--- title: "The Prince of Egypt: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-prince-of-egypt/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-prince-of-egypt" critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Prince of Egypt (1998): what the critics said Critics' score 70 from 13 reviews: 10 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like it, and the praise goes to the animation. Nearly every review singles out the scale of the set pieces, the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea above all, and the blend of hand-drawn work with computer imagery that makes them possible. Several find the film unusually serious for a cartoon and count that in its favour: it treats the Moses story as a biblical epic rather than a children’s adventure, and the brotherly relationship between Moses and Rameses is credited with giving the spectacle a human centre. The voice cast draws steady approval, as does Zimmer’s score. The reservations cluster around the songs, which more than one critic calls conventional or hokey, and around whether an earnest tone leaves both children and adults slightly short-changed. The spread is wide: the later reviews, from Collider and Polygon, rank it among DreamWorks’ best, while The Independent stands alone in dismissing it as bloated kitsch. ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 1998. Ebert praises the film as one of the best-looking animated features ever made, noting how animation frees the story from the constraints of live-action epics like DeMille's versions. He highlights the visual imagination in the prologue, Red Sea parting, and character work, while appreciating its seriousness and complex themes. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-prince-of-egypt-1998) ## Variety — Glenn Lovell Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 10 December 1998. Lovell hails it as an outstanding artistic achievement that ups the ante in feature animation, rich in historic detail and eye-popping tableaux that sometimes outdoes DeMille. He praises the seamless blend of traditional animation and CGI along with the score and songs, while noting its dour tone may limit broad appeal. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/the-prince-of-egypt-1117487966/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 1998. Turan lauds the sheer spectacle of the animation, achieved through a mix of traditional and computer methods, as a succession of visual wonders. He finds it a serious venture that effectively depicts the plagues and encourages returning to the biblical source. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-dec-18-ca-55112-story.html) ## Radio Times — Jason Caro Rating 4/5. This rousing animated take on the Moses story delivers visual grandeur and epic set pieces like the parting of the Red Sea that rival Disney at its best. The strong voice cast and stirring songs enhance the achievement, though some dramatic licence is taken. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ca3kwt/the-prince-of-egypt/) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 1998. Maslin calls it a well-made work that succeeds more than expected as a biblical epic in animation, commending its visual spectacle and gravitas once it settles into the story. She notes it works best when relying on the strong source material rather than lighter elements. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/18/movies/film-review-fairy-tale-musical-comedy-nope-biblical-epic.html) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic praises the film's epic storytelling, stunning visuals, grand themes and emotional set pieces while noting the strong dynamic between Moses and Rameses. It is seen as a worthy but earnest effort that may not fully satisfy either children or adults. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/prince-egypt-review/) ## Sight and Sound — Leslie Felperin Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The film successfully revives the biblical epic in animated form with impressive technical achievements in blending CGI and traditional animation for effects like the plagues and Red Sea parting. The critic admires the monumental visuals and sense of scale but finds the songs conventional and hokey, wishing for a more mature score. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/16) ## The Guardian Rating A– (entertainment), D (history). 17 December 2009. The critic finds the film takes major liberties with the biblical story of Exodus but calls it a stunning animated feature overall. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/dec/17/prince-of-egypt-reel-history) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 29 March 2002. The critic finds the animation impressive and the story's darker elements effective, but notes that the conventional aspects, particularly the mediocre songs, undermine the film. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-prince-of-egypt-1798196200) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 1998. The critic finds the film a bloated, kitsch monstrosity that fails to live up to its ambitious visual and thematic pretensions despite impressive technical achievements. The earnest biblical epic is dismissed as vulgar and unworthy compared to classic animation. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/cinema-the-dumbest-story-ever-told-1193453.html) ## Collider — Kelcie Mattson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 24 December 2023. The critic calls it DreamWorks' best film, praising its ambitious scope reminiscent of epic cinema and Shakespearean pathos, as well as the exceptional depth brought by its all-star voice cast, especially Val Kilmer and Ralph Fiennes. [Read the review](https://collider.com/the-prince-of-egypt-cast/) ## Polygon — Petrana Radulovic Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 19 December 2023. The critic highlights it as the most serious and best of early DreamWorks animated features, praising its consistent dramatic tone, stunning animation of ancient Egypt, Hans Zimmer score, unflinching handling of slavery and plagues, and human focus on the Moses-Ramses brotherly relationship. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/24006811/the-prince-of-egypt-25-year-anniversary/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic finds the film visually stunning with impressive artwork but criticizes the script, songs, and its attempt to condense a profound story into an animated feature, saying it suffers from its own ambition. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-prince-of-egypt-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-prince-of-egypt.md