THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (1998)
Rating: 3.0 stars (out of 4.0) ******************************** Key to rating system: 2.0 stars - Debatable 2.5 stars - Some people may like it 3.0 stars - I liked it 3.5 stars - I am biased in favor of the movie 4.0 stars - I felt the movie's impact personally or it stood out ********************************* A Movie Review by David Sunga
Directed by: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells
Adapted from the biblical tale in the book of Exodus.
Ingredients: Two brothers, ancient Egypt, Hebrew people escaping slavery
Starring: The voices of Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Sandra Bullock, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Steve Martin, Helen Mirren, Michelle Pfeiffer, Martin Short, and Patrick Stewart
Synopsis: The problem begins when a dominant Egyptian culture enslaves members of a regional Hebrew immigrant minority as a labor force for public works. Moses (Val Kilmer), born a Hebrew, is adopted and educated among the affluent, advanced society of Egypt, the reigning superpower of its time. After accidentally slaying an Egyptian, Moses returns to the Hebrews and becomes the founder of a divine anti-slavery movement. A strategy of deliberate collateral casualties - - through divine biological warfare (plagues) - - is used to leverage superpower compliance with the demands for autonomy.
Moses is deeply disturbed because his abolitionist beliefs put him at odds with his beloved brother Ramses (Ralph Fiennes). When an opportunity arises for the Egyptian military to retaliate, the two clashing ethnic groups - - one led by Moses and the opposing group led by his brother - - meet at the Sea of Reeds for a final showdown.
Opinion: Despite being a cartoon adapted from a 1500 BC story, the themes of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT- - an affluent dominant society in terror; collateral damage to leverage political goals; religious fundamentalist movements; rejection of superpower culture; families torn apart by issues, and; mysterious biological warfare - - are relevant, 20th Century dilemmas.
Of the 10 Plagues of Egypt, three are periodic natural disasters (hail, desert locusts, sandstorms, fire, darkness and tidal waves possibly from the 1500 BC Santorini volcanic eruption), and the other seven can be duplicated through dinoflagellates, microbes, germ-carrying insects, and introducing mycotoxin-producing fungus to food supplies stored in silos and granaries to create poisoning levels strong enough to kill small "firstborn" children housed in unmarked areas served by those supplies. Fortunately for modern times, a strategy of deliberately inflicting collateral casualties is considered militarily unethical, and most modern nations have ratified the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) which bans attacking populations with biblical-style plagues and toxins.
The child-friendly THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is an animated musical that is mostly about hope and emancipation, along with an interesting new angle to the familiar tale. Its main dramatic emphasis is on the inner reluctance Moses feels when his love for his Egyptian royal brother comes into conflict with his brother's advocacy of morally untenable slavery. Aside from being a family film, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is also a musical event of sorts. In addition to the soundtrack album, two simultaneous spinoff CD's are being released: THE PRINCE OF EGYPT - NASHVILLE, and THE PRINCE OF EGYPT - INSPIRATIONAL.
There are two minor weaknesses to the film: the sound effects, and the characterization of Moses. Regarding sound, scenes where legions of frogs erupt out of the water, or where the Reed Sea comes crashing down upon the Egyptian army have the potential to fill the theater with a dramatic, living cacophony, but these opportunities go relatively silent. As for Moses, the character starts out with vitality in the beginning of the story. But towards the end - - just when he should be supercharged with passion, faith, leadership, and conviction - - Moses seems a hesitant, reluctant emissary, relying on his sister Miriam for moral support.
On the other hand, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT has many strengths. It includes a beautiful musical score with excellent tunes. Secondly, the voices are done well. These days animation, which is advancing by technological leaps and bounds and becoming more popular, often makes better acting than real life because it is able to free actors and actresses from burdensome stereotypes created when the audience can see their appearance. Finally, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is visually impressive in that it integrates topnotch cartooning with computer generated effects to produce a seamless and extraordinary story universe. The parting of the Reed Sea is particularly impressive.
Reviewed by David Sunga December 18, 1998
Copyright © 1998 by David Sunga This review and others like it can be found at THE CRITIC ZOO: http://www.criticzoo.com email: zookeeper@criticzoo.com
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