Ok, so upon viewing this film, I found myself torn.

 

Somehow I loved it and despised it equally at the same time.

 

But then I worked it out: 'The Prince of Egypt' can be viewed two ways. It can be seen from an entirely unprejudiced filmic perspective, or it can be seen from a historical/religious perspective. Because this movie is an almost literal adaptation of the story of Moses, it is impossible to leave religion out of the discussion.

 

Hence, this was the problem I had: it sometimes seemed to preach Christianity. Now, I have respect for all religions equally but the bias of this film seemed disrespectful to me, especially to the ancient and beautiful religion of Ancient Egypt. Secondly, in this regard, the message of the film condemned slavery yet condoned violence against the enslavers. Maybe it's just me but I don't see that being a very altruistic value, religious or not.

 

But I am going to look past these personal moral dilemmas in order to assess the film for what it is. I must say I was surprised. 'The Prince of Egypt' is beautifully animated, a reminder of the glory of traditional animation.

 

Furthermore, unlike 'Antz', the characters and themes are satisfyingly complex and I cared about the villain as much as the hero. The scale of the Egyptian setting is breathtaking and, for the most part, its representation is accurate and respectful.

 

If there is one thing that lets it down, it's the hit-or-miss nature of the songs. Some are terribly written, while others are graceful.

 

Nevertheless, I enjoyed 'The Prince of Egypt' overall and it gives me hope in Dreamworks' ability to match its competitors.

 

Score: 7.8/10

Published: February 16th, 2014