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"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS" (2007) (voices of Christian Slater, Alfred Molina) (PG) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Moderate Extreme *Moderate Moderate Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor None Heavy None None Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Minor None Heavy Heavy Heavy QUICK TAKE: Drama: A shepherd must contend with his cousin, the Pharaoh, when chosen by God to lead the Hebrews out of ancient Egypt. PLOT: In this retelling of the classic Old Testament tale, our narrator (voice of BEN KINGSLEY) sets the stage for the story. In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh is worried about the growing number of Hebrew children and thus orders that all male infants be killed. But Baby Moses' mother sets him adrift in a basket on the Nile and he's later found and adopted by a princess. He later grows up to be Moses (voice of CHRISTIAN SLATER), cousin to Ramses (voice of ALFRED MOLINA), the future Pharaoh of Egypt. Unlike his relative who doesn't mind the mistreatment and death of slaves, Moses is bothered by that. One day, when trying to stop a guard from abusing one, Moses ends up killing the guard in self-defense. Spared by Pharaoh but banished from Egypt by Ramses, Moses wanders the desert until eventually finding his future wife, having children, and becoming a shepherd. It's then that he encounters God (voice of ELLIOT GOULD) who wants the humble man to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt and to the promised land. Moses is uncertain, but when God shows him His powers, the shepherd sets out to ask Ramses to let his people go. Now Pharaoh, Ramses sees himself as Egypt's only god, and thus doesn't honor his cousin's request. Even after Moses and God bring a number of plagues upon the ruler and his people, Ramses remains defiant. It's only when death takes the lives of all first-born males in the city, does Ramses relent, and orders the slaves freed. Accompanied by his brother, Aaron (voice of CHRISTOPHER GAZE), and sister, Miriam (voice of KATHLEEN BARR), Moses sets out on a pilgrimage for the land of milk and honey. Along the way, however, his resolve is repeatedly tested, not only by Ramses who now comes after him with his army, but also various dire circumstances, as well as naysayers such as Dathan (voice of LEE TOCKAR) who poison the others' minds with fear and doubt. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? If they're interested in the Biblical story, they might, but the primitive-looking computer graphics might turn away some older, more discerning kids. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG For some mild peril. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MOSES is the humble shepherd chosen by God to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. He must not only contend with his self-doubts, but also the efforts of Ramses to stop him, and naysayers like Dathan who question his motives and decisions. Through God, he brings many plagues upon the Egyptians to try to convince Ramses to release the slaves. RAMSES is his cousin, now Pharaoh, who believes he's the only god for his people and thus doesn't heed Moses' warnings of what will happen if he doesn't let the slaves go. Accordingly, he brings death and destruction upon his people, but nevertheless remains defiant and wants Moses dead. GOD is the Almighty deity who selects Moses as His servant to free the Hebrews, and brings many plagues upon Ramses, his people, and those who don't believe in Him. DATHAN is a Hebrew spy for Ramses, a naysayer who constantly questions Moses and God, thus poisoning the mind of others with doubt and fear. AARON is Moses' brother who accompanies and assists him on their pilgrimage. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick summary of the content found in this PG-rated, Biblical drama. No profanity is present, but some colorful phrases are. No sex is present, but a few women are seen in midriff-revealing attire, and one woman wears a type of tube-top clothing across her chest, and covers that in embarrassment upon the return of her male leader. Various male characters are seen shirtless or with open shirts, and one of the commandments deals with not committing adultery. Violence includes many deaths, mostly off camera, but via a variety of means (a knife in self-defense, various plagues including the death of all firstborn males, other implied infanticide, mass drowning, and several people falling into a crevice that closes on them). Save for what's seen on a knife blade, all of that is blood free, but old whipping scars are present (and some whipping of slaves is seen), and there is the brief bit about all water being turned into blood, while various characters are covered in boils from one of the plagues. Those scenes and moments of potential peril might be unsettling or suspenseful for some viewers, particularly younger ones, who may also be unnerved by the crudely rendered computer graphics that give the characters somewhat of a creepy and stiff, doll-like appearance. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, tense family material (including death and abandonment of children) is present, and some alcohol is presumably present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, some of that occurs from lightning. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, we see the bouncy POV of Moses on a donkey as he tries to escape from guards through various alleys and such, while there is also some spin-around camerawork. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE After Moses has turned all of the water into blood, Ramses states that he doesn't need to drink water when he has wine (but we don't see him have any). We see various people drinking from goblets in a celebration. BLOOD/GORE We see blood on a dagger's blade after Moses kills a guard in self-defense. God shows Moses examples of his power, and that includes God telling Moses to put his hand into his robe and then pull it out. When Moses does, his hand is covered with all sorts of bad looking boils, but God tells them to put his hand back into his robe and pull it out once again, this time with the hand appearing normal. Moses uses God's power to turn all of the water, including the river, into blood, and we see several dead fish float to the surface. Moses uses God's power to afflict the Egyptians with bad looking sores, and we'd see them on many people, including Ramses. We see old whip marks on various parts of various slaves. From God comes the order that all of the firstborn sons of Egypt will die, and Ramses' son is worried. Moses then tells the Hebrews to paint their doors with lamb blood so that death will pass them by. We then see clouds and lightning over Egypt at night, with talk that death is coming. