The Mummy Returns

From AwardAnnals

Reviews

Amazon.com

Proving that bigger is rarely better, The Mummy Returns serves up so much action and so many computer-generated effects that it quickly grows exhausting. In his zeal to establish a lucrative franchise, writer-director Stephen Sommers dispenses with such trivial matters as character development and plot logic, and charges headlong into an almost random buffet of minimum story and maximum mayhem, beginning with a prologue establishing the ominous fate of the Scorpion King (played by World Wrestling Federation star the Rock, in a cameo teaser for his later starring role in—you guessed it—The Scorpion King). Dormant for 5,000 years, under control of the Egyptian god Anubis, the Scorpion King will rise again in 1933, which is where we find The Mummy’s returning heroes Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, now married and scouring Egyptian ruins with their 8-year-old son, Alex (Freddie Boath).

John Hannah (as Weisz’s brother) and Oded Fehr (as mystical warrior Ardeth Bay) also return from The Mummy, and trouble begins when Alex dons the Scorpion King’s ancient bracelet, coveted by the evil mummy Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), who’s been revived by…oh, but does any of this matter? With a plot so disposable that it’s impossible to care about anything that happens, The Mummy Returns is best enjoyed as an intermittently amusing and physically impressive monument of Hollywood machinery, with gorgeous sets that scream for a better showcase, and digital trickery that tops its predecessor in ambition, if not in payoff. By the time our heroes encounter a hoard of ravenous pygmy mummies, you’ll probably enjoy this movie in spite of itself. —Jeff Shannon

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“We don’t have time for subtle,” says Brendan Fraser, the star of The Mummy Returns, neatly encapsulating the relentless pace and hammerheaded tone of the film. As is the way of sequels here we have more, more, more of the same formula: more explosions, more action and more mind-numbingly endless CGI effects. Once again borrowing shamelessly from the Indiana Jones series, The Mummy Returns, like its predecessor, has boundless energy but lacks the stylish verve and charm of Spielberg’s trilogy. All the original cast are reunited, this time joined by WWF star the Rock in a cameo role designed to plug his spin-off vehicle, The Scorpion King, and young actor Freddie Boath who plays an English eight-year-old in the 1930s whose dialogue borrows from Bart Simpson (“Get a room” and “My dad’s gonna kick your arse” are two of his choice phrases). Other cinematic thefts include a Jurassic Park-style creatures-in-the-long-grass sequence and a lengthy triple-threat finale along the lines of Return of the Jedi. Still, despite the wearying relentlessness of its computer-generated effects, endless chases and fights, this is undeniably fun popcorn fodder and provides some memorable scenes along the way, notably Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez battling it out for the affections of nasty old Imhotep. —Mark Walker

Barnes and Noble

This opulent, exciting sequel to 1999’s summer smash is even less a horror movie that its predecessor; instead, The Mummy Returns is a rousing adventure film with supernatural overtones, indebted more to Raiders of the Lost Ark than the 1932 Boris Karloff chiller that ostensibly inspired the first film. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are back as the adventurous Egyptologists, seen ten years after the events that unfolded in The Mummy. With their young son (Freddie Boath) in tow, the tomb-traipsing couple uncovers an ancient artifact capable of unleashing apocalyptic forces and demonic warriors led by the evil Scorpion King. Arnold Vosloo returns as the malevolent mummy Im-Ho-Tep, this time revived by his reincarnated lover (Patricia Velasquez), and together they plot to wrest control of the Scorpion King’s power from its unwitting guardians. Returning writer-director Stephen Sommers gets the action going in reel one, and keeps it going with a succession of progressively elaborate fisticuffs, shootouts, and chases—all reminiscent of the best Saturday-matinee serials of decades ago. The visual effects are stunning, and Sommers laces his thrilling set pieces with welcome humor, making The Mummy Returns a spirited romp that the whole family can enjoy. Pro wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson—whose cameo as the Scorpion King has reportedly inspired a spinoff film—appears in an exclusive interview shot for the DVD, which also includes a featurette on the film’s location shooting, various outtakes, a “virtual tour” of the movie’s Chamber of Doom, a brief crash course in Egyptology, a music video, production notes, and trailers. —Ed Hulse