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This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

"Mysteries of Egypt" is an award-winning 40-minute documentary from 1998, so this one will have its 20th anniversary next year. It is perhaps the most known work by writer and director Bruce Neibaur and a lot of that has to do with the fact that it features Oscar-nominated actor Omar Sharif, perhaps Egypt's most known in the center of it all. The idea of having him explain some of Egypt's most important historic stuff to his (of course not real) granddaughter was fairly solid and makes it easier accessible. And honestly, even if it says "mysteries" in the title, there aren't really that many mysteries in here and it is nothing too deep or scientific you will hear while watching. But that's fine. Plus the video recordings of the Egyptian desert are somewhat nice to watch most of the time. So all in all, I would say this was a success. It is somewhat typical for IMAX documentaries like this one to be not the most groundbreaking or innovative exactly, but they are still fairly informative most of the time. This one is no exception. By the way, there also seem to be versions of this one that are considerably longer than 40 minutes and exceed short film territory, but the one I saw was not that long. All in all, I give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking it out, even if you don't have the very biggest interest in ancient Egypt by nature. You won't be disappointed.

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.

IMAX is steadily becoming a widely recognized form of large-format movies. Any film presented in the IMAX format is larger than life. Because of that, many documentaries have made their way to the big screen."Mysteries of Egypt" is an excellent film on the history of ancient Egyptian civilization. Centering around the architecture and religion of the times, this particular IMAX film covers the importance of the Nile, the building of the pyramids and other similar feats, the pharaohs, and in particular, the discovery of the tomb of the boy king Tutankhamun. It is a must see for anyone interested in Egypt, especially if you have been there before. It is also a very effective educational tool, something that educators should utilize.The scenery in this film is amazing, with one of the early scenes taking the viewer on a trip down the Nile, complete with a map super-imposed over the beautiful photography of the flight (a good reason why you shouldn't view this film right after eating a meal). Other views, such as aerial shots of the pyramids, shouldn't be missed. As to be expected with IMAX films, the sound in this film is spectacular as well, and make sure you see it in a theatre that has DTS. You won't be disappointed.Omar Sharif is the main character and narrator of this film, and Kate Maberly appears as a supporting character. Sharif is perfect for the role, and has an on-screen presence in this film that is superb, especially considering this is a documentary. However, I think that Maberly takes away somewhat from the film as a whole, as her character (and the lines provided) just seems so fake. They would have been better to put someone like Natalie Portman in this role, at least her acting would compliment Sharif's. However, seeing as IMAX documentaries aren't known for attracting major Hollywood stars, I guess we should be happy that Maberly at least has some movie experience.Overall, this film is excellent, especially if you are a fan of the IMAX format. This is one of the best IMAX documentaries that I have seen so far, and I look forward to more in the future. While some IMAX films are limited to certain theatres, I suggest you see "Everest", "Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets", "Hail! Columbia", "Speed" (not the one with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock), and "Whales".My Rating: 9/10