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The Mummy Returns The secret to making a good summer blockbuster is a lot like the secret to making a good hamburger. The ingredients are usually the same, but a little bit of finesse can make the difference between an ordinary, everyday burger and a great meal.
In 1999, Stephen Sommers brought us The Mummy, a lighthearted, special-effect filled tribute to the pulp stories that preceded it (most notably the hugely popular Indiana Jones trilogy). Unlike the creepier, horror-influenced film that it was based on (1932's The Mummy), this new film was action packed, but had just enough calm moments left open for laughs. It was a hit and a sequel was sure to follow.
Now, in 2001, the aptly named The Mummy Returns kicks off the summer blockbuster season and tries to improve upon the success of the first film. Like the Mummy, the original cast returns, with the dashing Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) now married to the adventurous librarian Evelyn (Rachel Weisz). The couple has a son named Alex (Freddie Boath), who we are lead to believe combines Rick's bravery and Evelyn's touch for getting into trouble. Evelyn's brother, Jonathan (John Hannah) also returns, along with the villainous Mummy (Arnold Vosloo). Even the Medjai leader, Ardeth Bey (Oded Fehr) is back, along with the Mummy's mistress, Anck-su-namun (Patricia Velazquez). With the return of the film's technical crew, a few seconds into the open scenes you get that familiar "the gang is all here" feel.
From the beginning, it becomes obvious that the goal of the filmmaker was to up the ante from the first film and bring to audiences more of what they loved from the first one, but with even bigger sets and effects.
The first third of the film is absolutely breath taking, launching the film forward with an amazing amount of momentum that should be enough to carry any film for a few hours. The evil mummy from the first film, Imhotep, is resurrected once again and a race starts between him and the heroes to find the secret resting place of the Scorpion King (played by the wrestler, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Whomever can defeat the Scorpion King in combat will gain power over his armies, fierce dog-men given life by the god Anubis. [Pixelsurgeon note: The Rock is slated to appear in The Mummy 3: The Scorpion King, directed by Chuck Russell and as of May 2001 is in production]
Of course, there are complications, but thankfully the plot never becomes forced or unnecessary. Everything moves along at a good clip and two hours later, you're shuffling out of the theater having been thoroughly entertained. Or have you?
The Mummy was saved from being just another action film by having lovable and charming characters who audiences eventually came to love. The characters were simple, of course, but just nuanced enough that we really came to like them. We cared. And it was because we cared that the cliffhangers in the first film literally had us on the edge of our seats.
The second film, unfortunately, is a little more lazy in terms of character development. We get the same kinds of dangers and thrills, but we're not given any additional reason to really care. Even the characters, who voice dialog about their concern for each other, really only seem to act in manner to march the plot forward from one intrigue to the next.
And, many of the dangers the characters face in this installment are rehashed from the original. The Mummy's skeletal warriors return in The Mummy Returns, but this time, they are faster and stronger. The wall of sand from the first movie, which growls menacingly at the heroes, is revived in the second as a wall of determined, murderous water. And, rather than swarms of scarab beetles, The Mummy Returns has rooms filled with glistening, ever-hungry scorpions.
Like everything else in The Mummy Returns, the special effects have been pushed up a notch, which is usually successful, but sometimes manages to fall flat. The sets and computerized skylines are beautiful, but there are moments when you think you can see the "strings" and the illusion fades. In one instance, a tree is blown apart with a stick of dynamite, and the result only reminds you that you're watching a movie, rather than partaking in a grand adventure.
The diabolical Scorpion King, at the end of the movie, is especially bad, not really fitting with the rest of the film, and certainly not fitting within the frame. You never really get the impression that he is there or that he has any mass to him, only computer generated surface painted over a finished shot. He moves too quickly and easily to actually need to touch the ground and his appearance is perhaps the most distracting special effect seen in movies in recent years.
And yet, I did enjoy it. Even with its faults, I had a good time. There are moments that are both beautiful and exciting. And, this movie has the courage to show you thinks that, while utterly ridiculous, still appeal to the child inside. So, in summary, The Mummy Returns is just like that hamburger. If you're hungry, it'll be fine. But, if you want something else, something a little better than the average fair, The Mummy Returns is lacking that bit of finesse that could have make it exceptional.
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