Rating: 
Summary: Rebuttal review for trezku13
Review: I am pleased to offer this review for what I consider to be one of the finest animated films of all time. The review is partially in response to a rather malicious one offered by a reviewer known as trezku13. I felt it necessary to rebut some of this person's inaccurate comments. The movie puts a disclaimer at the beginning to inform the viewer that there are artistic and dramatic licenses taken with the story (a.k.a. whales in the Sea of Reeds). You should be prepared for this when you watch it. If you're watching this with the book of Exodus in your lap, you will see some differences in the two accounts. These changes don't adulterate the message of the story and should not detract from the viewing experience. Some differences to note are: 1) Seti's wife finding Moses rather than his daughter (Exodus 2:5), 2) The idea that Moses didn't know he was Hebrew and had no contact with his family (Exodus 2:7-11), 3) Moses' "accidentally killing the Egyptian rather than deliberately killing him (Exodus 2:12), 4) Rameses pleading with Moses to stay in Egypt as opposed to Pharaoh seeking to kill him (Exodus 2:15), 5) Any idea of personal rivalry between Pharaoh and Moses, 6) Moses speaking by himself before Pharaoh instead of Aaron speaking for him (Exodus 4:14-16), 7) An exaggerated role for Zipporah when she is actually hardly mentioned. These changes may seem unnecessary, however they do add intrigue to the narrative and, as before mentioned, do not in any way seriously alter the story. The quality of the music does fall firmly into the realm of opinion. However, as a person who holds a degree in music, and has performed and taught professionally for many years, my professional and personal opinion is that the music is quite wonderful. The comments made by another reviewer make me wonder if this person actually watched this movie. A comment about Steve Martin and Martin Short sounding least like their singing voices is the most absurd because they actually sang their own song. The singing voices are very closely matched to the point that I didn't know until watching the credits that Danny Glover had not sung his own song. A comment was also made about the firstborn sequence. The plague of the firstborn sequence is why this movie gets a PG rating. Focusing on the children dying rather than everyone involved makes sense, because that's the most shocking aspect of the final plague. It is also noteworthy that this tragedy is brought upon Egypt because of Pharaoh's stubbornness, not God's lack of compassion. A comment was also made about the two Egyptian soldiers dropping their staves and joining the Israelites. I found this to be a subtle nuance that demonstrates the serious research that went into the making of this movie. Exodus 9:20 makes it clear that there were Egyptians who feared the Hebrew God; and Exodus 12:38 records that many other people besides Hebrews participated in the exodus. There is no inaccuracy in the movie's depiction. The wonderful music, superb performances by the actors, and breath-taking visual presentation make this a landmark event in animated movies. It has set a standard that all animated movies since have had to live up to. A final note is in regard to the PG rating. This movie is rated PG so as to encourage parents to watch this with their children and guide them through the movie's more mature themes. Please consider this as I highly recommend this movie people of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Dreamworks Delivers! My Favourite Movie, ever!
