Review of Prince of Egypt, The

Introduction

Prince of Egypt emerged from Dreamworks when it was still a relatively new studio. Many were surprised that the young upstart would have the audacity to compete with Disney on its traditional home turf – the grand scale musical animation feature. Dresamworks, however, demonstrated a masterful ability to combine a superb story, great vocal talent and breathtaking animation into a brilliant movie.

Video

In a word, outstanding. This is often quoted as reference material, and I would certainly agree. Even with the drawback of being an NTSC source, the picture is clear, sharply defined and vibrantly coloured. Tedge definition and detail are wonderful. The quality of the animation is breathtaking, and the broad cinematic scenery brings a grand feeling to the production. There are no hints of artefacts which could so easily beset an animation feature.

Audio

The audio quality of this disc is also top notch. There is a grand scale on the sound stage, backed up with a number of tracks which made the charts by such hit names as Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. It really is superb. The 5.1 mix envelopes the room, and has stunning depth.

Features

Dreamworks have shown the way with this disc again. The menus are animated and scored in theme with the film, and benefit from complementing the film without becoming obtrusive. They are spectacular - possibly the best I`ve ever seen yet. There is a very detailed making of documentary which details cast members, production team and animators. There is also a second feature on creating different version of the film with different languages, and an art gallery. Also available are production notes and cast and crew biographies, two theatrical trailers, and an audio commentary by the Directors. You really could not ask for more, and all the extras are interesting, and display high production values.

Conclusion

This is a top disc, a recommended buy, and a superb addition to any collection. The film is a great reworking of the tale of Moses telling the story of the sons of Egypt. The picture and sound quality are excellent, and there are enough extras to give an insight into the background of the film - which is, after all, what we look for in DVD extras. Congratulations Dreamworks on another home run. The only true reservation about this disc would be the now available alternative choice of a DTS version for those with appropriate hardware.