The Prince of Egypt, DreamWorks Animation's musical adaptation of the Book of Exodus, remains a beautiful and audacious epic. In 2018, director Brenda Chapman noted, "We were trying to make films that weren't feeling like they were just for children. We wanted to make films that everyone would go see. We wanted to say we can make a drama in animation and it not just be where parents drop their kids off at the theater like they used to, or just use them as babysitters." The result is a lightning-fast 99 minutes of captivating storytelling.
The film, featuring the voice of Val Kilmer mixed in with other talented voices, made a significant impact. Some even suggest that its success played a role in the Academy creating a best animated picture category.
Many viewers have expressed their love for the movie, with one stating, "Absolutely incredible movie and one of my favorite animation films of all time. Absolute kino."
It took until 2018 for the film to be released on Blu-ray, so they're certainly turning around the UHD version much faster. The original artwork has returned and wish that would happen more often with catalog releases.
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment released The Prince of Egypt on 4K Blu-ray. Here's a detailed look at the 4K UHD version:
Read also: Exploring The Prince of Egypt's Impact
Picture Quality
Universal's new 2160p/HDR UHD release of The Prince of Egypt looks quite good. The 4K UHD offers a significant upgrade in picture quality. As an animated film it's great, and the details that were put into the animation are revealed even more. There are improvements to source fidelity and natural refinement are in plain evidence here.
However, it hasn't had the near-perfect to perfect clean up that we often get from Warner Archive etc. It's very good, but once in a while there are tiny flecks of dust or other small imperfections. This does, however, make it feel rather like watching it in a studio theater with the people who made the movie back in 1998.
Compared to Universal's 1080p issue from several years ago, the new version shows a reduction of these sort of problems compared to the Blu-ray, which featured this deterioration with much greater frequency. The image looks more clean than it is problematic in this area.
The HDR color grading also offers a stout upgrade compared to the Blu-ray. One example of both earthy beiges and brighter reds and purples offering substantial gains to overall depth but also vividness and accuracy. The image looks full and satisfying and the Blu-ray comparatively washed out and flat.
While the source might be dark to begin with and the HDR grading does reduce brightness, but it does so with an eye towards tonal accuracy and refinement. Browns -- and these tones enjoy fruitful depth and accuracy, even if they are not the most visually robust or resplendent ever seen.
Read also: "When You Believe" analysis
Areas improved here, with the points of brighter and more vivid colors offering more stable accuracy and improved clarity.
Standouts on this version were the magician showdown and red sea scenes. Both looked incredible.
Audio Quality
The new audio track is a fine example of size, balance, and finesse alike for both music and sound effects, be either of them subtle and gentle or aggressive and large. The dialogue is clear and center focused or the duration, and of course it is also well prioritized. This track is nearly reason enough to upgrade from the Blu-ray.
The new release features an improvement over the previous Blu-ray's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 presentation. The surrounds are used fluently and fully rather than discretely. Still, the sense of new immersion and involvement within the listening area comes very welcome. The surrounds are used if only more in a support role rather than with discrete output, which is how they should be used in this context.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews highlight the visual improvements and the enduring appeal of the movie:
Read also: "The Prince of Egypt" Streaming Guide
- "Absolutely stunning. The movie itself is wonderful, the music is on another level, and the 4k image is beautiful. this is the best way to watch this classic."
- "This is definitely one of my favorite biblical movies, so glad they decided to go 4K on this one. Really recommend it for the hall family, specially the kids."
- "The picture for this movie was beautiful the hrd makes all the colors pop so good it feels like i just seen it for the first time"
- "Absolutely classic movie to have one 4K the visuals lookout standing on this animated film. The DTSX master audio is even better. Very hefty track."
- "Amazing movie from my childhood. Absolutely love this movie and looks even better now with 4k HDR. Highly recommend."
- "One of the best non disney animated musicals. The film is perfect in every way and the 4k restoration is amazing."
Summary of Improvements
Here's a table summarizing the key improvements in the 4K UHD version:
The Prince of Egypt is DreamWorks' Masterpiece
| Feature | Blu-ray | 4K UHD |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p | 2160p |
| Color Grading | Standard | HDR |
| Picture Quality | Good | Significantly Improved |
| Audio | DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 | Improved DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 |
| Cleanliness | Some imperfections | Reduced imperfections |
In this animated retelling of the Book of Exodus, Egyptian Prince Moses (Val Kilmer), upon discovering his roots as a Jewish slave, embarks on a quest to free his people from bondage. When his plea is denied by his brother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes), the new pharaoh, a series of horrific plagues strike Egypt. Moses finally leads the Israelites to freedom by parting the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptian army.
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