My collections of reviews for animated films have been dedicated to 2D animation, aside from a few exceptions, justified for having "some" 2D work in them. Under this arbitrary rule I've set for myself, I must explain why I'm reviewing the 2014 film "The Prophet" (with the full title being "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet"), based on the book of the same name. Yes, it is mostly cel-shaded CGI, but an important feature is the many experimental short films it uses throughout the story, made in a mix of mediums, including traditional 2D. Another disclaimer should be made about the film's content. The title and promotional art make it easy to confuse "The Prophet" as being religous propoganda, but don't worry. No specific religon is used in the story: instead, it's really about freedom of expression and life philosophy, told in a way that shouldn't offend anyone, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Buddhist. For that matter, "The Prophet" is expertly directed for a younger audience, thanks to DIsney veteran Roger Allers, channeling "The Lion King" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" in character expression and slapstick jokes. Set in Lebanon, young girl Almitra is the main character, a spunky and free-spirited child, whose mother cares for Mustafa, a poet and artist held under house arrest for politically-dangerous messages. They live peacefully (despite Almitra getting into trouble), until Mustafa is taken away by local authorities, promised to be put on a ship and exiled from the country. As they make their long journey by foot across the country to the coast, Almitra secretly follows, watching as Mustafa is warmly greeted by each town (much to the annoyance of the escort guards). Many times, Mustafa is encouraged to perform one of his poems, where the film fades into an imaginative 4-minute experimental short to music representing the prose. Ultimately, there is doubt from the start that Mustafa will really be allowed to safely leave the country, leading to the dramatic ending. Generally, the story is good. Animated films have been set in the troubled Middle-East a few times already, but it's rare for them to be presented in a family-friendly manner without entirely losing any message (although I would recommend looking up "The Breadwinner" as a much stronger example of storytelling). Ultimately, it's that Disney-esque light-hearted sense of humor that sells the atmosphere of the movie. The movie has strong voice talent in the English dub, with Liam Neeson as the poet, as well as Salma Hayek, John Krasinski, and several others, delivering good performances. 
The biggest draw is those insert experimental animated short films, making up over 1/3 of the film's content. It features work from several industry veterans, including Tomm Moore (Cartoon Saloon), Bill Plympton, and others. Visually, each are distinct, and strong enough for this collection to make a good anthology without "The Prophet" acting as a connecting thread. Unfortunately, the context of each short ruins them a bit. They start by Mustafa reading a line from one of his poems, which then becomes the single line of a chorus-sung song that accompanies each short. It's WAY too on-the-nose, as if they were afraid the viewer wouldn't remember or be able to understand the theme of each short. It's an unfortunate and annoying factor when the music elsewhere in the film is much better; whenever each short appears, I recommend the viewer mute their television until it finishes to have the best experience.And that CGI that makes up the main movie isn't great. It's a shame, especially after watching the behind-the-scenes interview explaining the care the team put into making the art look like 2D. In environments and still shots, it's convincing, and general design and color is great. But the animation itself looks cheap, like an old video game, and most attempts at adding detail (like rippling clothes) only make it look cheaper. The highlight is facial expressions and body movement for side characters, again guided by Disney-like character design. "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet" isn't the "animation event of the year" the producers wanted it to be, mostly due to lackluster CGI, and a generally-weak story. But the experimental shorts are interesting enough to make this a must-see for avid animation fans, and it's family-friendly nature makes it a great gateway for young children or students, either to appreciate different styles of animation, or to analyze the meaning of each poem. Yes, much like a class-book-assignment in middle school, the movie would be a great tool for schools to use, as long as parents don't get the wrong idea from the movie's title.