Mysteries of Egypt (1998)

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 Amazon.com

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. May 27, 2008

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. July 20, 2007

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. May 2, 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......
April 5, 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.
February 26, 2005

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