Mummies at Portage Place! Egypt 3D at Imax

Mummies At the Mall

The IMAX Theatre at downtown Portage Place Mall is known for its ultimate big screen movie experience, and now it’s in 3D.  Egypt 3D: Secrets of the Mummies has been running at the IMAX Theatre since September 12, 2009 and will continue until December 6^th.  The movie gives a great sense of reality.  With the IMAX 3D goggles, watching the film feels like being right in the action, and everything you are viewing is right in front of your face! 

Starting in the 1970’s, the IMAX Corporation presented itself at a multi-screen expo and has since been the leader of entertainment technology.  In 1997, IMAX won an Oscar for their scientific and technical achievement.

Currently the IMAX Theatre is particularly popular for their hype on making you feel like actually “being there” during a show.  The large screen, approximately 10 times the size of a standard 35mm frame, tricks the eye into thinking you are actually moving.   Now that IMAX has gone 3D, the feeling is so much more real. 

The 3D experience is phenomenal; you can observe the people as if you were in Egypt with them.  You are being brought along for the adventure.  The pyramids and hieroglyphics feel like an arm’s reach away, almost like you can touch them.  As the researchers and actors re-enact the events, it feels like you too are walking through the tomb, and looking through the caves, it gives the feeling of being in the world of ancient Egypt.  It was an amazing experience.

However, on the down side, the 3D goggles are quite uncomfortable and ridiculously big.  Without the use of the goggles, the show would have not been a great show at all or even one that could have been watched thoroughly.  While not wearing the goggles, everything seen on screen was blurry and subtitles could not be read at all.  If a person was to become sick during the movie experience, they would have a hard time getting out of there.  The goggles make everything difficult to see, and without them, it would be hard to not focus on the screen.

The sound was incredible; the effects caught the attention of the viewers, with their 12,000 watt digital sound system.

On top of the astonishing experience of what the eye can see, the knowledge learned in this film exceeded my expectations.  The film discussed historic events that dated back 3000 years, focusing on the widely known ancient Pharaoh, Rameses, whose burial took place in 1212 B.C.  One of the biggest secrets of the mummies is that they were never originally laid to rest in the tombs built for them, all that was in them were their treasures.  The mystery was put to rest when the 12 mummies of kings and queens were found in 1888, in a hidden tomb.  The mummies were returned, and years later the hidden tomb collapsed.  It has never been discovered as to why they were all put to rest in a hidden tomb.

The film was great, running 40 minutes; it gave a great impression on what Egypt would have been like 3000 years ago, as well as how it looks today.  Its only downfall is that it would have benefited from a more in depth view of the pyramids as they stand today.