The story (which I’m sure you’re familiar with, but I’ll bore you all the same) centres on the Biblical story of the two brothers and the plight of one, Moses to set the Hebrew prisoners free, from the other, Rameses. The story unfolds, telling of how as a boy Moses was rescued by the Queen from the Nile, originally being placed there to escape Pharaoh Seti’s culling.

Moses realises his birthright through the help of his estranged sister and soon finds himself chosen by God to free the people of Egypt. The yarn plods it’s way through all of the familiar scenes – the burning bush, the parting of the Nile, the plagues of Egypt – until the expected happy ending ensues.

So, considering the origins of the story, and the fact that it has been told in many guises, how does this DreamWorks effort shape up?

Quality video reproduction is the minimum you would expect on a recent release on DVD. At times the anamorphic 16:9 picture is not crystal clear, and I find this unforgivable on an animated release. I don’t edit and have any involvement in digital transfer, but the slightest problem on a digital transfer is very easily noticed in an animated production. The colours are subdued, rather than vibrant as in similar releases. This gives the film an aged look that definitely helps with the atmosphere. However, some of the animation, particularly the background pieces, seems somewhat dated in quality as well as production. When compared to the latest similar features – Tarzan, Titan AE, Mulan – the feature doesn’t have the quality of a Disney or even a Warner Brothers production. There are some excellent effects (such as when the Nile turns to blood) but overall the quality is just not quite as good as similarly chronically released animated movies.

The musical content is good, but not superb. The feel that many of the songs give is that of a theatrical production, rather than of a film. It’s difficult to describe the comparison, but that is the impression given. The use of the fantastic ‘When I Believe’ by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey somehow doesn’t fit in with the rest of the film – fortunately it is sung by the two leading actresses rather than the two divas during the film. The sound effects are adequate and the Dolby Digital Surround 5.1 soundtrack is of reasonable quality with good use of the bass as and when needed.

The voices of Val Kilmer (Moses), Ralph Fiennes (Rameses), Michelle Pfeiffer (Tzipporah) and Sandra Bullock (Miriam) are used well throughout, but once again it is Patrick Stewart as Pharaoh Seti who is outstanding. Authoritative yet compassionate, Stewart once again proves that he can deliver a commanding performance, even if, as in this case, it is through voice acting only.

The extras on the disc include a directors commentary, which I couldn’t bring myself to watch, and several interesting featurettes which offer insights into the making of the film. The featurette originally entitled ‘The Making Of The Prince Of Egypt’ is easily the best and most informative. Not that I think this would be watched more than once, but it provides a useful narrative all the same.