Joseph: King of Dreams

Joseph: King of Dreams is the direct-to-video prequel to The Prince of Egypt. Focusing on the story of Joseph and his experiences in Egypt, the story allowed for some classic dramatic situations and events. There's the spoiled sibling who is the envy of his brothers. They betray him and sell him as a slave. In Egypt, he's framed and thrown in jail. Only then does he use his special gift of interpreting dreams to ascend to a position of power in Egypt. When his brothers come to Egypt, they don't recognize him and he sets a trap for them that reunite them all together. It's the same biblical story that was adapted into Andrew Lloyd Weber's classic "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat". However, this version features a Hans Zimmer-esque score by Danny Pelfrey with songs by John Bucchino.

Pelfrey's score is highly thematic, and he makes good use of these themes throughout the film. The orchestration of the music is rather similar to Zimmer's work on the first film, and I think that comes from a subtle use of synthesizers mixed in with the orchestra. While he doesn't quote any themes directly from The Prince of Egypt, Pelfrey does hint at a few of the styles that were so prominent in that film. The result is a score that is (literally) a brother to Zimmer's score, which is ironic considering the subject matter of this film.

There are a few songs in the film, and they are all presented here on the album, mixed in with the cues for a truly chronological listening experience. "Miracle Child" is a well-done song that emphasizes how Joseph is so special - much to the chagrin of his brothers (and anyone else who has a sibling who was the "favorite"). "Bloom" is another song that shows up twice in the film, and has a personal touch for Joseph, as his mother sings it the first time, and his wife the second time. John Bucchino's songs are lyrical, and they too have the sort of Elton John / Tim Rice quality to them that worked in The Prince of Egypt.

The film itself is pretty short - the credits start to roll at the 69-minute mark. With this promotional album for the film running almost an hour long, I think that it comprises all of the music in the film. As comparisons go, Prince of Egypt had higher production value, but Joseph: King of Dreams feels like it has a little more originality, even though they are cut from the same cloth.