Someone has finally done a Disney style movie better then Disney could. Not only is The Prince of Egypt the best animated movie of the year it's possibly the best movie of the year - period! There are so many things about this movie that are absolutely perfect it's hard to know where to begin. It has a soundtrack that is the equal or better of anything Disney has ever produced with the possible exception of The Little Mermaid. The humor in it, most of which naturally appears at the beginning of the movie is the sort that hits just the right note for kids and adults to appreciate. Yet, when the movie becomes grimmer as Moses attempts to fulfill the will of God the film manages to achieve a harder edge without alienating the younger members of the audience. Best, and most impressive of all, this telling of the story of Moses manages to put a very human face on characters such as Moses, Pharoah, Aaron, etc. These are characters who almost every one has read about more then once, but for whom the emotions, the pain and joy of what they experienced, has never been fully portrayed until now. It was a truly amazing movie.And Ashley enjoyed it as much as I did though parts of it were a bit over the head of a four year old. For example, I had a difficult time explaining to her why God took the life of Pharoah's son because Pharoah disobeyed Him. This was done discreetly enough that it didn't frighten her, but it did confuse her. For those parents who regard the story of Moses as a religious truth the movie does nothing to undermine the story and could easily provide a medium for discussing God with your child. For those who do not hold it as a religious truth it is still a very impressive and moving story.
Average Grade: A+
