The Prince of Egypt DVD

Prince of Egypt on DVD

Featuring big name voice actors, an absolutely stunning soundtrack, and visually captivating animation, The Prince of Egypt is a tale of epic proportions. Released by Dreamworks Animation in 1998, this animated film went on to set several records and become known as one of the greatest Biblical dramas to be created, animated or otherwise. Telling the story of Moses and his providential journey from Pharaoh's palace to leading his people out from under the oppressive thumb of Egypt, this film features cutting-edge animation and incredible music. The Dreamworks film was well-received for its impressive storytelling, its award-winning musical scoring and powerfully moving animation.

The Story

The story of The Prince of Egypt begins with Moses being born into the world. At the time, Pharaoh had decided to limit the number of Hebrews, fearing their number would grow too great and they would begin to take over. So, he ordered that all Hebrew baby boys be murdered so that their number wouldn't grow any bigger. This included Moses, but his mother was desperate to keep him alive. Keeping him hidden and eventually casting him out into the Nile River for his own protection, he was picked up by Pharaoh's own daughter. Filled with love and compassion in her heart, she decided to spare the baby and raise him as her own.

His name would become Moses and he would be raised under the protection of Pharaoh, living in his palace and having his every need provided for. When he grew up, he began to realize that he didn't belong with the Egyptians and knew he had to find a way to help his fellow Hebrews. He began to realize how horribly mistreated they were and he began to feel the need to do something about it. One day, as he witnessed an Egyptian violently persecuting a Hebrew. Taking matters into his own hands, Moses murdered the Egyptian in a fit of rage. Realizing he would be in big trouble for his actions, Moses ran away, hoping to escape with his life.

After spending decades off on his own, he was married and living his own life. Here, he was happy and he saw no need to ever return to his old life in Egypt. But one day, he witnessed a bush burning. As he inspected it closer, he began to realize that the bush was burning, but it wasn't burning up. It seemed to be on fire indefinitely. He eventually realized that God was in the burning bush, and He was wanting to communicate with Moses. God told Moses that He had a plan for him, and that Moses was to go back to Egypt and deliver his people from captivity. Moses was very nervous about this. He didn't want to go back to a place where he was considered a murderer and a traitor. Plus, he reasoned, he wasn't a good speaker. He figured he was grossly unqualified for that task at hand. But God told him not to worry and to simply trust him. Eventually, He gave Moses his brother Aaron as a speaker for the people and together, they would help deliver the Hebrews out of slavery.

The Prince of Egypt shows Moses and Aaron returning to Egypt with a message of freedom for the Hebrews. However, there was one major problem with the arrangement; Pharaoh. Adamantly refusing to let the slaves free, Pharaoh told Moses to leave. He told him that the people of Israel would never leave and they would always remain slaves in Egypt. The following days would result in ten horrible plagues that would leave the nation of Egypt wasted. Turning the Nile River into blood, sending gnats and flies, and even plunging the entire country into incredible darkness, God was determined to show the people of Egypt his incredible and absolute power. When the tenth plague was sent and Pharaoh's firstborn son was killed, he finally gave up and allowed Moses to take the Israelite people and leave.

Not long after, though, they came to the Red Sea. Unsure of how to proceed, the Israelites began to lose faith. And as they looked back, they saw Pharaoh approaching with a massive army. Just when all looked lost for the Israelites, Moses prayed to God for deliverance and the Red Sea supernaturally parted in front of them. This allowed the Israelites to cross unharmed. And as soon as they had finished crossing, the Red Sea closed in, drowning Pharaoh and all of his men with him. Prince of Egypt features this scene in one of the most impressive animated sequences in film.

The story of Moses is an incredible tale of deliverance, redemption, and forgiveness. The Prince of Egypt is a monumental retelling of this classic true story, full of colorful and vivid animation, well-scored music, and a captivating story that is sure to delight. This classic Dreamworks animation was well-received and has been held ever since as a standard for other animated movies.

The film was so popular, it even spawned a direct-to-video sequel, Joseph King of Dreams. Like Prince of Egypt, this film featured amazing animation, wonderful music, and an all-around high quality and immersive animated film.

A Film Worthy of Disney

When Prince of Egypt was released, Dreamworks Animation was a much smaller industry, with small box-office numbers and few films under their belt. It wasn't until this movie released that they began to be seen as a direct competitor to Disney Animation. While Disney had always been held as the standard for quality animated films, Dreamworks began to challenge that position. And the overwhelmingly positive reception of Prince of Egypt began to help set up Dreamworks Animation for future successes. The film did very well at the box office, partially due to its star-studded cast, but also because of word of mouth. This was a film enjoyed by many when it first released, and it will definitely be an excellent addition to your collection.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a film that can teach your children about one of the most incredible stories found in the Bible, in a fun and entertaining way, Prince of Egypt is the perfect film to show them. With colorful animation and epic musical scoring by Howard Shore, this is the definitive Biblical animated film.