Manna from DreamWorks: Animated, musical epic of Exodus is an artful, mature alternative to Disney



Voices of Val Kilmer and Ralph Fiennes
Directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner and Simon Wells
Rated PG, with violence; running time 97 minutes
With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a 9






For animators, going toe-to-toe with Disney is like reaching the Promised Land. How appropriate that Moses leads the way.

The Prince of Egypt -- by DreamWorks, Hollywood's new kid on the block -- is an extravagant, daring, often breathtaking version of the Exodus story of Moses, in which, to free the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, he leads them across the desert.

It's an artful alternative to Disney's various mermaids, lions, beauties and beasts.

DreamWorks previously struck gold with 1998's first bug movie, Antz, created for them by a computer animation company. The Prince of Egypt is the studio's first major in-house animated film.

It's hugely impressive. If DreamWorks can maintain such high standards, Disney can say goodbye to its virtual monopoly on high-quality cartoon features.

Like Antz, The Prince of Egypt tries to attract an older audience. You'll find no cute animals chatting behind Pharaoh's throne or trailing along during the Exodus. The only creatures who talk are notable historic figures.

The film covers the same sacred turf as Cecil B. DeMille's two versions of The Ten Commandments. But its simple, muscular narrative and epic scope are more reminiscent of David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia.

The ancient Egyptian empire is magnificently rendered: giant statuary, pyramids and temples adorned with intricate, colorful hieroglyphics. The filmmakers seamlessly combine painting and computer graphics, filling the screen with dense, richly layered animation. In one particularly inventive dream sequence, even the hieroglyphics come to life.

Some liberties are taken with the story of Moses to broaden its appeal. And every effort is made to stress that Moses is a major figure in the Old and New Testaments and the Koran.

DeMille, emphasizing the creation of the Law, named his films The Ten Commandments. The creators of Prince of Egypt stress the Exodus as a rousing story of freedom. The film's climax is the spectacular parting of the Red Sea; the arrival of the Ten Commandments is shown quickly in a postscript.

The Prince of Egypt also is more personal, portraying the struggle of Moses with his adopted Egyptian royal family. Starting with a playful chariot race between Moses and Rameses and ending with their conflict at the Red Sea, the film depicts once-loving brothers at odds.

Like so many biblical films, The Prince of Egypt uses British actors for royalty and Americans for the struggling Hebrews. Val Kilmer voices Moses with restrained authority (he's also God in the burning bush); Ralph Fiennes is a regal, confident Rameses.

Other key voices include Patrick Stewart and Helen Mirren as the old Pharaoh and his queen; Michelle Pfeiffer as Tzipporah; Sandra Bullock as Miriam; Jeff Goldblum as Aaron and Danny Glover as Jethro.

Steve Martin and Martin Short offer brief comic relief as two Egyptian court magicians. Their musical number reportedly was shortened after test screenings, but still seems too silly for such a solemn enterprise.

And though Hans Zimmer's musical themes are fine, Stephen Schwartz's songs aren't memorable.

Still, The Prince of Egypt has more than enough to offer: passion, excitement, action and, most of all, breathtaking visual splendor.