Why Prince of Egypt is a Must-See Classic

Prince of Egypt (1998)

I love this movie! Not going into too much detail today, but I just want to briefly highlight why I think this movie is gold: as an animated project, as a movie period, as a story…so many great things.

I feel like most have at least heard the story of Moses, so instead of doing a summary, I’ll just dive right into what’s great about this.

WHAT WORKS

1. The Soundtrack – Man oh man. I love movies that have such a strong soundtrack, and especially when every song is memorable, well-done, full of heart & the best of efforts, the right musicians, capture the true essence of the movie’s action, and just…aaah it’s so good. Every song performed by the characters with such passion, and you fall in love with singing any of them (Deliver Us, Heaven’s Eyes, When You Believe…yes, even Steve Martin/Martin Short’s Playing with the Big Boys is fun!). However, I do wish that Danny Glover would have actually sung Heaven’s Eyes. But I know that’s never going to happen. Oh well. Thank you, Brian Stokes Mitchell.
2. Animation – It’s fantastic. The animation works so hard, along with the music, voice acting, and other aspects of the movie to show capture the intensity, emotions, and relationships taking place in the story. The result is something that still holds strong as a visual that connects us even more with what’s taking place. When this movie came out, the visual artwork in this was just stunning for its’ time. Today in 2014, even if we’ve seen things that have amazed us even further since technology continued to advance, it still holds up very much as a strong spectacle.
3. Characters – I’ll mention the best treatment of character development in my final point, but the characters in this movie really work for me! In addition to being directly from the original story, they also take some of the main characters a little farther to be relatable to any audience in a way similar to any good movie. Ramses’ parents aren’t just cardboard cutout rulers of Egypt – they do have feelings and thoughts similar to what people we know today would have (given a certain upbringing). Seti, Ramses’ father, when explaining how Egypt works & why he had to kill the Hebrew babies, isn’t just a stoic “this is how it must be because of tradition”; I mean, he was, but he also seemed like he did have a slight sense of care and passion for what he was doing, as well as for his son to rise to the occasion of carrying on what he had come to love doing over the years. The mother was also very heartwarming and loving. And Jethro was so much fun! We even get to know Moses wife in this! Granted, liberties were taken here too (such as her joining him to Egypt), but nothing that gets in the way or insults the original story. Finally, EVERY voice actor put their heart and soul into making these characters come to life, to the point that I don’t hear the actor – I hear the character. Later, I go “OH that IS Patrick Stewart! Awesome! Wait, they got Jeff Goldblum in there? Huh!”
4. Treatment of the Biblical Story – This is probably the most important aspect, and the one that was the best handled aspect of the entire movie. Double whammy! It’s like this: any time someone makes a movie based on a Biblical story, some filmmakers have been known to take more…“liberty” with the story than others. (Worst one I ever saw? A Noah’s Ark story in which Noah got in a fight w/one of his sons due to cabin fever.) Anyway! These storytellers not only stick to the script for the most part, they also work in the relationship between Moses & Ramses, who grow up as brothers. We get to know them as two very close brothers, and when Moses begins to realize his Hebrew roots and he has to leave Egypt, Ramses is very pained by this. As a result, he is overjoyed when Moses returns after many years – until he learns about his mission from God to free the Hebrew slaves. Then as the plagues occur (leading to the death of Ramses’ own son), he two of them are truly pained in their hearts that they must now be pitted against each other. Watching the two of them in this development is the best (and only/coolest) idea for character development in a Bible movie I’ve ever seen. We get to relate to them in a different way that some movies with these stories can’t tell without making something up that misses the point. This truly added a great strength to the movie that gave it a new edge, relatability, story, true character development, and another awesome song for the soundtrack during the plagues (Let My People Go) that visually shows us the turmoil the two of them are going through while they must remain in their roles as God’s messenger vs. stubborn ruler. Because of this, I feel like even those who did not grow up with (or are big on) the Bible or the story of God using Moses to deliver the Hebrew slaves from bondage through miraculous/extreme events can enjoy this story because of the connection with the characters, and perhaps get sucked in enough to get the essence of a great story with something more.

CONCLUSION:

There is truly so much to talk about with this movie, but it must be seen to be truly enjoyed. I watched it with my family again this weekend, as it’s been one of our family favorites for years. If you haven’t seen it for yourself, I definitely say give it a watch. The effort, passion, and care given to every single aspect will not disappoint.

BLACKOMETER: 9.5/10

Happy Easter/Resurrection Sunday to everyone! May you be inspired by God’s sending Christ to die for our sins, as well as enjoying good family & friends, at this most important of holidays.

