Mysteries of Egypt
Mysteries of Egypt
G | 02 June 1998 (USA)
Mysteries of Egypt Trailers

Filmed in IMAX, a young girl questions her grandfather about the alleged curse of King Tutankhamen. His response takes us up to the source of the nourishing river Nile, to the Great Pyramids of Giza, to the Valley of the Kings.

Reviews
CheerupSilver

Very Cool!!!

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BroadcastChic

Excellent, a Must See

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SparkMore

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

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Lidia Draper

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

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Horst in Translation (filmreviews@web.de)

"Mysteries of Egypt" is an award-winning 40-minute documentary from 1998, so this one will have its 20th anniversary next year. It is perhaps the most known work by writer and director Bruce Neibaur and a lot of that has to do with the fact that it features Oscar-nominated actor Omar Sharif, perhaps Egypt's most known in the center of it all. The idea of having him explain some of Egypt's most important historic stuff to his (of course not real) granddaughter was fairly solid and makes it easier accessible. And honestly, even if it says "mysteries" in the title, there aren't really that many mysteries in here and it is nothing too deep or scientific you will hear while watching. But that's fine. Plus the video recordings of the Egyptian desert are somewhat nice to watch most of the time. So all in all, I would say this was a success. It is somewhat typical for IMAX documentaries like this one to be not the most groundbreaking or innovative exactly, but they are still fairly informative most of the time. This one is no exception. By the way, there also seem to be versions of this one that are considerably longer than 40 minutes and exceed short film territory, but the one I saw was not that long. All in all, I give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking it out, even if you don't have the very biggest interest in ancient Egypt by nature. You won't be disappointed.

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chanzilla

It's not that bad of a film. It is a great look at ancient Egypt. Of course, it is nowhere near being one of Omar Shariff's best vehicles, but his character lends a sense of practical authenticity to the story. It does a great job of exploring the myths and (then almost unkown) truths around the pyramids, pharohs, and mystique. It is definitely a big-screen eye candy - seeing it on DVD at home just isn't as rewarding. There is some pretty good use of cgi to take you back to when Ancient Egypt wasn't so ancient. Without the explosions and aliens of Stargate-1. For those of us who will probably never set foot before the actual pyramids, having them majestically standing before us on a 60+ foot screen in sweeping grandeur is not a bad consolation prize. It makes me want to go and see for myself, in a way that the pages of the National Geographic lack.And honestly, it wouldn't be such a treat without the over-talented Mr. Shariff.If you get a chance to see it at your local IMAX, I would recommend doing so. The Esquire IMAX here in Sacramento plays it occasionally for school groups, so I'm assuming that others do so well. It's grandeur doesn't translate well to the television screen, so getting the DVD won't even come close.

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Opie-7

This has to be one of my favorite IMAX films. The music by Sam Cardon was well matched with the beautiful scenery shot in this 40 min. movie. Though I have never seen either Sharif's or Maberly's other works, their roles as grandfather and granddaughter were well performed. Both roles made the movie entertaining and educational for people of all ages.

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RueMorgue

IMAX is steadily becoming a widely recognized form of large-format movies. Any film presented in the IMAX format is larger than life. Because of that, many documentaries have made their way to the big screen."Mysteries of Egypt" is an excellent film on the history of ancient Egyptian civilization. Centering around the architecture and religion of the times, this particular IMAX film covers the importance of the Nile, the building of the pyramids and other similar feats, the pharaohs, and in particular, the discovery of the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun. It is a must see for anyone interested in Egypt, especially if you have been there before. It is also a very effective educational tool, something that educators should utilize.The scenery in this film is amazing, with one of the early scenes taking the viewer on a trip down the Nile, complete with a map super-imposed over the beautiful photography of the flight (a good reason why you shouldn't view this film right after eating a meal). Other views, such as aerial shots of the pyramids, shouldn't be missed. As to be expected with IMAX films, the sound in this film is spectacular as well, and make sure you see it in a theatre that has DTS. You won't be disappointed.Omar Sharif is the main character and narrator of this film, and Kate Maberly appears as a supporting character. Sharif is perfect for the role, and has an on-screen presence in this film that is superb, especially considering this is a documentary. However, I think that Maberly takes away somewhat from the film as a whole, as her character (and the lines provided) just seems so fake. They would have been better to put someone like Natalie Portman in this role, at least her acting would compliment Sharif's. However, seeing as IMAX documentaries aren't known for attracting major Hollywood stars, I guess we should be happy that Maberly at least has some movie experience.Overall, this film is excellent, especially if you are a fan of the IMAX format. This is one of the best IMAX documentaries that I have seen so far, and I look forward to more in the future. While some IMAX films are limited to certain theatres, I suggest you see "Everest", "Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets", "Hail! Columbia", "Speed" (not the one with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock), and "Whales".My Rating: 9/10

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