I don’t often look too kindly on direct-to-video produce,
particularly when that produce happens to be animated. I understand I am
certainly not the only one – and it’s not hard to see why. Just by looking at
Disney’s extensive supply of second-rate straight-to-video sequels, one can
easily conclude that the average video premiere is typically of an inferior
quality. Even releases that are considered at the very least ‘decent’
nonetheless pale miserably in comparison to their theatrically released counterparts,
not only due to inferior animation, but also inferior writing and direction.
Case in point: just compare The Hunchback
of Notre Dame II (2002) with the original 1996 classic. Actually, don’t. There is
no comparison. Comparing these movies would be sacrilege.
 |
| Joseph: King of Dreams (DreamWorks, 2000) |
But we’re not here to discuss Disney. Back in 2000, DreamWorks
unveiled a surprise straight-to-video adaptation of the story of Joseph from
the Book of Genesis, titled Joseph: King
of Dreams. The film is seen as a spiritual successor of sorts to their 1998
blockbuster The Prince of Egypt,
which focusses on the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus. Despite the fact
that it seldom gets a mention in any ‘top animated movies’ lists, The Prince of Egypt boasts incredible
visuals, an impressive score, and a brutally truthful depiction of slavery – a
feat all the more impressive in an animated feature film, a genre that usually
tends to shy away from portrayals of graphic violence. In these respects, it is
indeed true that Joseph falls short –
and majorly so.
 |
| The Prince of Egypt (DreamWorks, 1998) |
But that said, Joseph has
an unusual likeability to it. The songs, though ‘nice’, are generally inferior
to those in The Prince of Egypt
(besides, perhaps, ‘Better Than I’, a beautifully melodic ballad performed by
David Campbell that builds in intensity to a powerful finish). This inferiority
is, of course, expected. Let’s not forget that that film was responsible for
the award-winning hit song ‘When You Believe’, and with Hans Zimmer’s
spellbinding score, Joseph poses very
little competition. But it doesn’t really *try* to – rather, it acknowledges
its own shortcomings, and nonetheless succeeds in delivering a decent
successor. The film focusses on Joseph, a child who is praised as a ‘miracle
child’ by his father Jacob. Joseph begins to tell of visions he has in dreams,
while his brothers become increasingly jealous of his special treatment. The
brothers sell him into slavery, tearing his coat of many colours, staining it
with sheep’s blood, and claiming to their father Jacob that he had been ravaged
by wolves.
 |
| Joseph: King of Dreams (DreamWorks, 2000) |
The story, by comparison with The Prince of Egypt, is notably less complex, and the animation,
for the most part, suffers from being very stilted, especially by today’s
standards. It lacks the fluidity of DreamWork’s theatrical releases, and is
consequently conveyed as rather dated. One aspect of the animation that is
worth noting, however, is the use of computer generated effects to distinguish
the haunting dream sequences. They are, for a direct-to-video release, surprisingly
artistic, and effectively ‘dreamlike’. It is actually surprising how many
familiar names and famous faces they had on board for this project – especially
considering its low-key release. Joseph is played by Ben Affleck, while Jodi
Benson (of Little Mermaid fame) plays
Asenath, Joseph’s wife. Despite the clunky animation and slightly bland and
repetitive (but admittedly catchy) songs, Joseph
otherwise has the makings of a theatrical release, if noticeably less
gritty, complex and memorable than The
Prince of Egypt.
 |
| Joseph: King of Dreams (DreamWorks, 2000) |
Ultimately, this film is a pleasant experience, and one of
the better direct-to-video releases out there. On a personal note, I am not the
least bit religious, but it doesn’t take somebody overly invested in religion
and the Bible to appreciate the ambitiousness and scope of these features. They’re
not for everyone though – particularly in the case of this film, some people
who identify as being very anti-religious might find the allusions to
spirituality somewhat hard to swallow. Even so, Joseph may be the inferior little sister, but it remains an
effective and interesting film from start to finish. Though far from perfect, Joseph deserves to hold the title of the
direct-to-video king.
Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and like us on Facebook!
Twitter - @felixidhan
Facebook – http://facebook.com/idonthaveanose
No comments:
Post a Comment