The Mummy Returns Reviewed by Christian Pyle Written and Directed by Stephen Sommers Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, and The Rock Official Site: http://www.themummy.com/ Grade: C+
You know, nearly being killed by a 3000-year-old mummy might discourage some folks from pursuing a career in archeology. But not the O'Connell clan. Eight years after beating back Im-Ho-Tep (Arnold Vosloo) and his dancing carrion, Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) are busy raiding tombs with their devilishly cute son Alex (Freddie Boath). What they don't know: 5000 years ago the Scorpion King (wrestler The Rock) sold his soul to Anubis in exchange for a demonic army of dog-men, and the time has come for Scorpy to rise again and take over the world.
Not everybody's in the dark. The curator of the British Museum (Alun Armstrong) has a scheme to take over the army of Anubis, but he'll need some muscle. So, he's raising Im-Ho-Tep from the grave again. Why does he think that's a good idea?
Mischievous Alex, the only one too young to know better, snaps on the Scorpion King's bracelet, making him the only one who knows the route to the lost oasis of Ahm Shere where the King and his army are resting in a golden pyramid. When Im-Ho-Tep kidnaps Alex, Rick and Evie follow, along with Evie's no-good brother Jonathan (John Hannah), the Arabian knight Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr), and a pilot named Izzy (Shaun Parkes). Can this merry band whip two mummies and save the world? I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled it off somehow.
I suppose it's only fair to mention that I was underwhelmed by the 1999 film to which "Returns" is the sequel. I felt that movie suffered from an identity crisis, unable to decide if it wanted to be "The Mummy" circa 1932, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or "Army of Darkness." Seemingly unaware that those movies had very different tones, "The Mummy" 1999 mixed elements from all three (and others) without any awareness that they clash with each other. Even more so, "Returns" seems a bizarre gumbo of material borrowed from other films. As a result, the movie leaves the viewer with the same uneasy feeling as a meal composed entirely of leftovers does.
Returning writer/director Stephen Sommers leaves little time for character development because the raison d'etre of this crowded pic is computer-generated battles with all manner of supernatural critter (including the slack-jawed henchmen from the last movie, the dog-men of Anubis, a bunch of mummy dwarfs, and the resurrected Scorpion King). Sommers assumes that we a) know these characters and b) care what happens to them.
The latter assumption is particularly false, due as much to bad acting as poor scripting. Brendan Fraser seemed an odd choice for a two-fisted adventurer in the first "Mummy," and he still doesn't seem to fit in his role. He seems to have a gift for playing a good-hearted doofus ("Blast from the Past," "George of the Jungle," "Dudley Do-Right") but Action Hero is just not in his range. Rachel Weisz doesn't bring much to the party either. I liked her better in "The Mummy" because her character was out of her depth. In the sequel, Evie remembers she was a warrior princess in a previous life and starts kicking butt, making her more capable but less likable. Also, the writers pressed too hard in asserting Evie as a respected scholar. One line that made me wince was when she noted casually that people had been begging her "to take over the British Museum." Weisz plays Respected Scholar about as convincingly as Denise Richards played Nuclear Physicist.
Wrestling fans beware, The Rock is hardly in the movie. He is seen in a series of flashbacks at the beginning, but does not appear again as live-action. (His character rises from the grave as a CGI beast). I don't even think he has any lines. However, those wanting some of his trademark trash talk should watch for a spin-off he's filming called "The Scorpion King."
Two actors who acquitted themselves well: John Hannah and Oded Fehr. Hannah is funny and charming as Jonathan. His character is the only one not inflated beyond what the audience will buy or the actor can pull off. As a result, Jonathan came off as the hero of the movie to me: he's full of weaknesses and character flaws, but when his sister and nephew are in danger, he shows great courage. Fehr has an easier job than most; all he has to do is look strong, handsome, exotic, and mysterious. And he does it really well.
Bottom Line: There's so much going on you may forget you don't care what happens to these people.
© 2001 Christian L. Pyle
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