in age from 10 to 5. This movie is an accurate dramatization of the true events surrounding the book of Exodus. Animation and attention to small details was amazing. Even the younger children of the group maintained attention during the entire movie. The parting of the Red Sea was breathtaking and brought tears to my eyes. It actually helped you understand what it must have been like to be there when these events transpired. The musical scores added depth and set up each scene in a very emotional way! So many of the tragic events of history have been depicted on screen. I think that even though events surrounding this were tragic and sad, this movie shows that faith in God can move not only mountains, but the Red Sea!

 

by Jose Zurita

Jan 25, 2000

It is a great movie, the graphics are excellent, they look like humans, but the story is not so good. I think that the story is not good , because I prefer " The ten Commandmentes" that was made 40 years ago, with real actors and without the special effects that Prince of Egypt use. The movie is good, I don't tell that it isn't, but really I was expecting more from it. So wait until it will be on video, because you don't want to pay a lot of money to see The Prince of Egypt.

 

by Shay

Jan 25, 2000

First off, I'm going to congratulate Dreamworks for undertaking such a difficult project. Telling the story of Moses is not an easy task, especially in an animated feature. The film, however, seems to be trying a little TOO hard to be a brilliant piece of cinema. Because of this, The Prince of Egypt falls just a little short of reaching its goal.

Everyone knows the story of Moses (or should, before seeing this), so I don't need to re-tell it here. I'll just jump right in to my review. First of all, I can't believe the voice cast they assembled for this film! Rivaling Antz, this film featured Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick Stewart, Jeff Goldblum, Sandra Bullock, Danny Glover, Helen Mirren, Steve Martin, and Martin Short. Some of the voice work was excellent, especially Patrick Stewart as the Pharaoh (well, it's Captain Picard! How can he not be?). I also liked Jeff Goldblum's characterization, laced with the irony and deadpan humor he is known for. Sandra Bullock surprised me as being a rather good voice actress, and you can just FEEL the happiness in Danny Glover's voice. Martin and Short, however, were wasted. I got the feeling that their two characters were intended to be the comic relief, but the writers forgot to write any jokes for them to say! Kilmer, Fiennes, and Pfeiffer just show what is wrong with so many Hollywood actors today: They don't have distinctive voices! I couldn't tell Fiennes' voice from any other voice with a vaguely British accent, and the only reason I knew Val Kilmer was Moses was because I had read about it in the newspaper that morning.

The voices are just a small part of it, though. The film, like so many animated films today, is beautifully mounted. The colors and animation are great, there's no doubt about that. The scene where the Israelites cross the red sea is spectacular. The film is also able to instill a sense of drama in a story everone knows the end to. It really could have been great, but it comes just short.

Why? Well, for all its drama, The Prince of Egypt somehow remains emotionally distant, as if you're watching a historical account rather than a personal story. Secondly, the producers should not have tried to market this for kids, because it forces them to include various musical numbers throughout, as Disney has done. The first one seems to fit, but later songs are out of place. Finally, as with the Martin and Short characters, either have comic relief or don't, but don't leave it in the middle. That way, the supposed comic characters are useless and awkward. Either write them some jokes, or don't write them in at all. They don't represent actual Biblical figures, so they're not necessary.

An ambitious project, The Prince of Egypt comes close to being a classic, but doesn't quite make it. It is worth a look, though. Just wait for video.

 

by Dan

Jan 25, 2000

I would have to say I love the artwork in this movie and I like the fact that its not a cutsy for children type bible story but more real then that although I didn't like the music parts (I hate music parts in movies, I just want them to be over and get on with the movie) and the movie felt like it just...stoped and didn't have a good ending, I know that they couldn't put the whole story into one movie but they could of had a more descent ending. The effects of the water when moses parted the sea was awesome I give this movie a 9/10 if you consider it a bible story (because most bible stories on film are lame)and a 6/10 if you consider this an enjoyable theater movie.

 

by Chris Boothe

Jan 25, 2000

Great movie!!!! This movie was so much fun and I kept singing those songs to myself over and over. I walked out of that theater knowing that my hard earned money didn't go to waste on piece of garbage, but on a really memorable and beautiful work of art. Bravo to the cast a crew. Best movie of last year.

****

 

by George Jobson

Jul 18, 2001

"The Prince of Egypt" is the third remake of "The Ten Commendments," this time it is an aminated movie from Dreamworks. But don't let the movie fool you. It is powerful, so powerful, you had to look at their eyes to see the emotions of the characters.

One of the most powerful moments of the film is when Moses broke down and cried on Ramese' step after the death of his only son. Another powerful moment came when Moses lead the people out of Egypt to the tune of "When you Believe." I still get tearly eye watching that scene.