BBB.5

(out of 5)

The story of Moses in the Old Testament’s book of Exodus is told here with little dramatic license and too much respectful gravity. Though animated beautifully, Dreamworks’ perfectly voice-casted first foray into traditional animation is so eager to be great that it emerges as self-important. Stephen Schwartz’s gorgeous musical score is a real plus though, and the climactic parting of the Red Sea is surely not to be missed. The story begins with Moses’ mother sending her infant child down the river in a basket to save him from the Pharaoh’s edict to murder all the Hebrew slaves’ first-born sons. It continues to his being raised in an Egyptian palace, through to his leading his people out of the desert with the ten commandments in hand. Parents should be warned that the movie isn’t fun enough for children and much too dark for very young ones.

DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks

USA, 1998

Directed by Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells

Screenplay by Philip LaZebnik, additional screenplay material by Nicholas Meyer

Produced by Penney Finkelman Cox, Sandra Rabins

Music by Hans Zimmer

Production Design by Darek Gogol

Costume Design by Kelly Kimball

Film Editing by Nick Fletcher

Academy Award
Best Music (Original Song) (“When You Believe”, music and lyric by Stephen Schwartz)

Nomination
Best Music (Original Musical or Comedy Score) (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; orchestral score by Hans Zimmer)

Golden Globe Award Nominations
Best Original Score-Motion Picture (Hans Zimmer)
Best Original Song-Motion Picture (“When You Believe”, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz