Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

History alive.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 23, 2011

The memory of a good man lives forever.

IMAX has long dazzled viewers with large-format films that, generally, strive to both educate and entertain. IMAX films cover a myriad of topics, but generally come back full circle to achieve the common theme of gleaning some sort of historical, societal, and emotional relevance, whether taking audiences under the sea, amongst the stars, or to exotic locales on Earth's surface to showcase some of the most incredible footage ever captured, edited together to create a powerful narrative that's as mentally satisfying as the films are visually gratifying. In Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs, IMAX filmmakers strive to take audience back in time by both recreating history and putting the past as it now is on the screen for all to see. Combining breathtaking large format 3D visuals; a strong narrative; and excellent production values; all while looking at how advancements in archeology and the study of history are helping to advance not only man's understanding of the past but assist him in creating new medicines to battle deadly diseases in the future, the film offers up everything that make IMAX pictures such magnificent works of art.

Dead alive.

The ancient Egyptians combed the Earth in search of means and methods of bodily preservation following death in hopes of living on in immortality. Praying to the ancient gods and searching for a balance in life that would lead them to peace and prosperity in the afterlife, Egyptians -- including the Great Rameses and his queen Nefertari -- sought favor in life and death through the preservation of their bodies and the appeasement of the gods, including the goddess Maat. In Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, Egyptologist Bob Brier goes in search of clues that will lead him to discover the secrets behind the ancient technique of mummification. His colleague, Angelique Corthals, hopes to uncover clues within the very DNA of these ancient humans in hopes of advancing modern medicine. Their search leads viewers on a journey of discovery through time, beginning with the life, times, rituals, and beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. Also examined is the importance of the 1881 discovery of the Rosetta Stone -- the key to deciphering the until-then indecipherable hieroglyphs of millennia past -- and the role of grave robbing in the search for the tombs that housed the greatest Egyptian royalty to ever walk the Earth. It all comes together in 1994 when Scientists unlocked the secret of ancient DNA, leading to the belief that, through the excavation of mummies and the study of the ancients's preservation techniques, modern science could advance in understanding and develop greatly beyond what was otherwise impossible were it not for the greater understanding of the techniques of the ancient Egyptians.

Ask any schoolboy to provide a list of the handful of subjects he'd like to learn more about, and chances are good that "Egypt" or "Mummies" or some other reference that hearkens back to the days of ancient Egypt, the Pharaohs, mummification, the pyramids, and the like will show up, maybe somewhere between "dinosaurs" and "outer space." If they're desperate for knowledge and a good starting point is required, parents and teachers would be smart to consider Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs. Rather than simply support its narration with repetitive shots of archaeologists and scientists hard at work as they aim to unearth the truth behind and the potential modern benefits to be found from one of the world's greatest mysteries surrounding one of her greatest civilizations, Mummies supports much of its narrative by recreating several periods of history -- which impress far more than many a cheap low-budget wannabe period movies of the kind -- and brining the time of the pharaohs, the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, and a pivotal scene from modern-day science to vivid visual life. It's the kind of Documentary made for younger audiences with a thirst for knowledge and an appetite for good old fashioned adventure moviemaking, assuming they can handle some of the slightly more disturbing shots of unwrapped mummies and the resultant decay that's seen on well-preserved bodies aged several thousand years.

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs takes a fascinating glimpse into not just the world of ancient Egypt, but how man's understanding of that civilization's techniques for bodily preservation have shaped future generations, whether the profitable profession of grave robbing or the potential for modern-day science to discover crucial breakthroughs in medicine. This is a smartly-produced film that's as entertaining as it is educational; the film finds just the right balance between dry commentary and exciting storytelling, not to mention delivering just as many finely-crafted visuals meant to recreate several crucial periods in the history of mummification and the resultant discoveries that would vastly expand modern man's knowledge base. Though it may be short in length and not quite up to par with big-budget Hollywood fare, Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs proves just as enthralling thanks to its epic feel and quality score that positively bring each segment to vivid life. It's well-written and nicely acted by those who recreate the past, and the modern scientists and archaeologists who play themselves in search of answers to some of history's greatest questions appear not only dedicated but invigorated by the opportunity afforded to them to use this movie as a means of educating the public about the potential that the ancient technique of mummification holds not only as a means of satiating curiosity about the ancient world but in bettering the lives of future generations by better understanding those who came thousands of years before.