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Pharaoh (Ramses' predecessor) orders that all male Hebrew babies be killed, and resultant infanticide is implied. Ramses mentions that the slaves lost in building a monument were worth it for what was accomplished. We hear the sound of a slave being whipped, and then see a guard doing that and kicking the labored man, calling him a lazy oaf, telling him to get up, and saying he beats "these dogs" all of the time. A woman tries to intervene, but the guard knocks her back, just as he does to Moses when he intervenes. The guard then pulls a dagger and comes at Moses, swinging at him. Some men have bad attitudes towards some women at a watering hole, thinking they have rights before them to use it. Ramses is condescending toward Moses, saying that he smells of sheep, is pathetic in his eyes, and basically doesn't believe a word he's saying. To prove that he doesn't believe Moses and his message about God, Ramses orders that his slaves work even harder. We see a slave being whipped, and a guard states that if they don't meet their brick quota they will die by sundown. We hear that Dathan is a Hebrew spy for Ramses. Despite all that has occurred, Ramses is still defiant, and orders that all Hebrews be killed or captured as slaves. He also states that he wants Moses dead. Dathan is a constant naysayer and always questions Moses and God, despite both repeatedly showing that they care for and can protect the Hebrews. By doing so, he also creates naysayers and complainers among some of the other people. With Moses gone for 40 days, Dathan collects gold from all of the Hebrews, and has Aaron meld that into a golden statue of a calf, that all of the people can worship. Some viewers may see Dathan and other Hebrews as offensive ethnic stereotypes (the perpetually complaining Jew, etc.). FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" may be unsettling, suspenseful, or scary to younger viewers, but probably few others. The crudely rendered computer graphics give the characters somewhat of a creepy and stiff, doll-like appearance that might be unsetting or even scary to some younger kids. Pharaoh (Ramses' predecessor) orders that all male Hebrew babies be killed, and Moses' mother hides him along the river before setting him adrift in a basket on the Nile. That subsequent journey down the river may be suspenseful for younger kids, particularly regarding the perils encountered along the way. We hear the sound of a slave being whipped, and then see a guard doing that and kicking the labored man, calling him a lazy oaf, telling him to get up, and saying he beats "these dogs" all of the time. A woman tries to intervene, but the guard knocks her back, just as he does to Moses when he intervenes. The guard then pulls a dagger and comes at Moses, swinging at him. They end up on the ground with the guard on top of him, with one hand on his throat and the other raising his dagger. We then see Moses roll the guard off him, dead, and we see blood on the dagger's blade. After killing a guard in self-defense, Moses tries to escape (on the back of a donkey) from guards who come after him through the various alleys. Moses collapses from exhaustion and dehydration. God shows Moses examples of his power, and that includes turning a staff into a cobra. That snake appears menacing to Moses, but God tells him to pick it up by the tail, so Moses does, and it turns back into the staff. God then tells Moses to put his hand into his robe and then pull it out. When Moses does, his hand is covered with all sorts of bad looking boils, but God tells them to put his hand back into his robe and pull it out once again, this time with the hand appearing normal. As Moses travels back to the palace, he hears strange noises at night, and expects the worst, but it turns out to be his brother. To prove God's power, Moses does the staff into cobra effect, and the snake again appears menacing. Ramses, however, has his magicians do the same and create several cobras that also appear menacing. However, Moses' cobra is then seen swallowing the others. We see a slave being whipped, and a guard states that if they don't meet their brick quota they will die by sundown. Moses uses God's power to send a plague of lice onto the Egyptians, but we don't see any on them. Moses uses God's power to send a plague of flies onto the Egyptians, and we see one animal collapse to the ground dead. Moses uses God's power to afflict the Egyptians with bad looking sores, and we see them on many people, including Ramses. We see a montage of other plagues sent onto the Egyptians, including hail, fire, locusts, and a dust storm. From God comes the order that all of the firstborn sons of Egypt will die, and Ramses' son is worried. Moses then tells the Hebrews to paint their doors with lamb blood so that death will pass them by. We then see clouds and lightning over Egypt at night, with talk that death is coming. We then see milky white clouds of apparitions that then make their way through Egypt, presumably killing all of the firstborns, but we don't see any of the deaths, but do see some statues falling over. The next day, we do see Ramses grieving over his dead son. The migrating Hebrews realize that they are now trapped between the sea and Ramses' approaching army. God uses his column of fire as well as various lightning bolts to keep the army at bay. Moses then uses his staff to part the sea, allowing his people to pass to the other side safely. However, they then see the army quickly approaching them through that same passage and begin to worry. However, Moses uses his power to send the sea crashing back together onto those forces. We see various army men panicking and then being swept away and presumably drowned by the water (we do see some floating bodies in the water from beneath them). Moses throws the two tablets of the 10 Commandments and they cause a large crevice in the ground from which fire erupts. Dathan and other naysayers are then swallowed up in the crevice that then closes onto them (but we don't see their presumed deaths). There is talk that Moses died, but we don't see that occur. GUNS/WEAPONS In the opening credits that show moving cartoon images, we see bow and arrow hunting. Whips and other such devices are used to strike slaves. A guard tries to kill Moses with a dagger, but ends up dying after being stabbed by that. Ramses leads his army with his sword drawn. