3 Reasons Families Will Love ‘The Old Stories: Moses’ – Michael Foust
This is the aspect of the series that will most attract families of faith. The Old Stories: Moses remains faithful to Scripture – perhaps more so than many previous depictions of Moses. For example, the series includes not only the miracle of Moses’ staff becoming a snake before Pharaoh but also the sign of the leprous hand, a biblical detail found in Scripture but omitted from both The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt.
The series also portrays Moses as an elderly man – a depiction that may surprise viewers accustomed to seeing him as a younger figure, as in The Prince of Egypt. Yet the Bible tells a different story. Exodus 7:7 states that Moses was 80 years old when he confronted Pharaoh. The casting of Ben Kingsley, who is 83, reflects that biblical reality. (If you’re curious whether Aaron serves as Moses’ spokesman in the series, the answer is no. We’ll have to wait for a future project to incorporate that detail, which, admittedly, seems less cinematic even if it’s more biblical.)
The three-episode series covers God’s calling of Moses in Episode 1, the plagues and his confrontation with Pharaoh in Episode 2, and the Israelites’ crossing of the Red Sea and escape from Egypt in the finale.
The series has generated significant discussion in Hollywood for its incorporation of artificial intelligence into the filmmaking process. Although it features real actors, large-scale sequences – including the plagues and landscapes and other effects-heavy scenes – were created using AI-assisted technology that director Jon Erwin calls “hybrid filmmaking.” The production was shot entirely on a virtual stage in Los Angeles.
Erwin told The Los Angeles Times that, contrary to conventional wisdom, AI can help create jobs. Without that technology, Erwin said, the project would have been too expensive and simply would not have been made.
“I think the greater threat of job loss in our industry is actually just how expensive things have gotten and how long they take to make,” Erwin said. “If you can make things quicker, and you can make things at a price point that studios will say ‘yes,’ you can employ more people in aggregate and create jobs.”
Erwin is already planning additional installments of The Old Stories, focusing on Old Testament figures who lived before David.
The Old Stories: Moses is an impressive first chapter. Kingsley is phenomenal. The series is fast-paced, inspiring, and, most importantly, faithful to Scripture.
Entertainment rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Family-friendly rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Photo Credit: ©Wonder Project
