Prince of Egypt

Theatrical Release Date: 1998 12 18 (USA)

UPC: 667068466720

Studio: DreamWorks

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Adult Situations, Suitable for Children]

Summary: Dreamworks Pictures has taken the biblical story of Exodus, put it into cartoon form, and released it on the big screen as an epic animated feature. The Prince of Egypt tells the story of Moses releasing the Jews from Egyptian slavery under the hand of the evil pharaoh Rameses. Think of The Ten Commandments with songs and an all-star cast doing the voices. In the Charlton Heston role of Moses is Val Kilmer. Moses' brother Rameses, previously played by Yul Brynner, is now voiced by Ralph Fiennes. The story revolves around these two close brothers, Moses and Rameses. While Rameses is groomed to take over the land, his beloved brother Moses is a carefree prankster, until he learns the true secret of his past. His secret, of course, is that he is really a Jew and as a child was floated down the river to escape mass genocide. The pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) raised Moses as his son. Upon learning the truth of his past from a burning bush, Moses returns to Egypt with God on his side and demands that the pharaoh (now his brother Rameses) must "Let my people go." With songs written by Oscar-winner Stephen Schwartz and sung by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, The Prince of Egypt covers all the classic story points of the story of Moses, including the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. ~ Arthur Borman, Rovi

Category: Children's/Family

Awards: Best Animated Feature – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Song – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Musical or Comedy Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Musical or Comedy Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Song – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Features: Audio commentary with directors Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells
"The Making of the Prince of Egypt"
"When You Believe" multi-language presentation
Basics of animation: "Chariot Race"
Focus on technical effects
"The Prince of Egypt" art gallery
Two theatrical trailers
Cast and filmmakers' bios
Production notes
Sneak preview

Prince of Egypt

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 11/07/2000

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DTS Digital Theater Systems, 5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 99 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
0. Scene Index
1. Deliver Us (Main Title) [4:14]
2. The River [3:59]
3. Chariot Race [2:54]
4. One Weak Link [2:25]
5. Rameses' Hiding Place [1:25]
6. Desert Flower [4:00]
7. You Are Our Brother [3:19]
8. All I Ever Wanted [2:01]
9. Hieroglyph Nightmare [1:32]
10. Sacrifice [1:45]
11. This Is Your Home [1:33]
12. Slavery [4:01]
13. The Sand Storm [4:07]
14. Through Heaven's Eyes [4:45]
15. Burning Bush [5:44]
16. The Mission [2:57]
17. Let My People Go [2:52]
18. Playing with the Big Boys [3:13]
19. Ramses vs. Moses [2:27]
20. Nile of Blood [4:29]
21. Plagues [1:16]
22. Ultimatum [3:02]
23. Death of the Firstborn [4:02]
24. When You Believe [4:40]
25. Parting of the Red Sea [5:26]
26. The Closing of the Red Sea [3:43]
27. Goodbye Brother [3:05]
28. End Credits [2:19]

Derek Armstrong

As many critics correctly noted, Dreamworks missed a golden opportunity in its first animated feature to assert a distinct visual style, preferring to imitate the familiar Disney look, hence paying its primary competitor a huge compliment. But The Prince of Egypt still exists as a mature first foray into the market by the young studio. It's nothing if not grand, complete with towering pyramids, electric chariot races, and a first-rate parting of the Red Sea. The film's greater accomplishment is making The Bible accessible to those unwilling to slog through chapter and verse -- namely, children. Hearing the idiosyncratic and inescapably modern speech patterns of Sandra Bullock and Jeff Goldblum may take viewers completely out of the Biblical moment, but those with greater screen time, notably Ralph Fiennes as Rameses, fare much better. The hit title song, popularized by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, lends a certain frivolity to religious characters and situations that might be conveyed more soberly -- a necessary part of selling the film as a phenomenon of multiple media. But the animators make up for it with their dignified renderings of the landscape and its people, showing a particular ability to wow with their chilling depiction of the ten plagues, as remarkable for what's left unseen as what's visualized. The Prince of Egypt is a tight and effective depiction of brothers torn apart by their differing beliefs in the right course of action, simultaneously personal and large-scale -- a solid story on its own, which also happens to be the foundation for both Christian and Jewish scripture. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Natalie Portman  Actor 
Penney Finkelman Cox  Producer 
Stephen Hickner  Director 
Simon Wells  Director 
Hans Zimmer  Composer (Music Score) 
Brenda Chapman  Director 
Philip Lazebnik  Screenwriter 
Sandra Rabins  Producer 
Jeffrey Katzenberg  Executive Producer 
Val Kilmer  Actor 
Ralph Fiennes  Actor 
Michelle Pfeiffer  Actor 
Sandra Bullock  Actor 
Jeff Goldblum  Actor 
Danny Glover  Actor 
Patrick Stewart  Actor 
Helen Mirren  Actor 
Steve Martin  Actor 
Martin Short  Actor 

Country: USA