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Get up, you lazy oaf," "I beat these dogs all of the time" (referring to slaves), "Heebs," "You smell of sheep," "Are we there yet?" "These people are driving me mad," "Manna, manna, manna" and "Are you people crazy?" Some women wear midriff revealing tops. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A heavy amount of suspenseful, ominous, and some heavily dramatic music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY None. SEX/NUDITY Some women wear midriff revealing tops. In the opening credits that show moving cartoon images, we see nude baby Moses (from the side) crawling along. Various male characters throughout the film, including Moses, Ramses, and others, are seen shirtless or with open shirts. One of the commandments is that one shall not commit adultery, but the one about not coveting thy neighbor's wife has been rewritten in a more benign way (about not wanting what others have). We see a woman in the equivalent of a tube top, and she covers that with her arms in embarrassment when Moses returns. SMOKING None. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Moses' mother sets the infant adrift in a basket on the river (to keep him from being murdered). Moses' wife and children are worried when he sets off to free the Hebrews from the pharaoh. Moses doesn't get along with his cousin, Ramses, with the latter eventually wanting to kill Moses. From God comes the order that all of the firstborn sons of Egypt will die, and Ramses' son is worried. Moses then tells the Hebrews to paint their doors with lamb blood so that death will pass them by. The next day, we do see Ramses grieving over his dead son. Moses hears news that his sister Miriam died in her sleep, and then he goes to visit his brother Aaron who is on his deathbed, and then dies in front of Moses. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT This adaptation of the classic Old Testament story. The Ten Commandments and what they mean, etc. Slaves and how they were viewed and treated. Ancient Egypt. The genesis of Passover. Ordered infanticide. Ramses states that Pharaoh is the only god of Egypt. The severity of the plagues that God sends upon the Egyptians (including killing all firstborn sons). Dealing with complainers and naysayers. With Moses gone for 40 days, Dathan collects gold from all of the Hebrews, and has Aaron meld that into a golden statue of a calf, that all of the people can worship. One of the commandments is that one shall not commit adultery, but the one about not coveting thy neighbor's wife has been rewritten in a more benign way (about not wanting what others have). We hear that God made those who didn't believe in Him wander for 40 years without finding the promised land. VIOLENCE In the opening credits that show moving cartoon images, we see bow and arrow hunting, and a bird falling from the sky. There's also a bit where a bird crashes into and then slides down a column. There's also sparring with staffs. We see Moses and Ramses wrestling quite vigorously, knocking down some statues and barely avoiding a huge part of a fountain that falls and nearly hits them. We hear the sound of a slave being whipped, and then see a guard doing that and kicking the labored man, calling him a lazy oaf, telling him to get up, and saying he beats "these dogs" all of the time. A woman tries to intervene, but the guard knocks her back, just as he does to Moses when he intervenes. The guard then pulls a dagger and comes at Moses, swinging at him. They end up on the ground with the guard on top of him, with one hand on his throat and the other raising his dagger. We then see Moses roll the guard off him, dead, and we see blood on the dagger's blade. We see Moses' POV as he's hit in the face by a guard's pole that knocks him out. We hear slaves being whipped. Moses uses God's power to send a plague of flies onto the Egyptians, and we see one animal collapse to the ground dead. We see a montage of other plagues sent onto the Egyptians, including hail, fire, locusts, and a dust storm, with some property damage occurring from that. From God comes the order that all of the firstborn sons of Egypt will die, and Ramses' son is worried. Moses then tells the Hebrews to paint their doors with lamb blood so that death will pass them by. We then see clouds and lightning over Egypt at night, with talk that death is coming. We then see milky white clouds of apparitions that then make their way through Egypt presumably killing all of the firstborns, but we don't see any of the deaths, but do see some statues falling over. The next day, we do see Ramses grieving over his dead son. The migrating Hebrews realize that they are now trapped between the sea and Ramses' approaching army. God uses his column of fire as well as various lightning bolts to keep the army at bay. Moses then uses his staff to part the sea, allowing his people to pass to the other side safely. However, they then see the army quickly approaching them through that same passage and begin to worry. However, Moses uses his power to send the sea crashing back together onto those forces. We see various army men panicking and then being swept away and presumably drowned by the water (we do see some floating bodies in the water from beneath them). When his followers complain about no meat, Moses asks God for help, and we then see flocks of quail flying overhead, with many of them then falling to the ground dead. Dathan threatens Aaron and there is some brief physical contact between them. Lightning strikes rocks near Moses, knocking him down. Moses throws the two tablets of the 10 Commandments and they cause a large crevice in the ground from which fire erupts. Dathan and other naysayers are then swallowed up in the crevice that then closes onto them (but we don't see their presumed deaths). Reviewed October 19, 2007 / Posted October 19, 2007

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