La terre promise

"In the Beginning" is a movie(mini) that takes us through the five first books in the Bible. You can expect some visual effects, and average acting.

I did not enjoy the movie, but I didn't either hate it, so watch it once, and let go with that. I rate it 5/10.

I found this a delightful movie. It is pretty accurate to what the Bible reads, and extremely entertaining. I do think that some of the special effects and make-up were a little to "Cheesy", but other than that, I was very satisfied. I see this as a good choice of a family movie, since there is only "Implied" nudity during the Adam and Eve segment. There is some violence, but this is only because these events had violence. I found that Martin Landau played a very good Abraham, and Christopher Lee was perfect as Ramesis the first. As I mentioned, I would recommend this movie for anyone looking for just entertainment and those seeking a truthful account of these events in history. Good job Kevin Conner.

I recently found this on a cheap DVD in the UK on my last visit. It makes for very interesting watching. No-one really knows what happened at the time of the events so it is useless to try and ascertain whether the film is true to reality or not, and those of your readers that try to do so are simply wasting their time ! On a cinematic level, then, things are very well done and I did love the limited amount of special effects. Being a catholic, I had of course studied the Bible at school but had forgotten large portions of the old testament. This film puts things back in place in an agreable way. It's a little difficult for me first time round as all those bearded men seem to resemble each other but the beauty of the DVD is to play it over and over again, of course. Peplums and Biblical Films are not my strong point but I like to watch them occasionally for a change. My verdict then is that of a neophyte as regards this type of film but is definitely on the positive side. Also, there is excellent picture and sound quality and the soundtrack is not bad at all !

I enjoyed this though I found the disclaimer at the beginning amusing. I didn't look in my Bible to see how close to the text it was but found the stories involving and the effects passable (I'm usually concerned with reverent truthful approaches to the subject matter). Dramatic license? Sure...but better than most efforts. Joseph's reunion with his father was particularly touching. Enjoy this film...I did!

My Take: An all-star cast and a few glorious visuals make a rather interesting TV movie.

Martin Landau as Abraham? Jacqueline Bisset as his wife Sarah? Christopher Lee in gratuitous cameo as Rameses I? Only TV's Hallmark Entertainment could make this possible. The producer back at Hallmark who might nearly have enough money to make a macho Hollywood blockbuster spend it yet again on a another 3-hour two-part miniseries meant to set ratings on fire. Well not really, but they do come up with a rather interesting and marginally entertaining TV special with an agreeable cast and a modest budget. The movie is basically a 3-hour long adaptation of the most important events of the Old Testament. From Adam and Eve (with cut-for-TV nudity), Abraham and how he became "the Father of All Nations", Joesph and his multicolored dreamcoat and the grand story of Moses and the Exodus, the movie has it all and has time to spare. It's a bit long when watched on DVD rather than the two-part miniseries on TV, but it's an adequate and actually well-crafted effort. Just don't expect it to be anything grand ala Cecil B. Demille, or at least something that would make a cinch to get ratings.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.