Children and adults alike appreciate the drama innate in the Exodus story and this is brought out in this new animated film The Ten Commandments.

The story of God delivering his oppressed people from the hands of a cruel and unwilling ruler is one that appeals to both Christians and non-believers, as evidenced by the many productions of the Exodus story that have been brought to the big screen.

The voice acting is solid in this version featuring the talents of Ben Kingsley, Christian Slater, Alfred Molina and Elliott Gould.

Sadly, the animation is lacking in comparison to other recent CGI animated feature films. The animation is equivalent to the cut scene graphics from PlayStation 2 games (yes PlayStation 2, not PlayStation 3).

However, the film is generally faithful to the Bible story.

Pharaoh is of course, stubborn and evil. However, more could have been done to show just how unwilling a leader Moses was. When Moses asks God that someone else be sent to lead the people out, God says Aaron will be there to help him as though that was the plan. Yet the Exodus text shows that God was displeased at Moses unwillingness. Exodus 4:14 reads, “the LORD’s anger burned against Moses” and only then as a concession does God suggest Aaron should assist.

It is as though The Ten Commandments is a remake of the 1956 The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston or more likely the 1998 animated film The Prince of Egypt, rather than being an attempt to more accurately make a film from the Exodus text.

However, as Biblical literacy decreases in society at large, the film is an effective means for communicating the Exodus story, which is surely the greatest story of God’s salvation recorded in the Old Testament.

The 10 plagues are all shown to be the handiwork of God and there is no attempt to modernise or use scientific methods to rationalise the miraculous acts.

In some embellished dialogue the Israelites are shown to be a people distrusting of God and sceptical of Moses’ leadership. While the dialogue may be created, it is true to the sentiment of the Egyptians as recorded in the Bible.

The film contains a handful of violent scenes, such as Moses’ murder of the violent Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew, the killing of the firstborn of Egyptians and the drowning of Pharaoh’s guards in the Red Sea, but they are handled subtly, tastefully and in a family friendly way.

As the Israelites prepare to cross the Red Sea the film show’s God’s presence with the Israelites as a pilar of smoke by day and fire by night, but the film does not go into the details of the covenantal relationship between them. Details such as circumcision, the eating of the Passover meal and the consecration of the firstborn children are not given a mention. The problem with leaving out these details is that the significance of the choseness and required obedience of the Israelites is left out of this great account of God’s salvation and deliverance.

The film also leaves out the detail that God repeatedly hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This fact is of great significance in the biblical text as it raises questions about God’s plan and purpose for his people and questions about predestination and election which Christians still wrestle with today.

The giving of the Ten Commandments atop Mt Sinai is a dramatic scene showing two stone tablets floating about with Hebrew letters being flung onto them from a twisting whirlwind as God speaks them out.

In the meantime, Aaron displays sadness at the construction of the golden calf and the attitude of the Israelites that is not obvious in my reading of the Exodus text. Similarly Moses’ order in Exodus 32:27, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbour’,” and the resulting death of 3000 people at the hands of the Levites is instead interpreted as God moving the ground so that the golden calf and the guilty people are merely swallowed into the crack of fiery earth.

Also left out in between these two events are around 11 chapters of specific laws that God gave to Moses.

However, the film concludes with the death of Moses and Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. It gives viewers the right message that God is indeed faithful to his promise to deliver his people and that it is a work of grace and mercy. This is a wonderful reminder to us about the even greater eternal salvation that God offers through sending Jesus to pay the cost for our rebellion and winning us right relationship with God. If Christians can use this film as a way to point people toward this great gospel truth, then this new production of The Ten Commandments will not have gone to waste.