Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Mummies: Secret of the Pharaohs Blu-ray Movie Review

The only mummy’s curse on this IMAX film is that it’s too short.

Reviewed by Casey Broadwater October 27, 2009

Egyptology is a like a gateway drug for anthropologists. One minute you have a mild obsession with mummies and the next you’ve committed all twelve volumes of The Golden Bough to memory and churned out a 500-page dissertation on arctic shamanism and the societal ramifications of Inuit throat singing. Okay, so maybe I’m hyperbolizing the standard career path, but it’s hard to undersell the allure of Egypt, where ancient mysteries lie hidden just beneath the shifting sands. In my mind, Egypt has always existed in a kind of 19th century, Romantic-with-a- capital-R travelogue, where I’m dressed like an imperialist in a white linen suit and straw hat, leading a cavalcade of sleepy-eyed camels over endless desert dunes in search of half-buried antiquities. Scorpions crunch underfoot in tombs lit by torchlight, sarcophagi are opened with an audible gasp of rarified air, and I return triumphantly via steamship to the Royal Museum with crate upon crate of carefully wrapped relics. If you’ve ever shared a similar fantasy, you might want to check out Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, an IMAX film that hit the big, big screen in April 2007.

The face of Ramses II...

Like most made-for-museums IMAX movies, Secrets of the Pharaohs is one part science to one part docu-drama, the ideal formula for “get ‘em in the seats and back out to the exhibitions in under forty minutes” edutainment. The film examines mummies from the perspectives of three different timelines. First, we’re given an overview of the religious beliefs of ancient Egyptians, who wanted their bodies preserved so that they might make an easy transition into the afterlife and be reunited with their souls. Through dramatic reenactments we meet Ramses II—otherwise known as Ramses the Great, or, if you know your Shelly, Ozymandias—and learn some facts about his 67-year reign. Much is made of the idea that Ramses, who was the supposed pharaoh of the Exodus and who now rests inside a glass case in Cairo, is perhaps the only face from the Bible that we’re ever likely to physically see.

Fast-forward to modern times and we’re introduced to Dr. Bob Brier, an Egyptologist who specifically studies how mummies were created. The process was largely unrecorded by ancient Egyptians—it was part of the priesthood’s oral tradition, apparently—but Dr. Brier has discovered the ingredients used in embalming, which include seven sacred oils, beeswax, pine resin, golden honey, and a naturally occurring mixture of salt and baking soda called natron. In 1994, Dr. Brier and a colleague created the first Egyptian-style mummy in over 2,000 years, using a body that had been donated to science. The purpose was to not only discover exactly how the Egyptians made mummies, but to also figure out how to extract usable DNA from 3,000 year old tissue samples. Fortunately for the kiddies but unfortunately for adults with a sick curiosity—like myself—we never get to see this modern mummy in its unwrapped state.

That’s okay though, because the third timeline, which reenacts the first discovery of royal mummies—in the late 19th century—is full of the stuff my latent Egyptian fantasies are made of. In this section, Charles Wilbour, one of the early experts in hieroglyphs, hounds two tomb-raiding brothers who hawk their stolen wares on the black market. When Wilbour has to leave the country, he involves famous antiquities dealer Emil Brugsch, who forces the brothers to reveal the location of a hidden tomb that contains the bodies of twelve pharaohs. Years later, after the excavations had been completed, the tomb collapsed of natural causes. Had this strange series of events not played out, the scientific and historical knowledge gained from those twelve mummies might have been lost for good in the literal sands of time.

Secrets of the Pharaohs is stunningly shot, featuring incredible vistas of barren desert- scapes, super-sharp images of bas-relief sculptures, and close-ups of ancient Egyptian artwork, all captured with the clarity expected of large-format IMAX cinematography. The reenactments are also well done and mostly dialogue free, relying instead on narration by horror icon Christopher Lee; an intentionally ironic choice since Lee once played the titular role in 1959’s The Mummy. My only complaint is that at a mere 39 minutes, the film seems much too short outside of the typical IMAX museum experience. Those looking for cold, hard facts might want to turn instead to similar programs on The Discovery Channel or The History Channel, but for a brief look at why and how mummies were created—especially for interested kids—Secrets of the Pharaohs is an excellent gateway into the world of Egyptology.

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

As a sticker on the packaging proudly displays, the 1080p/VC-1 encoded transfer of Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs is based on an 8K scan of the original 65mm production elements. Like most IMAX films that have been given a quality transfer, Secrets of the Pharaohs is tack-sharp, displaying all the clarity and depth characteristic of large-format cinematography. Some of the wide, desert dune shots are incredibly dimensional—you may want to dust the area in front of your TV for sand—and close-ups allow impressive amounts of detail. There's one shot of a scurrying beetle where you can almost make out individual grains of sand as the insect makes tiny tracks across the screen. Colors are warm, bold, and expectedly sun- soaked. Much of the film's look is found in the contrast between the blue of the desert sky and the yellow sweeping sands below. The only misstep here—and this is a directorial choice, not a transfer issue—is that the film's visual idea of the afterlife is to harshly oversaturate green and blue tones. Thankfully, this only happens during one short scene. Black levels are strong and stable throughout, contrast is great, and the film's fine grain structure is only barely visible, never apparent at all from standard viewing distances. There are no banding, macroblocking, or any other transfer issues to report. I did notice a few extremely intermittent specks on the print, and some of the aerial shots are susceptible to flickering brightness levels, but otherwise Secrets of the Pharaohs looks superb.

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

Arriving on Blu-ray with DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround tracks in English, French, and Spanish, Secrets of the Pharaohs is well equipped in the audio department. The most striking part of the presentation is composer Sam Cardon's Middle East-inspired score, which combines regional instruments with Western elements and arrangements. The music is nicely spread across all the channels, with the deep whomp of tabla drums showing off a satisfying low end and finger cymbals chiming clearly in the rears. The surround speakers are engaged throughout, broadcasting battle sounds, the clinking clamor of construction, and wind whipping violently over the desert. There are even a few moments of surprisingly enveloping sound design, like a rare Egyptian thunderstorm and the collapse of an ancient tomb. My only complaint is that Christopher Lee's narration sounds frequently too low, not in terms of volume, but in the register of his voice. All the other dialogue, though, cuts cleanly through the mix.

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

"Making Of" Documentary (1080i, 22:23)
Shooting a large-format film has all the challenges of 35mm and then some, and this documentary explores how, as director Keith Melton says, "it's all about attention to detail." Because the IMAX format shows so much, everything about the production has to be spot-on, from the performances and set dressing to the costumes and lighting, all of which are explored here. Melton also notes that concessions had to be made in historical accuracy to keep the film family friendly, especially regarding Queen Nefertari's costume, which would have been much more revealing in real life. And, of course, if you're a camera geek like me, you'll enjoy seeing behind-the-scenes footage of the massive IMAX cameras in action.

Film Trivia Quiz
See how well you paid attention to the film by taking this ten-question, multiple-choice quiz.

Fast Facts
This text-only section includes some trivia about mummies as well as a glossary of Egyptology- related terms.

Meet the Mummies
Nine of the mummies mentioned in the film are given brief historical bios here.

IMAX Trailers
Includes trailers for Wild Ocean (1080p, 1:46), Ride Around the World (SD, 2:08), Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (1080p, 1:54), and Dinosaurs Alive! (1080p, 1:22).

BD-Live Functionality

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

For the right kind of child—the kind who does mock excavations in the sandbox and wants to be a mummy for Halloween—Secrets of the Pharaohs will be educational and highly entertaining. And adults can enjoy it too, especially for the frequently stunning cinematography. Recommended.