Review: I don't watch a lot of animated movies, and I hate Disney's animation. However, Dreamworks SKG offers a better type of animation, and in my opinion, one whose plots are geared more toward adult audiences (while still remaining suitable for children). A prime example is The Prince of Egypt; entertaining, dramatic, emotional, and beautifully animated. After seeing it in theatres, I was immediately impressed, and bought it on DVD as soon as it was released. To my surprise, it was even better on DVD! Now, maybe that's just because my DVD home theatre system is awesome in it's own right - but the experience of watching The Prince of Egypt on DVD compares to no other movie viewing experience I have known. The colour is awesome - bright, rich, and vibrant. There is no distortion, and the clarity is superb. The sound is my main reason for loving this movie. With an unbelievable score by Hans Zimmer, and great songs throughout, this movie is worth watching again and again just to listen to. The DTS edition delivers the best sound quality I have heard to date on DVD. (Again, this is also thanks to my system). There are two scenes in the movie that give me goosebumps and tear-jerked eyes. The sound just seems to engulf you and carry you away - and you can feel the emotion that they are trying to project in the film (again, great job on Hans Zimmer's part). I have had my DVD system for almost one year now, and I have over 100 titles in my collection. Of all the movies I have to choose from, I watch this movie at least three times a week - It's just a feel good movie with great sound, picture, and an all-star cast of voices, including Sandra Bullock and Ralph Fiennes (two of my favourites). Since watching The Prince of Egypt, I became hooked on Dreamworks' animated features. The Road To El Dorado, my second favourite movie offers the same great sound quality, picture clarity (great colour contrast and saturation in this movie), and overall entertainment value. Dreamworks is also responsible for Joseph: King of Dreams, and the claymation feature, Chicken Run. Recently they produced Shrek - Available on DVD November 2! I just wish that they would make more animated movies. They only have three so far, but every one of them is awesome. If you like Disney at all, be prepared to be blown away by Dreamworks. And for one of the best, most dramatic, feel-good stories ever - The Prince of Egypt is my number one reccomendation! Everyone I know who has seen this movie, DVD or not, has loved it. I cannot tell you enough how great it is, and on DVD how much more enjoyable it is. If you buy any movie for yourself or your kids, or anyone - this is guaranteed to be a hit! Also note that The Prince of Egypt won an Oscar for best original song (again, great job Hans!), and was nominated for best picture. Trust me, you'll love it!
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Movie!!
Review: When I first saw it when I was like 8 or so, I liked it... and now, many years later, I still do! The songs are breathtaking and original, and match the scences. The characters, storyline, colour... oh, the list goes on! It's a fabulous movie!
Rating: 
Summary: not very good
Review: I know many rated it very high, but this movie was very disapointing. The graphics are not great, the songs are below average at best, the story "more or less" follows the biblical accounts, but worse, the characters are not attractive. I found Moses a reluctant participant, The Pharaoh a good guy and God a little sadistic (perhaps the authors should have emphasised what really went on with slavery, but then this is a film for kids). I shook my head a few times, wondering how such a wonderful and powerful historical account like Exodus could be rendered as lifeless and sadly my kids were just turned off by the story (as was I). My son's comment was "it is so much better when you read it from the Bible" and I have to agree. I am still waiting for a good account of the Exodus to show up on film. Perhaps (instead of using their imagination to fill in the gaps) the writers should just follow the biblical text when making their movie... It has lasted and will last longer than their films will anyway. Was the movie a good biblical account? Not bad, but not good either. The author took alot of his own inspiration when making the film. Is the movie good for kids? Perhaps some will like it... But most of the ones I know left the room before the end of the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Great animated film.
Review: Animation took a big step forward on December 18, 1998, when "The Prince of Egypt" was released in theaters. It is simply the best american animation you'll see. The special effects are great, the story was well-written (though incredibly unaccurate, more on that later...), the music was Oscar worthy. The story - The Prince of Egypt was very inaccurate in some respects, but this was mostly due for the sake of children (though this isn't a kid's movie in the Disney sense). The message of the story, the struggle of Moses to get his people out of Egypt, the grandeur of God (great depiction of God, those were the best scenes)...that's what counts. You can forgive historical inaccuracy in this one, specially since even in the Bible there are some obscure facts about what happened. Basically, the story has Moses surviving the Pharaohs massacre of hebrew male children (the hebrew population was more than twice the egyptian population, this was pharaoh's version of population control, since he feared the hebrew would end up overtaking the empire). Moses ends up on the Palace, the pharaoh's wife (I'm not sure about this, but I think the Bible said it was the daughter, not wife) takes him and raises him as his own. So, Moses never knew he was a hebrew, grew up loving his brother Rameses, who would wind up being his enemy. The story focuses on the love of these two "brothers" (another inaccuracy, but enough of that) and how both end up on different sides due to their respective responsabilities. The music - Zimmer should've won an Oscar for his score. The music is perfect, specially "The Burning Bush". The DVD - it has great extras. Good "making of" featurette; great "When you believe" video, where you can listen to all the language versions of the movie, the transition from one language to another being perfect; "focus on technical effects", which is interesting; "chariot race", a look at how this scenes came up; the two trailers; very good commentary by directors Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, and Steve Hickner; cast and crew bios; photo stills and sketches; 2000 preview of "The Road to El Dorado", and "Chicken Run"; production notes. Great buy overall.
