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Mysteries of Egypt (Large Format)
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Manufacturer: C.A.V. Distribution
Find all by C.A.V. Distribution
Directed By: Bruce Neibaur
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Theatrical Release: September 15, 1998
Average Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
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Starring: Omar Sharif, Kate Maberly, Timothy Davies, Julian Curry
Spectacular cinematography used in an innovative framework featuring noted actor and native Egyptian Omar Sharif provide a highly entertaining glimpse of ancient Egypt in this documentary from National Geographic. Sharif, playing a grandfather who is explaining the archeological wonders to his inquisitive granddaughter, does a fine job of explaining such puzzles as how the pyramids would have been built and what knowledge their builders must have possessed. The interludes between grandfather and granddaughter are handled well, but the star of the production is Egypt itself. Gorgeously composed shots linger over the pyramids, the Sphinx, and a plethora of temples, and a camera flown over the Nile provides stunning footage of the great river's meanderings. Reenactments of events, such as the building of the pyramids, the burial of King Tut, and the 1922 opening of his tomb, are presented intelligently. This production is sure to spark curiosity about ancient Egypt, and even without the careful handling of the history it would probably be worth watching just for the wondrous cinematography. A bonus at the end of the tape is a making-of documentary detailing how the film was shot on location. --Robert J. McNamara
User Submitted Mysteries of Egypt (Large Format) Reviews
May 27, 2008
High on Eye Candy, Low on Substance
Mysteries of Egypt, a production by IMAX, introduces viewers to Ancient Egypt. The aerial photography of the river Nile is spectacular and is worth the purchase of that production on its own. Unfortunately, the authors of Mysteries of Egypt spend too much time covering the supposed curse of Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb. To its credit, Mysteries of Egypt can give some viewers a taste for a more substantive, visual overview of Ancient Egypt. Think for instance about Egypt: Beyond the Pyramids by The History Channel or The Mysteries of Egypt by Kultur.
July 20, 2007
Ancient Egyptian History in Overview
The narration is by a grandfather (Omar Sharif) to his grandaughter. He
tells a simple story of the history of ancient Egypt.
The images are awesome and of IMAX quality, and the music
is lovely.
The Nile is followed from its beginning as it encounters water
falls, rapids, river wildlife, many gorgeous views of ancient ruins.
There are some reinactments and computer special effects located throughout.
The dramatization of the discovery of King Tut's tomb by
Howard Carter is well done (portrayed in black and white).
I wish it had been a little longer! I recommend it to anyone who
likes IMAX DVDs.
May 2, 2005
Excellent children's documentary.
This is a favorite DVD in our house. It has stunning camera work, wonderful information and an excellent narrative. It portrays the glory of Ancient Egypt and the pride modern Egyptians still feel towards their heritage.
Like all Imax documentaries it's only 40 minutes long and written at a fourth grade level. If you have a problem with those preconditions, don't watch Imax. We're homeschoolers and we love it. My children pay close attention, break out the Legos and start building pyramids of their own.
April 5, 2005
Bit Disappointed - Hardly any "Mysteries of Egypt" to see
This was an excellent documentary on Egypt, with stunning footages and photography. But if you are looking for real Mysteries of Egypt and the investigative report on them, this surely is not the video you shall look for. From historical point of view and general overview of ancient Egypt, it certainly is a good one.
The title is rather misleading......
February 26, 2005
Wonderful Piece: Great Visually, and Performance
This must have been excellent in IMAX.
The combination of the wrap arounds done by Shariff ( sp? ) and a lesser actress, work superbly with this very good general introduction to Ancient Egypt.
I think even the Omnipresent Zahwi Hawass ( Sp?) makes an appearance in this work. If ever a man straddles the line between a godlike omnipresence, and amazing self-promotion, Zahwi achieves this, but despite that, its a great watch, and a useful addendum to any collection if you want to start a collection about egypt.
October 21, 2004
Outstanding Intro to Ancient Egypt
This is the best educational introduction to Ancient Egypt I've ever seen and used with middle school aged kids. The story is introduced and narrated by Omar Shariff to his fictional American granddaughter (a famous actress I'm not familiar with), who wants to know about "The Mummy's Curse". The writing/narration was outstanding throughout--I'd call it almost poetic in many spots. The photography, being IMAX, was, of course, eye-popping. In fact, I had to force myself to concentrate on the narration so absorbed did I become with the beautiful images.
This movie is set around the famous discovery of Tutankamen's tomb by Howard Carter in the 1920s and, again, is beautifully done. The Carter scenes are in black-in-white and evoke a wonderful 1920s feel. They also serve to heighten appreciation for the incredible beauty of Egypt when the film cuts back to full color. Worked into the story line are the obligatory shots of the pyramids and even some computer enhanced scenes to briefly show their construction. Add to all that an exquisite soundtrack. The negative reviews are surprising to me. I 'd love to know of the documentaries those reviewers have seen about Ancient Egypt that they feel are better. I sure haven't seen them. If they exist I'll be first in line to buy them.
July 12, 2001
Very Basic review of ancient Egypt.
Great for a student or anyone who is looking for an introduction to egyptian history. Slow moving for most adults. There are wonderful videos on egypt ,that are much more informative and exciting to watch.
October 26, 2000
Stories of King Tut
I bought and watched this before going on a trip to Egypt. Very good quality imax movie and good overview of the stories of King Tut. But if you want a lot of details you have to dig some where else. A good introductory movie for people interested in Ancient Egypt. A little bit short though.
October 5, 2000
A nice overview on Ancient Egypt
Very nice picture format for TV viewing matched with a great dolby sound. Narrated by Omar Shariff, this docummentary gives you an acceptable information on ancient Egypt, not for academic purposes though. It's not boring at all and the Pyramids views and sunsets are spectacular. Great if you plan to visit Egypt in the near future, it will put you in the right mood !!!
July 15, 2000
Mysteries of Egypt
I wish I had actually read the reviews before purchasing. This would have been a really nice feature if they had left out the silly story line. They should have stuck to the facts.
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