THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (1998) *** I'm not enthusiastic, in a general sense, about Old Testament cartoons. There seems to have been a bit lost in translation even without that particular transmutation. On the other hand this portrayal of a very human Moses-just a smart handsome good guy out for a good time, mainly, initially-with emphasis on his role as an abolitionist, is good stuff. Some of the animation is spectacular; the dream sequence in particular, and the parting of the Red Sea, and the landscapes. Of course it's a moving story, for anyone who doesn't desperately insist on hardening their heart, and the good guys win. Latter day adherents of the Egyptian Mystery Religions may or may not find some things to complain about, I don't know, I've never met one. They might just be glad for a little spotlight. I could have done without almost all of the songs, but at least they're Broadway caliber stuff, rather than the idle burpings of Phil Collins or Sir Elton John. Biblical scholars will find that some lines have been added, and some omitted, but as a gateway to knowledge it's much more of a door than a wall, and in the current age of religions that's something to be grateful for, I think.
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