The Prince of Egypt

Rating: ** 1/2
Date Seen: 1998-12-22

Tis the season for animated movies, it seems. The Prince of Egypt makes use of some fine CGI effects, and the movie as a whole is respectable, but not outstanding.

The producers certainly spared no expense when choosing voice actors; big names such as Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Patrick Steward, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and the list goes on. This was both a blessing and a curse. They all did a good job, but it was almost distracting to hear so many recognizable voices and instinctively try to identify them.

I enjoyed the music--up to a point. The score and lyrics started out really engaging and promising, but gradually went downhill from there. About 3/4 of the way through the movie, it seemed stale, overdone. By the end, I was just glad I wouldn't have to put up with any more annoying singing, a feeling I seldom get except when watching those cornier-than-corny 60s musicals.

I really liked the majestic opening, where Moses is born and sent down the river to meet his destiny. Moses and Ramses are portrayed as being the best of friends growing up. In fact, they believe they are blood brothers until Moses discovers the truth about his origins. This friendship makes for an agonizing reunion as Moses returns from Midian to free his people. Ramses, determined to prove himself as a competent ruler, refuses Moses' request. When the plagues came, Moses even has sympathy for Ramses; he nearly begs the pharoh to let the Hebrews go, knowing that his friend's much-beloved son will perish otherwise.

The sequence in which Moses recalls his past in the form of animated wall drawings was really good. I guess I'm a sucker for surreal stuff like that. Well, it was awesomely done. That part couldn't have been better.

During the plagues and the escape from Egypt, the whole thing seemed abbreviated, rushed. Except for the first and last plagues, we get barely a glance at each of them, as all are paraded by with only a nice little song to narrate everything in leau of spoken dialog or real dramatization. From then on, it was like the writers said, "Ok, everybody knows what happens now, so we'll just brush by as quickly as possible so everyone can go home with a warm fuzzy feeling."

I will say the effects at the Red Sea were neat, even though by that time the story had regressed into mundane, who-cares style musical idiocy. Oh well. The movie was still worth watching, but I expected more.