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This 3D Blu-ray release of Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs appears to be identical to the source used in the film's previous Blu-ray 3D release, a Samsung-branded exclusive. Image Entertainment's release unearths a good Blu-ray 3D 1080p transfer that's only of a slightly lesser quality than the average IMAX/Image Entertainment Blu-ray 3D release. Detail and coloring are exceptionally strong, as evidenced by the immaculately textured sands, stones, and various Egyptian artifacts scattered throughout the film. The disc captures the sandy tan tint of the desert floor and the golden hues of various elegantly-decorated rooms and sarcophagi extraordinarily well. The image additionally enjoys stable contrast, wonderful clarity, and a smooth but not scrubbed appearance. Unfortunately, softness creeps into the transfer on occasion, and objects that might otherwise appear sharp and strongly detailed are left a bit hazy and indistinct, particularly around the perimeter of the image. Otherwise, this is a stable and honest high definition image, with good blacks, neutral flesh tones, and a fine balance to the overall appearance, even considering the domination of earthen hues.

The transfer's 3D specifications are up the challenge of equalling and, in many ways, bettering the more generalized elements such as detail and coloring. An early scene features a camera near the desert floor that points out towards the horizon; the sands seem to literally stretch off far into the distance, with an obvious depth of field that immediately transports the viewer to the dry locale. This is representative of the massive amount of obvious depth visible throughout the film, as is a scene featuring a wall standing in front of the Sphinx, which is in turn in front of a pyramid; the depth afforded by the 3D presentation allows viewers to effortlessly approximate the distance between the three large elements. At several junctures, a rectangular video box appears to hover over a static background to excellent effect. Unfortunately, the image is still plagued by some unsightly but somewhat irregular ghosting, as well as some sporadic instances of transparency. Otherwise, the strong depth and excellent detailing and colors make this a solid, but not overwhelmingly impressive, full HD 3D Blu-ray transfer.

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack that's typical of a quality Blu-ray presentation accompanies this release of Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs and, again, seems to be the same as that found on Samsung's triple pack release. It features music that finds all the right qualities throughout the entire range, including a strong, pounding low that's a fine accompaniment to the film's many larger-than-life ideas and visuals. Surrounds are used fully and consistently, with some distinct effects and solid imaging often permeating the listening area. Clanking swords, trotting horses, booming thunder, driving rain, and crashing debris are all nicely implemented into the track, with each element playing with a naturalness that helps transport the listener into the various eras and locales seen throughout the movie. The track never wants for clearer dialogue reproduction. Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs only benefits from its quality lossless soundtrack.

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Unlike the aforementioned Samsung exclusive triple pack release, Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs does offer supplemental content. The disc includes BD-Live connectivity and an assortment of IMAX trailers, but the highlight is a quality piece simply entitled Making Of (1080p, 22:23). This behind-the-scenes extra looks at both the film's origins and the stories that inspired it. It also explores the backgrounds of the people who made the film, the technology utilized to bring the film to life, the challenges of making a large-format picture, shooting in exotic lands and the cast's unprecedented access to historical locales, weaving together a narrative that combines modern technology and ancient DNA, and much more.

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs is a fascinating look at history come alive. Not only is the film visually spectacular, it's also thematically satisfying and, even more important, relevant, not only in the way it looks back at history, but in the way it gives importance to the study of the past in shaping the future. Great visuals, a fine narrative, and an all-around satisfying experience that's sure to enthrall young and old alike, Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs is well-suited for all viewers interested in learning about the past while also catching a glimpse into the futures of the fields of archaeology, history, and science. Image Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs sports a quality technical presentation and a well-made extra. Recommended.