Rating:
Summary: Three words: Authentic, Captivating and Moving.
Review: The Prince of Egypt never came to the Middle East. Banned because it was religious and from the bible, no one had the movie. I got my sister to bring it in from America. I am SO glad I did. The story is about Moses, right from the time his mother out him out on the Nile right to the delivery of the Commandments. It focuses on relationships- especially between Moses and his brother Remeses, the Pharaoh- and the transformation of Moses' character from a fun loving reckless young Egyptian prince to a responsible, wise and strong man who still has uncertainties but puts his faith in God. The movie is one of the few movies that has stayed true to the original piece of work. Unlike Disney, Dreamcast used a different technique to draw the motion picture, and the buildings, people and landscape look exactly like what their supposed to: exotic, stark yet rich in vibrancy. It tries to stay as original as possible, so much so, that parts of the songs are even sung in Hebrew- one also with children! These songs are completely captivating. They moved me to tears, and made the movie Original, with a capital 'O'. I'm no religious fanatic; just a 14 year old girl who found this movie enchanting. It is pure magic. If someone ever tells you otherwise, watch it yourself and realize the truth.
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Summary: AN ARTISTIC MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF ANIMATION!!
Review: The Biblical story of Moses has become a spiritual cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. To adapt it to an animated motion picture presented an epic challenge to Dreamworks founders Steven Spielberg and Jeffery Katzenberg, which they have triumphed over very successfully. Disney's somewhat disappointing Hercules made movie fans look for a different angle of story-telling as it was becoming clear that they were tiring of the tried and true Disney hit formula. . After the Oscar-winning Pocahontas, the studios had not been to deliver its best (though I completely agree that The Hunchback Of Notre dame is one of the most underrated animated classics). Fox's Anastasia conquered a large number of hearts with its amazing character-depth and haunting tunes, but a box-office success of a larger proportion was required to dethrone Disney's monopoly. The Prince Of Egypt is easily the best non-Disney feature ever made (followed closely by Anastasia) and in every way, it as unique a classic as Beauty And The Beast or The Lion King. It is emotional, musical, captivating, and inspirational and has a profound moral meaning and beauty. The story remains mostly true to its Exodus origin. It varies from The Ten Commandments in exploring the relationships between the two brothers who are destined to be enemies. The strength of the movie lies in the strong emotional bonds it depicts between its characters, something which The Ten commandments failed to portray. The animation is lush and vibrant, blending both classic hand-drawn cels and Computer Generated Imagery. The backgrounds and visuals and breath-taking and even the CGI sequences such as "The Parting of The Red Sea" are to be marveled at. Dreamworks artists have adapted a new angular style of character sketching which looks refreshingly beautiful on the silver screen. Stephen Swartz's music is melodious and meaningful; from the spine-chilling "Deliver Us" to the soul-searching "When You Believe" which won the Oscar for the Best Song in 1998. (though I must say that I love Pfeiffer and Dworsky's version much more than Mariah Carrey and Whitney Houston's pop reprise). An astoundingly deep, sensitive and piercing score almost overrides the film's music; strongly highlighting the sentimental points with its rich orchestral appeal and Ofra Haza's tantalizing choral accompaniments. Nominated for an Academy Award, it deserved the Oscar for the Best Musical Score category (though I would personally have loved to see Goldsmith win his second Oscar for his incredible score of Mulan). Warbeck's score for Shakespeare In Love which eventually won, though appealing, pales before Zimmer's work or Goldsmith's masterpiece. Then again, I have noticed that Oscars go more by popularity than by talent. David Newman's nominated score from Anastasia was most definitely the Best among the Musical scores of 1997, although the Oscar favored The Full Monty, which could not possibly win in any other field where it had been nominated (owing to Titanic) and so walked away with a very undeserving award. The Prince Of Egypt utilizes a host of acclaimed on-screen actors and actresses; comprising the voice talents of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Danny Glover, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jeff Goldblum, Sandra Bullock, Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Helen