-BB2

Dreamgirls: One of My Favorite Movies

DREAMGIRLS (2006)

I love this show! So much.

SUMMARY

Three close friends in their self-run singing group “The Dreamettes” and their songwriter, C.C., meet up with a man named Curtis, who wants to produce them and start their singing career. He starts by hooking them up as backup singers for R&B legend James ‘Thunder’ Early. The trials and successes of this eventually spirals into starting their own act, but with some new rules that leave some members of the group happier than others. As the times change and business grows, their relationships with each other change as well. When it’s all said and done, the strength and love of these girls is what brought them together…and eventually brings them back together.

WHAT WORKS

1. The Music – This soundtrack, the singers, the bands – I don’t even know where to start. The songs are not only well-written and crafted to musical perfection for the R&B and pop styles, but the performances of them just sell so darn good! A good song should speak to you in a relatable way, express something you can respect and perhaps even relate to further, be musically coherent, be a strong original on its’ own, be memorable, and be performed by someone who can bring all the composer’s thought to mind but still put their own spin on it. Every single song in this brings that and then some. No way you’ll forget about Jennifer Hudson’s And I’m Telling You or Eddie Murphy’s Cadillac Car. And that’s just to start. The bands are just fantastic too – not just musicians, but they have great showmanship on stage with the vocalists. It just makes you get into it that much more.

2. The Story – The focus of this play is a retelling of how many African-American artists & groups formed and what they had to go through. Those familiar with artists such as Diana Ross & the Supremes, James Brown, the Jackson 5, and even producer Berry Gordy will easily identify similar characters/artists in this story. Using their experiences as the vehicle for exposure of how the times really were for black R&B artists trying to make it in the world during the 60s-70s-80s gives audiences a pretty clear picture of their journeys, successes and struggles. Many artists who made it big really did fall apart from their loved ones; scandals did happen; and they did endure racial injustices when they weren’t protected. The story is told in such a smart way that makes us care about the characters the entire time, and the movie on its’ own takes a few liberties that only heighten this experience.

3. The Look – This movie just looks so good! The costumes, the hair, the lighting, the city landscapes, the performance venues (a couple of which I wish I could sing on some time!) – it’s all just so great. You can even feel the timeline progression as the movie goes on just in the look. I’m really glad the creators of this movie went to great lengths to make this show look and sound as grand as it is in movie form – right down to the ending credits presentation.

4. The Chemistry – All the characters, especially the main 3 Dreamgirls, have a wonderful chemistry on set to match the story. Even when things are going rough, you can tell that the actors had a pretty good bond and probably had a good time making this movie together. You can hear that from just listening to the girls sing backup together behind Eddie Murphy, and so on.

5. Changes from the Stage Play – There’s a few, but my favorite is Jimmy’s story arc better in the movie, because he’s given even more room to be shown as a character with more dimensions than we would have given him and his ego credit for. After Curtis splits him up from the Dreamettes, we don’t see him for a while. He’s not in the Family scene. We also have to watch his drug problems, which while sad, is good for the purposes of showing us just how downtrodden he is when things aren’t going well. Like Effie, he likely only knows how to sing and perform (and woo women). When this is disrupted and shot down by Curtis’ blows, he’s so down that he feels he has nothing else to turn to – especially when both his wife and Lorelle split.

6. Jamie Foxx – This movie is yet another good example of Jamie Foxx’s many talents. He’s another strong example of a strong actor who’s also a fine musician with an understanding of how to actually make good music in the given genre. With that, you can believe more than just the character when he’s talking about what he wants to do with Jimmy & the girls as he searches for that new sound to sell. He also is just solid as the snake you’re not sure whether you can trust, but if you think about it (aside from his intimate relationships w/Effie & Deena), his ploys to get a new sound are valid. Sure people keep disagreeing with him and getting upset, but his whole thing is trying to change the music as the world changes. This is something musicians have had to consider and follow as long as music has been in existence, although some are hesitant to change right away. Feelings are hurt and it’s pretty rough, yes, and sometimes we don’t go about it the right way when it involves other people…but when you think about it, who ever said change would be easy? There’s a lesson about life in there somewhere. (Favorite Curtis song: When I First Saw You)

   

   “The only one who can protect you is me.”

