Believing is Seeing
The Prince of Egypt Touches the Heart

Based on the Biblical account of Moses, The Prince of Egypt weaves a fascinating telling of the Book of Exodus, from the deliverance of baby Moses into the safety of the house of the Pharaoh, to the discovery of his true heritage, and to his destiny as a leader for God's people.

Because the story is a part of the foundation of three major world religions, the folks at DreamWorks did their best to tell the story without much embellishment but acknowledge from the beginning that artistic and historic liberties have been taken.

Most notable of these is the decision to show Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer) as a second son of the old Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart). Rather than having the baby discovered by Pharaoh's daughter (as the Bible story goes), the Queen discovers the baby basket in the river. As a result, there is a certain amount of tension and sibling rivalry between Moses and his older brother Ramses (Ralph Fiennes).

When Moses' real sister Miriam (Sandra Bullock) tells him of his true Hebrew heritage, he begins to see and understand the oppression of the people he has been taught to see only as slaves. After killing an overseer, Moses flees from Egypt and finds refuge in the house of a shepherd named Jethro. It is while tending Jethro's sheep that God reveals Himself to Moses in the form of a burning bush.

The burning bush is but a small example of the glorious effects that DreamWorks managed to create through animation. Everything from the rolling River Nile to the ten plagues on Egypt were represented with careful attention to realism. Of course, the parting of the Red Sea is much easier to animate than create in a live-action film, but the effect is no less amazing.

Aside from breathtaking backdrops and special effects, The Prince of Egypt has a strong musical element, with several notable songs that help tell the story and set the tone of the film. Chief among these is the signature song, "When You Believe" which has already been recorded as a duet by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. This song, like the others, brings The Prince of Egypt into the ranks of great animated films.

Aside from the principal cast, other well-known talents have lent their voices to the film. Jeff Goldblum plays Moses' brother, Aaron. Danny Glover plays Jethro. Providing a little comedy relief as two of the Pharaoh's magicians are Steve Martin and Martin Short as Hotep and Huy.

There will, no doubt, be endless comparisons to Cecil B. De Mille's 1956 classic, The Ten Commandments. That aside, I think Prince will please and satisfy even the most hard-hearted critic. With astounding artwork, beautiful settings, and a stirring musical score, it has all the signs of a blockbuster in the making.

MY RATING: 8 out of 10.

RATED: PG
RUN TIME: 92 min.