Mirren and Steve Martin. It is undoubtedly the most ambitious vocal cast ever assembled for an animated movie. All the actors bring the characters to life with striking warmth and depth. Both Kilmer's as well as Fiennes' work are very praiseworthy. The DVD offers a excellent anamorphic 1.85:1 video transfer which looks very crisp and colorful. The Dolby digital 5.1 sound makes good use of surround, nicely highlighting the score and special effects. Dreamworks has also recently released a DTS version of the DVD in April, 2003 which is an improvised version of the earlier Dolby release. The special features provide an in-depth look at the making of the movie. Also included are two trailers, "When You Believe" multi-language reel, still galleries, interviews with the cast and a "Basics of the Chariot Race" CGI explanation segment. The Prince Of Egypt is nothing short of a masterpiece in animation history. The movie is geared more towards the mature audiences and those expecting fast pace fun-oriented stuff will not find it towards their taste. Young children may find some scenes a little disturbing, hence Dreamworks rated the movie a PG. So go enjoy Dreamworks' first animated motion picture, which is a classic to be cherished now and for generations
Rating:
Summary: The Best Movie of the Millenium
Review: This was a completely spectacular film. It was much more Biblically accurate than the Ten Commandment version. The music was lush and realistic. It was a shame that this movie was not nominated for an oscar. The characters were well-developed and believable. I really enjoyed the use of diversity in the music and characters represented. I thought the characters were the appropriate darker shade of skin tone to represent people in Egypt, which people tend to forget is in Africa. The coming together of Gospel singers and pop singers was excellent! It is about time that hollywood realizes Christian music is a viable and impacting form of musical expression. The first time I saw this movie I was amazed how diverse the people were who went to this movie. There were teenagers, Blacks, Whites, old and young all enjoying a shared experience without knowing this is a Biblical story. This film really illustrates our shared Judeo-Christian heritage. I am particularly glad that Dreamworks took the time to have that disclaimer at the beginning of the movie. It will hopefully encourage people to read the true account in the book of Exodus. It was wonderful how God was portrayed in this film. He was kind, yet firm. That is exactly how He is!!! "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son"(Jesus)" that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." I look forward to the other Bible stories that Dreamworks will do. May I suggest the story of Esther? They could call it The Queen of Persia. Okay, maybe something more original like A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Beauty Pagent. How about the Mordechai Angel Project. Well, you get the idea. God bless! I Cor. 13,
Rating:
Summary: not very good
Review: I know many rated it very high, but this movie was very disapointing. The graphics are not great, the songs are below average at best, the story "more or less" follows the biblical accounts, but worse, the characters are not attractive. I found Moses a reluctant participant, The Pharaoh a good guy and God a little sadistic (perhaps the authors should have emphasised what really went on with slavery, but then this is a film for kids). I shook my head a few times, wondering how such a wonderful and powerful historical account like Exodus could be rendered as lifeless and sadly my kids were just turned off by the story (as was I). My son's comment was "it is so much better when you read it from the Bible" and I have to agree.
I am still waiting for a good account of the Exodus to show up on film. Perhaps (instead of using their imagination to fill in the gaps) the writers should just follow the biblical text when making their movie... It has lasted and will last longer than their films will anyway. Was the movie a good biblical account? Not bad, but not good either. The author took alot of his own inspiration when making the film. Is the movie good for kids? Perhaps some will like it... But most of the ones I know left the room before the end of the movie.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for people considered to be of Egyptian desent
Review: This is the Best animated movie from DreamWorks. It is much better than Bugs Life, Dinosaur, Toy Story, etc. You finally get to see a great animated film about people who have been subject to oppression, overcome their persecutors, and move on to victory!!!! All the songs and animation are excellent. A 10 out of 10 for music, and a 9 out of 10 for animation.
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