Mysteries of Egypt

Omar Sharif returns* to his native country in Bruce Neibaur's "Mysteries of Egypt", about the ancient civilization at the northeast corner of Africa. The revolution in Egypt earlier this year that ousted Hosni Mubarak has made the country even more relevant since the documentary first got released. No matter, it's fascinating to see all the stuff about the creation of the society. The IMAX movie has an elderly man (Sharif) telling his granddaughter (Kate Maberly) about what happened in Egypt 3,500 years ago: pyramids, pharaohs, the works. A lot of fun.

*I don't actually know whether or not any part of the movie got filmed in Egypt. Egypt's government revoked Omar Sharif's passport after he co-starred in "Funny Girl", due to Barbra Streisand's support of Israel.

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.

Omar Sharif takes his teenage niece on a tour of the Giza pyramids, introducing her to the world of the pharaohs. By itself the film is not much more than a grade school primer on the glories of an ancient civilization, with a script strictly vetted by the Cairo Chamber of Commerce. But it's hard not to be impressed by any image enlarged to IMAX proportions, and most of the impact here can be found in the exhilarating aerial shots over the cataracts of the Upper Nile, and in the clarity (and sheer volume) of the soundtrack. The National Geographic banner is enough to ensure a promise of quality, and let's face it: a forty minute tour of King Tut's tomb is certainly better than a two hour brain vacation in the multiplex next door.

I caught "Mysteries of Egypt" on New Orleans' IMAX screen, and I must say that visually, it doesn't disappoint at all. The camera work, the scenery, the vistas were all magnificent, as they are in many IMAX travelogues.

Then they turned on the sound, and things went downhill. To tell the story of the discovery of King Tut's tomb, they enlisted Omar Sharif and lil' Kate Maberly. This gives it a family feeling, and allows for some of the most insipid dialogue ever heard on the ten-story screen. This in itself wouldn't be so bad, but the filmmakers allowed some very questionable facts about the creation of the pyramids to slip through. (They were built by legions of happy Egyptian farmers during the off-season, not by the throngs of Israelites they enslaved? C'mon, guys.)

When the film ended, there was a general murmur of dissatisfaction from the crowd, as people felt that they were shown something magnificent... but treated like idiots as they were watching it. By my estimation, that feeling was right on the money.

Rating: (visuals) 8 out of 10 (storyline) 3 out of 10

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.