Synopsis:

In the Beginning chronicles the events of the book of Genesis in the closest dramatization to date of these Biblical stories. Abraham (Martin Landau) tells the stories of Creation, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and, Moses and The Exodus. The stories are timeless and have been given amazing treatment in this latest biblical drama.

Audio/Video:

The audio is presented in a DD2.0 stereo platform that employs the sub on occasion and does a decent job in conveying the audio for the film. The dialogue is unencumbered by an audio noise and is easily understood. There are no surround effects to speak of.

The video is a mixed bag. The bulk of the film presents a very clean full frame version however, some of the elements employed for special effect were of lesser quality and showed some wear. Namely, the Creation sequence at the start of the film shows a great amount of pixellation and fuzziness in the images. A great amount of graininess was evident during this segment as well. Other than that, pixellation was evident throughout the darker segments of the film in each segment.

Extras:

The extras for the film are the trailer for this movie and a featurette that goes behind the scenes to show the extent to which the director and the stars went to imbue these stories with new life for the screen. 7 minutes in length, it provides a measure of insight but not enough to really get the feel for the scope of the picture.

Overall:

The Bible will forever be a source of controversy and storytelling. Like their other epic entry into the biblical spectrum: The Miracle Maker, The Story of Jesus, Artisan Entertainment does a great job in presenting enough factual Biblical information to make the dramatization of same palatable. From The Greatest Story Ever Told, to Ben Hur, to The Ten Commandments to The Robe, Biblical epics are a source of fascination for the literary as well as the believer. I have enjoyed these epics while appreciating the drama. Nothing is as good as reading the actual story but these definitely lend images to your mind where there may have been only words before. When done right, they can ennoble the spirit and provide a resurgence in faith at just the right moment. Highly Recommended