THOU SHALT NOT WASTE TIME ON 'TEN COMMANDMENTS'.Byline: EVAN EVAN Expandable Van HENERSON >LA.COM (1) (Computer Output Microfilm) Creating microfilm or microfiche from the computer. A COM machine receives print-image output from the computer either online or via tape or disk and creates a film image of each page. Per a USA Today USA Today National U.S. daily general-interest newspaper, the first of its kind. Launched in 1982 by Allen Neuharth, head of the Gannett newspaper chain, it reached a circulation of one million within a year and surpassed two million in the 1990s. reported survey, more Americans can recite the ingredients of a McDonald's Big Mac and rattle off the names of the "Brady Bunch" kids than can come up with all 10 shalts and shalt shalt aux.v. Archaic A second person singular present tense of shall. nots of the Ten Commandments. While that bit of trivia might seem to justify yet another remake of the story of Moses and the children of Israel The Children of Israel, or B'nei Yisrael (בני ישראל) in Hebrew (also B'nai Yisrael, B'nei Yisroel or Bene Israel) is a Biblical term for the Israelites. , it sure doesn't make a case for Promenade Pictures' new animated version of "The Ten Commandments." Combining schlocky animation, leaden dialogue and the skills of a few actors who are clearly earning a paycheck, this "Commandments" didn't even have the sense to time its release with the Passover holiday. Not that a holiday tie-in would have helped much. Is there a moviegoer mov·ie·go·er n. One who goes to see movies. mov  ie·go ing adj. out there -- Big Mac-savvy or otherwise -- who needed to hear
Christian Slater give voice to Moses? I kept waiting for the film's
narrator NARRATOR. A pleader who draws narrs serviens narrator, a sergeant at law. Fleta, 1. 2, c. 37. Obsolete. , Ben Kingsley -- who played Moses in a TV miniseries -- to
break in with, "Step aside, kid. Let me show you how it's
done."
As DreamWorks' "The Prince of Egypt" did, this "Ten Commandments" tracks Moses from the Egyptian court where he is practically a brother to future Pharaoh Ramses (Alfred Molina), through his rebellion, exile, discovery of God (Elliott Gould voicing the burning bush) and ultimately leading the Israelites to the promised land. Moses' family life is given slightly longer treatment than is typical, and with their strange contemporary design, every character -- Egyptians and Israelites alike -- look like they're about to enter a video game. Even so, Ed Naha's script is heavy on obvious, what-you'd-expect-the-man-to-say dialogue. Or there are classic nuggets Nuggets can refer to several branches of interest:
adj. First in order of birth; born first. n. The child in a family who is born first. Noun 1. firstborn - the offspring who came first in the order of birth eldest son! I'm afraid!" Entertainment value may not actually be the point of the exercise here. Promenade Pictures, overseen by former Paramount president Frank Yablans, apparently has 11 more "epic stories from the Bible" in the pipeline. If they follow the "Ten Commandments" format, these films will be released along with school, church and parent resources. By the time epics story No. 2 hits the screen, perhaps Promenade will have heeded the commandment "thou shalt shun corn." Evan Henerson (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson@dailynews.com THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - One and one half stars >PG: mild peril >Starring: voices of Christian Slater, Alfred Molina, Elliott Gould, Ben Kingsley. >Director: Bill Boyce and John Stronach. >Running time: 1 hr. 28 min. >Playing: Area wide. >In a nutshell: Overly earnest and hugely boring. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: A surprised Moses (voiced by Christian Slater) hears God (Elliott Gould) in a burning bush. |
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