Muhammad: The Last Prophet

Designed to introduce children to the origins and core beliefs of Islam through the life of its founder, Muhammad, this simplistic animated feature falls firmly within the long tradition of bland, upbeat and earnest religious instructional films. Disney-trained director Richard Rich's company, RichCrest, has specialized since the mid 1990s in shabby-looking, direct-to-video animated films. The film opens with a framing story: Malek (Brian Nissen) and his family are en route to the market in Mecca when they come across a poor and friendless man in the street. Malek's small daughter is excited about their excursion and wonders why her parents abandon it to help a stran...