Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs 3D Blu-ray Review

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs is a 2007 documentary by Giant Screen Pictures designed especially for IMAX 3D screens. Narrated by Christopher Lee, this documentary explores the fascinating history behind mummification and the traditions practiced by the ancient pharaohs and Egyptians surrounding mummification. The film also shows how the discoveries of mummies have played in archeology and continue to play into modern science.

IMAX documentaries that aren’t made specifically by IMAX tend not to gain as much of a memorable reputation as something like Hubble or Born to the Wild. And I can understand why, as it’s mostly due to a lack of advertising or the film itself just being run-of-the-mill, or maybe both. However, that doesn’t mean that obscure documentaries like this are always bad or won’t deliver what you’re looking for. And while Mummies probably doesn’t deserve a ton of recognition, it’s still an enjoyable movie overall and will most likely please anyone considering checking it out.

This doc, in a similar fashion to other non-IMAX IMAX docs, takes its subject, in this case mummies, and uses it to cover several main topics: the history of mummies, the discoveries of mummies, and how mummies are being used today in modern science. These topics would probably seem a bit random if done without the proper pacing and direction. But it all ends up coming together in an appreciable way. Maybe, I just found the subject matter interesting. But I personally found the journey into these topics to be pretty engrossing.

The information itself was fun to learn about. From the historical side of things, the exploration into the life, burial, and tradition of ancient pharaohs was surreal but also informative. From a medical side of things, there is discussion in how studying the DNA of old mummies can lead to breakthroughs in discovering the past and also help with our own medical treatment in the present. That too ends up blending pretty well into the documentary. And there are also some stories presented about tomb raiders, explorers, archeologists, and merchants who in some way or another, end up discovering the rare and valuables tombs of the pharaohs that were also somewhat compelling.

It was all treated well visually (which I’ll get to more in the 3D section). The deep narration of Christopher Lee was certainly a bonus. And the music and score isn’t all that terrible either, even if it does seem a little off brand.

That’s all I really have to say about Mummies. If you find mummies an interesting subject to go into, this documentary delivers the goods. It’s still not as memorable as something like the aforementioned documentaries above from IMAX themselves. But as far as obscure IMAX docs go, this is probably one of the more enjoyable ones. If you’re considering watching Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs, I recommend it.

OVERALL FILM RATING: 3.5/5

Something else I’ve noticed with obscure non-IMAX IMAX documentaries is that their 3D can be a bit hit or miss. And with that, I usually mean that some portions of the movie have incredible 3D while other portions have weak 3D or are just plain flat. I can typically stand the inconsistent 3D as long as the great 3D is placed where it counts the most. The good thing is, if you’re on the fence about whether or not this film is any good in the third dimension added, I’m happy to say that this film serves as a good example.

Now, I wouldn’t go as far to say that Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaoh is incredible when you consider the overall product. But the scenes that are great in 3D really are amazing. The depth is primarily stunning in the scenes that involve long vistas or explorations in the ancient tombs. One of the film’s more memorable moments involves a shot that includes a long view of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid. Both landmarks reach back so far into the screen you wouldn’t hardly believe it. Virtually anytime we look at a large monument or tomb from a distance, the depth is so vast we feel as if we’re actually looking at the landmarks in all their glory. Another standout moment includes a time-lapse of a tomb aging until one of the guardian statues breaks off and falls to the ground. Throughout the film, we also get views around large Egyptian structures that are perfectly composed in 3D. We get plenty of bottom to top views of large tombs, hallways with large pillars, and etc. Even the surrounding sandy Egyptian landscape seems to go off for infinity.

Inside the ancient structures, the depth can still remain plentiful and perfectly lifelike. When the mummy coffins are opened up, we get to see the mummies themselves in full 3D glory, with every aspect about them from their faces, their hands, the coffin itself, and their overall body being placed in their own 3D space. The tombs themselves also retain proper size and dimension, making them look all the more mesmerizing to look into, and maybe slightly claustrophobic. The film isn’t really all that big on pop outs, but it does lend itself to a few. The most notable occurs when a monster flies out into the audience to devour you whole, which is pretty appropriate considering the history lesson being taught here at the same time.

Not every shot in the film has such deep 3D, sadly. These are luckily mostly scenes where the 3D is probably least necessary. But it’s still somewhat unfortunate to see the 3D not be kept fully consistent from beginning to end. The parts where the 3D is probably at its weakest are during scenes involving people interacting with each other on the ground. During these scenes, the depth is not fully non-existent, but it’s barely there. And sometimes, it looks a bit awkward. What I mean here is that the people in the frame, I don’t know if this is the proper way to say this, look strange around their edges, giving off almost the impression that someone is behind them. This isn’t in every scene, of course, but it looks weird none the less. Besides that, sometimes other objects that look like they should be in their own 3D space look jumbled together. There are a few key moments that really seem to define this trend. One of which is during a scene where plenty of slaves are working around giant wooden structures. Each person and piece of wood looks to be on the same exact plane. And in the marketplace reenactments, the depth that is barely there doesn’t seem to give everyone their own 3D space. I wouldn’t really call it a cardboard cutout look. I’d say it looks a bit more like regular 2D with the buildings only barely reaching back into the screen. I don’t know much about the making of the film. But if I had to guess, I’d say these scenes were post-converted. And unfortunately, there are also a few views in the Egyptian architecture that also seem just like the 2D image was merely pushed back into the screen a little.

These disappointing shots don’t take up the entire film though. In fact, the good shots are in greater number than the bad ones. If the whole movie retained that fantastic 3D, I’d probably give the 3D a rating of “great” or maybe even “excellent.” But because the parts that are lackluster are pretty lackluster, and I can see how they can disrupt some of the biggest of 3D fans, I’m knocking the rating down to “good.” Still, if you’re going to watch the film at all, the 3D is still the preferred way to go, even with its occasional disappointments.

If I were rating the film Cinemablend style, the final score would probably look something like this:

Does it Fit? – 5/5

P & E – 4/5

Before the Window – 2/5

Beyond the Window – 4/5

Brightness – 5/5

Glasses-off test – 3/5

Audience Health – 5/5

Conclusion – 28/35

3D RATING – GOOD

Other sources that review this movie's 3D (the opinions expressed in these reviews may not always match up with mine. But if you want a second opinion on this movie's 3D, these are some sources I recommend checking out):

High-Def Digest Review: https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/4742/mummies_3d.html

FINAL THOUGHTS:

It's no secret that Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs is a bit on the obscure side. In fact, ff you're thinking about purchasing Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs in 3D at all, chances are you might be a tiny bit desperate to expand your 3D Blu-ray collection with more documentaries. Still, if you decide to go for it, you'll get quite a bit out of it. The movie itself is entertaining and informative enough and the 3D can be jaw-dropping at times. You might not find it as enjoyable as other IMAX docs such as Hubble and Under the Sea. But as long as you know what your getting into, I say it's worth a purchase.

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