The Prince Of Egypt-by David Sessions
        With immediate fast action: God's people, slaves in Egypt, being beaten and urged building Pharoah Seti's latest temple, and the mighty song "Deliver Us!" roaring with it all, so begins the latest work of DreamWorks, SKG, The Prince Of Egypt.
       The creators of DreamWorks, (Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen) are more know for horror movies than family films. Ok, so I know what you're thinking. Another one of those Hollywood Bible story cartoons. But make no mistake, this time it's a different story.

Jeffrey Katzenberg who was the creative force behind The Lion King, left Disney and started DreamWorks with Spielberg and Geffen.
     While this movie is not the Bible on video, DreamWorks has gone to extreme efforts to ensure that the film accurately portrays matters of spiritual interest. The Prince Of Egypt took four entire years to complete, and during this time, DreamWorks has consulted theologians and scholars such as Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Southern Baptist Convention president Paige Patterson, and ethicist Richard Land. DreamWorks went to great expense to incorporate many of the suggested changes. For example, in the original script, the Jews were told to paint a mark over their doors as the angel of death passed over their homes. The consulted theologians explained to filmmakers that is was important that the mark be made with the blood of a lamb rather than merely paint.
 

Jon Kent Walker, editor in chief of HomeLife magazine was flown to Pasadena, California at the expense of DreamWorks to preview the film. Talking about the emotional message of the movie, hae said "Although I wasn't emotionally moved, many secular journalists around me were weeping openly at the end of the film." The Prince Of Egypt has a PG rating not because of profanity or violence, but because it's too intense of an experience for young children. For this reason, DreamWorks is not marketing the movie with fast-food restaurants like most Disney films are. The movie is said to be "adult animation" but I wouldn't go that far.

The movie really isn't humorous, I noticed myself. There are a few funny songs and chracters at times, but overall The Prince Of Egypt carries a more serious tone. The film's producer, Susan Rabins says that "formulaic humor and song just didn't fit, so we kept stripping these things out."
The backgrounds are realistic enough for a live movie. Beautiful artwork fills the scenes, so that only the characters look animated. And the characters really look like Egyptians and Jews unlike most
animated films where all of the characters end up looking like Americans.

                          Pictures courtesy of the official Prince Of  Egypt web site
                                          www.prince-of-egypt.com
 

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