Directed by:
Stephen SommersScreenplay:
Stephen SommersCinematography:
Adrian BiddleComposer:
Jerry GoldsmithCast:
Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Kevin J. O'Connor, Oded Fehr, Jonathan Hyde, Bernard Fox, Erick Avari, Stephen Dunham, Corey Johnson (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
Dashing legionnaire Rick O'Connell and Beni, his weasel of a companion, stumble upon the hidden ruins of Hamunaptra while in the midst of a battle in 1923--3,000 years after Imhotep has suffered a fate worse than death--mummification, in which his body will remain undead for all eternity as punishment for forbidden love. Some years later, as O'Connell languishes in prison awaiting an almost certain execution, he finds that his knowledge of the exact location of Hamunaptra becomes a bargaining tool to save his life. The legendary riches buried beneath the sands of Hamunaptra have become an obsession with both treasure-hunters and archeologists, and O'Connell finds himself in an unlikely alliance with the beautiful, but clumsy Egyptologist Evelyn and her ne'er-do-well brother, Jonathan. The trio leave Cairo for a journey which will take them down the Nile, across the treacherous expanse of the Sahara and to an encounter with a malevolent force with power beyond their imagination. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
Stephen Sommers is very good at this kind of films. This one has a reasonable mix of action, humor, and tension, which unfortunately is sometimes overly disjointed and mainly quite boring. The onslaught of visual effects and action scenes is truly impressive, and Jerry Goldsmith's music is beautifully atmospheric. But The Mummy is ultimately a one-time affair, as I have no desire to watch it again. The Egyptian mythology is distorted and the main villain, Arnold Vosloo, is quite an annoying caricature. However, the chemistry between the actors is excellent. Both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are great and interact excellently on screen. Pity about the deficiencies in the direction and especially the scriptwriting, as visually the film is practically perfect.
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A fantastic adventurous tangle of many supporting characters, a charismatic villain, a characteristically courageous protagonist, and a beautiful and clumsy girl in distress. I could watch this heartfelt affair from morning to evening, Jerry Goldsmith's music and Stephen Sommers' enthusiastic directing helped create an unforgettable flick.
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When the tricks fade, not even a pile of ashes will be left of The Mummy. Unlike Indiana Jones, this film lacks the essentials that every truly high-quality adventure film has to have – a hero. The local guy is an inflated pretty boy with no charisma. A pretty face doesn't make a good character... Three years ago, the impression was top notch thanks to the technical aspect, now The Mummy seems to me to be decently below average... Compared to Dr. Jones, this Egyptian hunk is driving all over the place...
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An relaxing popcorn adventure ride with a flavor of Hollywoodized Egyptian mythology. Decent special effects, good production design and a charismatic hero are the main pluses. The somewhat infantile style of humor is the biggest negative. This is not a new Indy by any stretch of the imagination, just as it is not a remake of the original Universal Mummy; but the truth is that Fraser's escapades manage to fill the gap that was left by them. Although only partially.
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If you take away the over-the-top digital effects, this film doesn’t have much to offer. Yes, Sommers knows how to give the impression that his films are epic. His work is filled with beautiful views of sandstorms, Egyptian cities in their heyday, or in a kind of eye-catching splendour of their ruins (the set of the crumbling Egyptian mansion must have been terribly expensive), and the dungeons full of treasures are also eye-catching. But the film has otherwise aged terribly, unlike its predecessors, because much of its charm is based on digital attractions, and those no longer impress anyone in the face of today's technology. The Mummy in its early stages is downright digitally awful (but not in the good creepy sense of the word), and Arnold Vosloo overacts like a pig until he becomes a caricature of himself. The only thing that survives unscathed to this day is Jerry Goldsmith's music; it's beautiful, even after repeated listens. It's also quite nice that the film doesn't take itself too seriously and is surprisingly funny in places, like when the offending skeleton heads are blown off like in a baseball game, or when Rachel Weisz demolishes an entire library in a domino effect – that’s the first scene I always remember when I think of Sommer’s The Mummy.
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