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A Holy Challenge
by Craig Roush
A Kinnopio film writer
Near the end of 1996, analysts remarked that
the year would be the last in which Disney would stand alone
as the animation king. The following year, 1997, saw the first sleeper entry into the genre from a studio
other than the Magic Kingdom: Twentieth Century Fox gave baronial Russia to the masses in the form of
Anastasia. At best, that's all it was -- a sleeper hit, designed to surprise but not shake the industry.
In 1998, however, things have been decidedly different. There have been a number of pushes on Disney's death
grip on the market, and fifty-one weeks into '98, a new champion has emerged.
DreamWorks' The Prince of Egypt succeeds where all of the other conventionally animated products have
failed. The other two contenders, Warner Brothers' Quest for Camelot and
Disney's own annual entry, Mulan, lacked inspiration and drive respectively.
Although Camelot was borderline-abysmal, and can't really be considered a shot at the title, Mulan
had the makings of winner. Unfortunately, it was saturated with traditional, Disney-cute animation, and lost
points against the rapidly-changing face of the competition. In making The Prince of Egypt, DreamWorks
has strayed from all of these hallmarks and created a genuinely unique product.
The animation is flawless, and, aside from A Bug's Life, is the best-looking
movie to date. The animators have nimbly mixed both flat and spatial effects, and the 2D/3D combination is
something that artists from Disney and Fox have heretofore struggled with. The key to success, however, was
that the visuals were used not just because they looked cool but also as a method of advancing the plot.
Namely, some of the most important action sequences (like the parting of the Red Sea) were done almost entirely
in 3D. DreamWorks is the first studio to prove that they've got the stuff of success, and that they're
capable of challenging Disney.
The story is also well-written, and the characters voiced with talent. For the most part, the plot follows
its source material -- the Book of Exodus -- although only in the most general sense. The writers took a
few creative liberties, and most do not damage the story in any way. In fact, the Shakespearean relationship
between Moses (Val Kilmer) and the Pharaoh Rameses (Ralph Fiennes) makes the story more interesting if anything.
Moses, a Hebrew, is saved from the slaughter of the firstborn sons by his mother when she sets him in a basket on
the Nile; he floats into the Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart)'s palace and is taken in by the royal family. Moses
grows up but learns of his heritage and flees into the desert, where he discovers the burning bush and is
commissioned by God to return to Egypt and free the slaves. By this time, Rameses is now Pharaoh, and the
two brothers, now on opposite sides of the line, face off in a battle of wills and divine intervention.
The cast of voices is most impressive, and also includes such noteables as Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum,
Danny Glover, and Steve Martin. The script does not have a lot of one-liners in it, and God is reduced to
a voice that might well be mistaken for the same one that spoke to Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams,
but overall the story is exciting and interesting. It's decidedly for an older crowd, and the tykes who haven't
had a few years of religion class will be hopelessly lost. But for those who make the bid, The Prince of
Egypt can be a great watch.
Craig Roush, 1998
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