Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Joseph: King of Dreams Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 17, 2019

Joseph: King of Dreams begins with this text:

The Motion Picture you are about to see is an adaptation of the Joseph story in the book of Genesis. While artistic and historical license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values, and integrity of a story that is cherished by millions of people worldwide.

Indeed, while the filmmakers have taken some liberties for the sake of translating the Biblical story to the animated realm, it does a commendable job of not only recreating essential plot details but also capturing the spiritual essence behind it, retaining, and making center, the idea that Joseph's life was led through hardship towards a greater destiny for himself, his family, and all of the land. The film holds tightly to themes of destiny and forgiveness and manages to merge its darker plot elements with its healthier thematic qualities quite nicely, elevating this direct-to-video picture well beyond its means as a capable and agreeable Biblical adaptation.

Canaanite Jacob (voiced by Richard Herd) and his wife Rachel (voiced by Maureen McGovern) are told they can never have a child together. But in Jacob's extreme old age and from her barren womb a child, Joseph, is born. The family -- including Jacob’s older children, who are Joseph's half-brothers -- believe the birth to be a miracle. But as Joseph (voiced by Ben Affleck) grows older, it becomes clear the boy is special. Jacob and Rachel gift him a beautiful coat of many colors to remind him of all of the good things in his life. When Joseph, now a teenager, heads out for a day with his brothers, he is left behind to watch the flock while his brothers relax, which leads to a ram’s death and a significant reprimand of the brothers from Jacob, all of which is the fulfillment of one of Joseph’s particularly vivid dreams. When he next dreams that he stands above his brothers, that even the stars bow down to him, Jacob believes it to be of importance, a message from God foretelling of his son's future. Judah (voiced by Mark Hamill), the eldest brother, is infuriated at Joseph’s lofty place in the family, Jacob’s willingness to take his dreams to heart, and the boy's pampered life.

Later, Joseph overhears his brothers conspiring against him. They tear his coat and throw him into a pit. He survives the fall but is left for dead. Later, he is pulled out of the pit by three strange men who give the brothers 20 pieces of silver to take Joseph into slavery in Egypt. He is stripped of his coat and his dignity and, for the first time in his life, put to work. But the quality of Joseph's work draws the attention of his master, Potiphar (voiced by James Eckhouse), who promotes him to personal assistant. When Joseph realizes Potiphar is being cheated in a deal for a horse, he speaks up and gains further favor, improving his master’s house in more ways than one. However, when Potiphar’s wife, Zuleika (voiced by Judith Light), accuses Joseph of rape, he is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. But though his road may be difficult, it becomes clear that a greater destiny awaits Joseph in Pharaoh’s courts and as a part of Egypt’s salvation from coming famine.

The film was released directly to video, bypassing theaters unlike its cinema sibling The Prince of Egypt which released two years prior in December 1998 and earned three times its budget at the box office. That would suggest an appetite for Biblically based animated films, at least at the time that film, and this one, were released. But even as a DTV effort the film feels substantial, bearing the fruits of quality animation, a few catchy and meaningful songs, and a quality voice roster, which includes the curiously cast, but surprisingly effective, Ben Affleck as the title character. The film plays to its story rather than its cast and visuals, assuring a harmonious collaboration between all elements while holding the material -- the story and more importantly it thematic resonance -- in the highest esteem while building the film to suit a wide range of audiences.

A year prior to this film's release, Andrew Lloyd Weber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat released directly to video with Donny Osmond in the title role in a live action adaptation.

Joseph: King of Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Joseph: King of Dreams arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer framed at 1.78:1. The image is not particularly great. While colors are sufficiently robust and textures adequate, the image is problematic around the periphery. There are more than a few jagged edges plaguing the presentation. There are a number of shots that appear somewhat low-res, lacking aggressive crispness and clarity. Banding appears across some solid colored surfaces, including shirtless torsos. Fortunately, these problems to not appear in transfer-breaking excess but do appear with enough regularity to distract from several scenes. In the aggregate, however, viewers will find a sufficiently crisp and colorful image, one that handles both characters and environments with acceptable definition and clarity. Colors, which are largely earthy but pop when looking at Joseph's coat or regal Egyptian decor, shine. The picture wavers between "strong" and "needs improvement" (granted many of the issues seem found at the source, not a fault of Universal's transfer). Most viewers should find it watchable enough.

Joseph: King of Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Joseph: King of Dreams features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The track is imperfect. The opening song, and most to follow, struggles to prioritize lyrics which fall well under music which is itself wide and immersive but lacking superior clarity and definition. Score, on the other hand, is a bit more rich and lively, able-bodied and agreeably accurate though still in need of some fine-tuning at the ends of the spectrum. The track finds some quality spacing as Joseph is thrown into a cavernous prison. The door slams shut with impressive reverberation, voices echo about, and rats scurry across the floor. Thunder cracks with impressive depth and detail and rain falls with stage saturating coverage in chapter 11. Meanwhile in chapter 14 gusty, arid winds impressively blow through the stage. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized as it flows from a natural front-center location.

Joseph: King of Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Joseph: King of Dreams contains two supplements. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code is included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Sing-Along (480i): Karaoke-style presentations for three of the film's songs. Included are "Miracle Child" (4:20), "More Than You Take" (2:58), and "Better Than I" (3:39).
• Storyboard Presentation with Director's Commentary (480i, 11:11): Directors Robert Ramirez and Rob LaDuca discuss several simplistically animated sequences. They cover the scenes' narratives, places in the film, various challenges (particularly in music), the artwork itself, and more.

Joseph: King of Dreams Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's a shame DreamWorks didn't pursue more Biblically based animated features beyond this and Prince of Egypt. In the Bible there is, of course, a near endless supply of richly detailed and purposeful tales that are all but begging for similar treatment; imagine a similarly budgeted and crafted film telling the story of Daniel and the lion's den or Jonah and the whale. Such exist, but not quite to this level of production. Nevertheless, the end result is quite good here; Joseph: King of Dreams works visually, aurally, structurally, and thematically. It's one of the better, and most accessible, family-friendly Bible adaptations -- with some license -- out there. Universal's Blu-ray is decent, not great. Picture and sound show room to improve and the included supplements are relatively scant. Recommended.