6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.3 |
Robert Dornhelm's series brings the classic Ten Commandments story to life with vivid color and heartfelt performances by Dougray Scott, Linus Roache, Mia Maestro, Paul Rhys as the Pharaoh, and Omar Sharif.
Starring: Dougray Scott, Mía Maestro, Naveen Andrews, Omar Sharif, Linus RoacheAdventure | 100% |
Action | 93% |
History | 65% |
War | 48% |
Biography | 27% |
Drama | 20% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: LPCM 2.0
English: DTS 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I'm not a king. I'm a shepherd.
A good story is worth telling more than once. A great story is worth telling with regularity. A timeless story lives in perpetuity in many forms. One
such timeless tale is the Bible's Old Testament story of Moses, which includes the freeing of slaves from Egypt following 400 years of bondage and God's
delivery of the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments to Moses. The story has been told in its written form through the ages, and the
(relatively, in historical terms) new medium of film has portrayed it on several occasions, most notably with the 1956 release of The Ten Commandments, the Cecil B. DeMille-directed Epic starring
Charlton Heston as Moses. The story is retold in 2006's made-for-television version, again titled The Ten Commandments. Though made fifty
years after the DeMille/Heston version and in an era of bigger budgets and "better" special effects, the movie labors to keep up with that definitive
classic, and it never matches or surpasses it in scope, style, special effects, command of the medium, or historical or cinematic relevance. Certainly
there's a good movie here, an honest, mostly accurate, sometimes engaging, and always watchable take on the timeless tale of freedom and
the power of God. The message remains largely intact, but there's no doubt this is the lesser of the films. Still, this modern take on The Ten
Commandments proves a worthy companion piece and an interesting test case for comparative filmmaking across two eras and two styles.
Thou shalt watch this movie.
The Ten Commandments features a fair but generally underwhelming Blu-ray presentation. The 1080p/1.78:1-framed transfer nearly dazzles in spots, disappoints in others, and proves serviceably good in most instances. The picture can be either razor-sharp or modestly soft. Generally, it falls into a middle ground where fine detailing is adequate. Facial textures fare well enough and clothing -- both the slaves' tattered garb and the Egyptians' cleaner, more regal costumes -- usually impresses in brighter close-up shots. Similarly, ornate Egyptian decorations and structures prove nicely crisp and thoroughly textured in brighter scenes. Darker scenes or those dominated by flat earth tones are sometimes a bit more lacking. Colors are similar in presentation. The drab slave costumes and earthen hues of the Egyptian landscape are fairly presented and balanced. The image only ever offers significantly vibrant shades when in the presence of the Egyptian palaces. Grain is a bit uneven, seeming to come and go at random intervals. Moderate banding runs throughout the movie, and light blocking interferes on a few occasions. Altogether, though, this is a fair presentation; the studio has crammed a movie that runs nearly three hours on a 25GB disc, and for so little breathing room, the end result is sufficient.
The Ten Commandments arrives on Blu-ray with a myriad of soundtracks, none of which are fantastic, none of which are awful. There seems to be no rhyme or reason why Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0, and LPCM 2.0 presentations had to all be included. One might reasonably think that the LPCM and a pick 'em between the 5.1 offerings would have sufficed. Nevertheless, a sampling of all four throughout the movie yielded little perceptible difference outside of surround activity. Indeed, the tracks with the surround presentations (the DTS was afforded the most time) prove adequately immersive. Sound effects are never quite seamlessly realistic. Thunder claps boom around the listening area, slaves yell and scream, and other moments of sonic chaos are present, but none quite masters the art of real-life imitation. Various directional effects are fair in presentation, and the track does make good use of the entire stage, despite a lack of precision clarity. Music is nicely spaced and the low end proves serviceably deep and potent. The LPCM 2.0 track delivers somewhat clearer dialogue. Other elements sound tightened up a hair, but at the expense of a more immersive and naturally-wide soundstage. Listeners will have to choose if they want a bit more activity or a bit more clarity; a lossless 5.1 soundtrack would have solved the problem, but several lesser options are better than one inferior option at the end of the day.
The Ten Commandments contains two extras. The Making of 'The Ten Commandments' (1080p, 22:50) features narrator Omar Sharif guiding viewers throughout he making of the film. Included is behind the scenes footage, clips from the film, and cast and crew interviews which cover the film's story, its themes, the making of the movie, comparisons to DeMille's film, historical influences, digital effects, set design, costumes, and more. Also included is The Ten Commandments trailer (1080p, 1:57). Note that there is no "main menu." All language and special features options must be accessed in-movie from a popup menu. Pressing the "top menu" button only returns the movie to the beginning.
The Ten Commandments is a decent enough movie considering it's something of a faux-epic, a made-for-television "spectacular" that certainly fares better than many of its TV contemporaries in terms of sheer quality and story. Still, it pales next to the DeMille/Heston classic, no surprise, but this Ten Commandments is a watchable movie in its own right, even through uneven acting, modest and relatively phony digital effects, and a lesser pace and technical prowess. It goes to show that time and progress alone aren't enough to better a story; this 2006 take is merely a serviceable picture that makes for a fair comparison or companion piece to the original, but is certainly not its equal or replacement. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of The Ten Commandments features decent video and audio to go along with two minor extras. It's really only worth a rental, but considering a buy doesn't cost a whole lot more, well, may as well add it to the collection.
1995
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The Ultimate Cut
2004
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2013-2021
Director's Cut
2004
Director's Cut
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2012
Extended Cut
1991
Director's Cut
2004
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