The Mummy

From AwardAnnals

Reviews

Amazon.com

If you’re expecting bandaged-wrapped corpses and a lurching Boris Karloff-type villain, then you’ve come to the wrong movie. But if outrageous effects, a hunky hero, and some hearty laughs are what you’re looking for, the 1999 version of The Mummy is spectacularly good fun. Yes, the critics called it “hokey,” “cheesy,” and “pallid.” Well, the critics are unjust. Granted, the plot tends to stray, the acting is a bit of a stretch, and the characters occasionally slip into cliché, but who cares? When that action gets going, hold tight—those two hours just fly by.

The premise of the movie isn’t that far off from the original. Egyptologist and general mess Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) discovers a map to the lost city of Hamunaptra, and so she hires rogue Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) to lead her there. Once there, Evelyn accidentally unlocks the tomb of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a man who had been buried alive a couple of millennia ago with flesh-eating bugs as punishment for sleeping with the pharaoh’s girlfriend. The ancient mummy is revived, and he is determined to bring his old love back to life, which of course means much mayhem (including the unleashing of the 10 plagues) and human sacrifice. Despite the rather gory premise, this movie is fairly tame in terms of violence; most of the magic and surprise come from the special effects, which are glorious to watch, although Imhotep, before being fully reconstituted, is, as one explorer puts it, rather “juicy.” Keep in mind this film is as much comedy as it is adventure—those looking for a straightforward horror pic will be disappointed. But for those who want good old-fashioned eye-candy kind of fun, The Mummy ranks as one of choicest flicks of 1999. —Jenny Brown

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For his breakthrough into the blockbuster big time, director Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising) was determined to avoid the hackneyed Hollywood Mummy clichés of flailing bandages, somnambulant zombies and wooden acting. If you’re happy to settle for two out of three then the finished film could be your cup of Egyptian tea, fully delivering on its visual promise, but occasionally mired in a quicksand of stilted dialogue and plot contrivance.

When disgraced high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) is awoken from his ancient prison, he unleashes his vengeful wrath in a whirl of computer-generated pestilence and plagues, all devised by the effects wizards at George Lucas’ Industrial Light and Magic. No gory detail is spared as the mummy sets about rebuilding his decayed body and reviving his forbidden lover, aided by hordes of swarming, flesh-eating scarabs and an army of the dead. Among the more human cast, Brendan Fraser (Blast from the Past, George of the Jungle) brings an infectious Boys’ Own enthusiasm to his Indiana-Jones-style adventurer, while such supporting players as Rachel Weisz and John Hannah are mostly eclipsed by the spectacle on offer. Ultimately, The Mummy is great fun and offers digital thrills ideally suited to the DVD format which will wow even the most CGI-sated viewer. —Steve Napleton

Barnes and Noble

Packed with comic-book thrills and spills, this roller-coaster ride of an adventure has more in common with the Indiana Jones series than it does with the moody, Expressionistic 1930s horror classic starring Boris Karloff. In their scramble to unearth the legendary City of the Dead, a charmingly klutzy female archaeologist (Rachel Weisz) and a dashing American adventurer (Brendan Fraser) accidentally disturb the tomb of a vengeful, lovesick mummy. Forget the bandages—this shape-shifting demon masquerades as a sandstorm, conjures up the plagues of Egypt, and has an army of carnivorous beetles at his beck and call. With its eye-popping special effects and lighthearted laughs, this blockbuster hit is a pure rush of high-adrenaline entertainment. Kryssa Schemmerling