7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In a Mediterranean seaside village, Kamila (Salma Hayek) cleans house for exiled artist and poet Mustafa (Liam Neeson), but the more difficult job is keeping her free-spirited young daughter Almitra (Quvenzhané Wallis) out of trouble. The three embark on a journey meant to end with Mustafa's return home – but first they must evade the authorities who fear that the truth in his words will spark rebellion.
Starring: Liam Neeson, Salma Hayek, John Krasinski, Quvenzhané Wallis, Alfred MolinaAnimation | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet may, at first glance, give the impression of a traditional animated kid's movie. Indeed, it shares many of the same basic qualities -- colorful animation, funny gags, and plenty of heart -- but that's not telling the full story. The film is, more to its point, an unorthodox animated retelling of Lebanese-American Poet Kahlil Gibran's 1923 philosophical work The Prophet that artfully -- visually and aurally alike -- recreates his words of wisdom woven into a narrative centered on a young girl who has gone mute since her father's death. The movie tackles life philosophies with not so much heady, but certainly wise and well versed, prose. It's eloquently written and lovingly performed in interludes that share ideas that may not necessarily be greatly enhanced by the added animations and musics but that are opened up to a new generation of audience. The movie may frustrate the youngest of viewers who may not fully understand the reasoning behind the sudden, and artistically varied, interludes, but more socially aware and mature audiences may find the film a satisfying endeavor, whether for its words of wisdom or, if for no other reason, its rather unique approach to animation and enlightenment.
Mother and daughter.
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet features a gorgeous 1080p transfer that's rich with simplicity in its most basic appearance but complex and varied in its more organic stylings. The animation that accompanies the core narrative enjoys rich colors, particularly as clothes, fruits in a marketplace, lush natural greens, and other random examples of more cheerful colors contrast against the earthen tan and brown backdrops that predominantly dot the landscape. Details are excellent. The 1080p transfer captures finer environmental and character details with ease, all the while featuring firm lines and excellent clarity. The more avant-garde bits that accompany the excursions into life philosophy are likewise rich and pleasing as the transfer opens up many new areas of visual exploration and reproduces all of the styles with strict adherence to the colors and details within each style's unique constraints and canvases. The movie is worth watching for these unique segments alone, and Universal's transfer does right by them every time.
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet arrives on Blu-ray with a tried-and-true, and here very effective, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music is the highlight and, with dialogue, the key component. Music is elegantly enveloping, wrapping around the rear but remaining focused and featured across the front. Clarity is excellent; beyond spacial awareness is rich instrumental detail and a firm and balanced low end support. The stage further widens with various environmental effects that are equally immersive and precise. Nowhere is that better exemplified than in the film's first act. The marketplace springs to life with tangible details surrounding the listener, and a ruckus elevates the volume and produces a more scattered, but firm, sense of chaotic immersion. Lighter exterior ambient effects linger for a nice full stage envelopment and in-movie sonic definition. Dialogue is firmly planted in the center, well prioritized, and clear, whether dialogue in-story or Neeson's narration over the philosophical sidebars.
Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet contains a featurette, interviews, and animatics. A DVD copy of the film and a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy
are included with purchase.
"Animation" doesn't always translate to "appropriate for all audiences." Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet isn't necessarily unfit for the youngest of viewers, but its potential to leave them frustrated is high. For more advanced youthful audiences and adults alike there's something to see, and hear, in the film, a film that offers an oftentimes breathtaking artistry mixed with almost century-old writings that still hold relevant today. The movie isn't so much about agreeing or disagreeing, loving or understanding, or even praising or dismissing Gibran's work as it is appreciating the artful assemblage of classic prose skillfully read and supported by gorgeous visuals and pleasing music. Universal's Blu-ray release of Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet features wonderful video, rich audio, and a few quality supplements. Recommended.
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