Product Description

Studio: Gaiam Americas Release Date: 02/03/2004 Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37033 in DVD
• Brand: Samson
• Released on: 2003-04-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 49 minutes

Customer Reviews

Greatest Heroes of the Bible - Animated
Thanks for the prompt service. I received the dvd much faster than I expected to.

Inspiring Interest in Future Believers
This DVD production of the Samson story has accomplished exactly what I had hoped for my 3yr old son: an interest in learning about the Lord and His involvement in the lives of those who trust Him. My son often recites (in surprising detail) various scenes from the tale. One of my fellow brothers in Christ calls my son "The Little Preacher" because my son enjoys capturing the attention of those around him so he can retell the story of Samson. I understand some reviewing this telling of the story may prefer stricter adherence to various nuances and literary exactness from Scripture - I can appreciate that as I am a literal believer of Scripture. There is never a perfect retelling of any Biblical story that will appeal to everyone's preference. As already mentioned, this achieved what I had hoped for my son: help him develop an interest in learning about the Lord, building a faith in the Lord, and repentance and redemption.

My only criticism (hence the 4 out of 5 stars) is the characters on the cover look nothing like those in the actual film. It's not a cataclysmic, don't buy the DVD issue - just annoying.

A sad compromise.
This is a very, very strange rendering of the famous Bible story. Can't say I'm really a fan of the vindictive, punishing, and violent Old Testament God, but whatever you think of the philosophy, you've got to admit the stories from the book of Numbers are quite compelling and dramatic. Why bother doing them, if you're not going to exploit the anger, vengeance, and sensuality inherent in the original pieces? DeMille's film, for all its gaudy eroticism and ham-fisted spectacle, at least honored the sensibilities and the grandeur of this story of sex and revenge. This version was so watered down that the climax (poorly rendered and badly drawn) had no impact. Clumsy animation (which looks not at all like the image on the box) and ill-conceived musical numbers practically sink this kid-friendly version of a powerful story. Too bad the filmmakers didn't trust their young audiences enough to know that children are capable of assimilating frightening imagery and messages: even "The Wizard of Oz" had some intense and disturbing scenes. This story could have used some. Charlton Heston's live action intro seems superfluous and bothersome. For a successful animated rendering of these Bible stories, I'd reccommend "The Prince of Egypt" or "Joseph, King of Dreams". They're great examples of how this kind of thing can (and should) be done. This was a sadly wasted opportunity, and it's especially discouraging because this sweeping Biblical story was so well suited to the exaggerations and flourishes of the cartoon medium. Alas.