ANI-MOVIES, *The Prince Of Egypt

After Antz, DreamWorks Animation decided to go full religious instead of another Pixar rip-off. Their first 2D animated film with CGI added in was The Prince Of Egypt adapting the story of Exodus with the intent of educating younger viewers while still taking dramatic license with the original scripture. Former Disney animators Brenda Chapman, Amblin animator Simon Wells, and Steve Hickner all directed the musical epic that got released in 1998. It utlimately proved to be a financial success, despite the fact there wasn't any Happy Meal givaways for a major Hollywood animation release from the 90s. It has been regarded as one of the best animated films ever even though its more of a big budget Bible story with seriously stellar production. The musical score by Hans Zimmer is peerless with song lyrics by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz that many admirers consider a sleeper hit. Taking on the narrative of Moses is in itself a miraculous task, but actually bringing it to life is almost a miracle in itself.

The plot of the film follows the Bible to a point. Numerous differences were made like Moses not being aware that he was adopted and the infanticide his adopted father declared upon the Hebrew slaves, nor was Moses made an actual prince. Moses' biological family gets downplayed more acting as being there to cheer their brother up instead of the active role they played in the freedom of the Hebrews. The relationship between Moses and Ramses is also given greater attention as them starting out as brothers and how their destinies separated them. You see the plight that Ramses had with living up to his father's dynasty as well as the regret Moses has unleashing the plagues upon Egypt. Near the end, it becomes increasingly difficult to balance out which side is the lesser evil in this conflict with all the innocent children getting killed off by God's vengeance.

The Prince Of Egypt is visually a one-of-a-kind feature that DreamWorks has yet to match since as most of their other animated projects were done as anti-Disney advocacy. The film teeters a delicate balance between historical accuracy and a breathtaking production. The surprise casting of the currently muted Val Kilmer as both Moses and the voice of God is the best out of the whole movie, plus having two of The Three Amigos voicing Egyptian high priests was a stroke of genius. Even though the film is steeped in religious overtones, it is an astounding piece of entertainment that you won't soon forget about after experiencing it.