7. Eddie Murphy – Like Foxx, this movie also demonstrates Murphy’s talents, but I’d say even more so – this may be one of the best things he’s ever been in, if not THE best. That’s a strong statement, but in all honesty, Murphy is truly the best person to play Jimmy Early. Everyone knows he’s a great, funny actor, but he’s such a strong presence as this character. He takes great control in every scene he’s in, no matter how demonstrative he needs to be at the moment. He also kills it musically every time – his vocal chops match the style perfectly, and you can tell he puts his all of heart and soul into every note of every song, never afraid to try anything. With this kind of role, that’s how you have to play it, and Eddie Murphy is one of the rare personalities who can pull it off just right in his own way. (Favorite Jimmy song: Jimmy’s Rap)

   

   “Jimmy wanna rib, Jimmy wanna steak,
   Jimmy want some of your chocolate cake!”

8. Beyonce – Beyonce, it goes without saying, has been on top of the world for some time now. She’s a killer pop singer/musician, and has had a few successes in movies. As far as movies though, this is easily her best and most memorable one. She’s definitely playing the role quite naturally in the 3rd quarter of the show as America’s sweetheart: “Hello America! I love you; Curtis, darling, this is for you.” I think she did the best work at the beginning as the shy, excitable young girl and especially towards the end when her eyes are really opened to put it all in perspective. (Favorite Deena song: Listen)

   

   “I’m all alone at a crossroads – I’m not at home in my own home!”

9. Jennifer Hudson – After her run on American Idol, this was Hudson’s first real big break. And good lawd, does she hold her own here! Playing Effie White is a pretty demanding role, and Hudson brings it all. I have no clue on how much of an actress she was before this movie, but she convinces me on her character every time she’s on screen. She, of course, also absolutely kills every song she has, and does her best to match the more experienced talent she’s on screen with (Beyonce, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, etc.). There’s just no way to not love her in this movie.  (Favorite Effie song: And I’m Telling You. Of course.)

   

   “I’ll change my life…and nothing’s gonna stop…me…now!”

10. Keith Robinson – After seeing him in Fat Albert (hmm maybe I shouldn’t have started with that), it is fantastic to see what he brings to the table as C.C. White. He stands for what he believes in, especially his music and the girls, but all that starts getting confused and jeopardized the closer he gets to Curtis’ business and the more success rises. Finally he’s had enough and does all he can to make things right. Robinson did a great, great job acting in this role, and made C.C. that much more relatable of a character. (Favorite C.C. song: Family)

    

    That sound takes all the feeling outta my music!

11. Anika Noni Rose – Another great talent. She brings the perfect amount of innocence during the whole thing, while still showing her aggression in the tough times with Jimmy – and unlike in the play, it doesn’t get too much time to be in the way of all the other subplots. She does a stellar job, undeniably. In other news: She has the best name ever. (Favorite Lorelle song: Patience)

    

    “Well…Mr. Early…you could teach us the song.”

12. Cameos – It was cool to see a couple actors who were involved with the original Dreamgirls Broadway production, namely Hinton Battle and Loretta Devine. Jaleel White was at the beginning, and we even got Michael-Leon Wooley (well-known voice of the Audrey II plant in the 2006 revival of Little Shop of Horrors) to play Tiny Joe Dixon. They even got Dawn Lewis to play Jimmy Early’s wife and give him the same look she gave Sinbad on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World. And hey, there’s John Krasinski! How cool.

13. Balance – Great balance of drama, some comedy, some romance of course, and plenty of good music. I don’t miss the songs that didn’t make it from the Broadway show (such as Lorelle’s rant at Jimmy towards the end). The focuses are where they are supposed to be – using everything to tell the story. There’s never a pointless moment. It makes you sad when you’re supposed to be sad. It makes you laugh at all the right moments. It lets you have fun too! And it all adds to the overall experience, and you’ll remember it for a good while – this movie holds up as long as you want it to, and then some.

WHAT COULD BE BETTER (subjectively)

1. Personally, I do miss Marty singing in the stage play. But I don’t think Danny Glover enjoys singing. If he did, Color Purple would have been a little different in his scenes with Whoopi Goldberg. I would have loved to have heard him sing a creepy song about his weird bromance crush with Jimmy Early, though.

2. This is a small thing, but whenever the girls are singing backup, one of two things happen – either 3 of them are singing behind Jimmy and it sounds like more of a small choir adding to each of the 3 voice parts (therefore fuller than just the 3 of them on each part), OR Deena is singing lead with 2 in the background, but you clearly hear 3 girls singing backup. It takes me out of it a little, despite how good it sounds.

CONCLUSION

I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Period. I’d definitely say I enjoy it better the the original, which was still pretty well done. This is one of the rare examples of a production that was turned into a movie well. I can’t even add anything to what I added above- I just love it. It does what it set out to do, and will likely hold up forever.  I know/love all of the songs, and I’m sure many of you do, too.

BLACKOMETER: 9.8/10

Let me know what you think, what your favorite song is, favorite actor in this movie…all that good stuff!

-BB2