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)
I loved The Mummy when I was younger and at least once a year I found time to watch Stephen Sommers' genre mash-up, which doesn't lack adventure action, romance, or even a hint of horror. As I've gotten older, I've found that sometimes a film works for me, while other times not so much. Compared to the director's previous Deep Rising, The Mummy definitely offers better characters (as well as cast): Rachel Weisz is truly charming as the intellectual librarian yearning for secrets hidden under the Egyptian sand, John Hannah plays the role of the goofy brother (the thief) superbly, and Arnold Vosloo as the bloodthirsty Imhotep also won me over. In the case of Brendan Fraser, it's like with the film, sometimes he suits me, sometimes he doesn't. I mustn't forget to mention Bernard Fox's small but really funny role as the drunken pilot Winston. I originally gave The Mummy four stars, then reduced it to three, but the fact is that I like coming back to the film and enjoy it (despite the weaker CGI in places).
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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 Sommers' enthusiastic direction helped create an unforgettable ride.
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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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I can unashamedly call The Mummy one of the seminal films of my childhood, and I'll try to capture its magic as simply as possible: a fearless and likeable hero in Brendan Fraser, a really cool and scary bad guy played by Arnold Vosloo, plus a lot of great one-liners and tons of catchy and dynamic action – or how little it takes to make kids happy.
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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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