The Mummy Returns

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

In 3067 BC, the Scorpion King, leads his army on a campaign to conquer the world. Seven years later, the Scorpion King and his army are defeated and exiled to the desert of Ahm Shere. His men die of heat exhaustion, leaving only the Scorpion King. Vowing to give Anubis his soul for the power to defeat his enemies, an oasis is created to hide the Scorpion King’s pyramid and giving him a legion of demonic, humanoid jackal warriors to seek revenge. The Army of Anubis sweeps across Egypt, destroying everything in its path, but once their task is finished Anubis claims the Scorpion King’s soul and his army.

In 1933, Rick and Evelyn O’Connell explore a ruined mortuary structure in the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes with their son, Alex. They find the Bracelet of Anubis. In London, Alex puts on the bracelet, which provides him with directions to the oasis of Ahm Shere. Alex has seven days to reach the oasis, or the bracelet will kill him the moment the rays of the sun shine on the Scorpion King’s pyramid; at that point the Scorpion King and his army will also reawaken.

Alex is captured by an Egyptian cult who have resurrected Imhotep; they wish to use Imhotep’s power to defeat the Scorpion King, which would give him command of the Army of Anubis. The cult, led by Baltus Hafez, the curator of the British Museum, includes a warrior named Lock-Nah and Meela Nais, the reincarnation of Imhotep’s love Anck-su-namun. The O’Connells set out to rescue Alex, accompanied by Evelyn’s brother Jonathan and the Medjai Ardeth Bay. Rick’s associate from his past adventures, Izzy, a pilot, provides the group transportation.

The bracelet of Anubis gives Alex visions, directions to Ahm Shere that the cult follows. At each location, Alex leaves clues for his parents, who follow in Izzy’s dirigible. Imhotep uses the Book of the Dead to give Meela Nais the soul of Anck-su-namun but by doing so he also allows Evelyn to unlock the memories of her previous life as Princess Nefertiri, keeper of the bracelet of Anubis and the daughter of Pharaoh Seti I. Lock-Nah discovers that Alex has been leaving clues, so Imhotep makes a wall of water that attacks the dirigible. The O’Connells crash in Ahm Shere. Izzy stays with the dirigible in hopes of repairing it. The O’Connells attack the cult, and both groups are attacked by pygmy mummies. Rick retrieves Alex while Ardeth Bay kills Lock-Nah. They escape from the pygmies, which kill most of the cult except for Baltus. Imhotep and Anck-su-namun are unharmed due to Imhotep’s powers and Anck-su-namun being the keeper of the Book of the Dead.

Rick and Alex run to the pyramid, barely making it before sunrise. The bracelet detaches from Alex’s arm. Ardeth regroups with the Medjai in case the army of Anubis rises. Anck-su-namun stabs Evey and Rick pursues Imhotep. Baltus puts on the bracelet and revives the army of Anubis. As Imhotep walks into the pyramid, Anubis takes his powers, wanting Imhotep to fight as a mortal. Rick finds Imhotep summoning the Scorpion King and they fight. The Medjai engage the army of Anubis. The Scorpion King interrupts Rick and Imhotep’s fight. Imhotep tells the Scorpion King that he is the Scorpion King’s slave, but Rick was sent to kill him. During Rick and the Scorpion King’s fight, the Scorpion King kills Baltus. Jonathan and Alex collaborate to steal the Book of the Dead from Anck-su-namun. Alex uses the book to resurrect Evelyn, who duels with Anck-su-namun.

Alex and Jonathan go to help Rick. It is revealed that the scepter that Jonathan has been carrying extends into a spear that can kill the Scorpion King. The Medjai seemingly defeat Anubis’ army despite heavy casualties, but see that they have only defeated the vanguard, and the full army is charging towards them. However, before the Anubis warriors hit the Medjai lines, Rick succeeds in killing the Scorpion King, sending him and his army back to the Underworld. The Scorpion King’s death causes Anubis to turn the oasis back into a desert, and the oasis is being sucked into the pyramid. Rick and Imhotep are hanging from the edge of a pit that leads into the underworld. Evelyn risks her life to save Rick, but Anck-su-namun refuses to save Imhotep, who falls to his death. Anck-su-namun soon falls into a scarab-filled pit and is devoured.

The O’Connells reach the top of the pyramid, which is being sucked into the desert. Izzy arrives with a modified dirigible and saves the O’Connells. Jonathan grabs the diamond at the top of the pyramid. Ardeth Bay salutes them as they fly over him

REVIEW:

Some people hold this film in the highest regards, saying it is the best entry in the franchise. I am not sure I agree with that, I don’t totally disagree. The Mummy Returns is, if nothing else, not a disgrace to other great franchise sequels.

For all that praise this film, there just as many, if not more that chide it for being such a departure from The Mummy or being a bit on the episodic side.

My personal take on this film is that it is a sequel, therefore they wanted to move the story along and not repeat the first film. In that regard, they did what they set out to do.

So, what worked for me?

The story of Anck-Su-Namun and Princess Nefertiri . In the first film, we learned about Imhotep, but it was obvious there was a story itching to be told about the women that more or less caused him to be cursed for all eternity.

The comedic touches are still there. It is always a treat for me when a flick doesn’t take itself too seriously. This is one of the reasons why I love these films so much, they are able to insert those moments of levity seamlessly in there now and then.

The special effects. In the first film, there was giant sand dunes and whatnot, which were spectacular, but this time we get things on a bigger scale, such as the raging Nile River shooting up and bringing down the balloon.

Scenery. In films of this nature, I’m always gushing about how gorgeous the backgrounds are, and this is no exception, especially when they get to the city of Thebes.

They dynamic between Rick and Evy is better this time around, though I think I preferred her as the meek little librarian from the first film.

What doesn’t work?

The Scorpion King. I realize this was supposed to be The Rock’s big screen debut and for what they did with him, it was a good debut. However, I just think his character was one of those that was just thrown in there as a sad attempt to flesh out some kind of false history.

Imhotep. This guy is a force to be reckoned with, even if his mortal, but with a couple of exceptions, they really just wasted him. He mostly walked around smirking and grunting and talking in that foreign tongue, barking orders. Not really that intimidating, especially when you consider how imposing he was in the first one.

Alex and the cult. Alex is the typical annoying pre-pubescent boy who is just annoying for the sake of being annoying and getting into everything. You know the type. The cult just seemed like the token bad guys who were there just to see that there was a way to get the plot moving forward without having to make the ending on the first film seem like it never happened.

All in all, The Mummy Returns is good, clean fun (a rarity outside of family films these days). Now that I think about it, if there is a film that needs to be released in 3D, it is this and its predecessor, at least in my opinion. There isn’t much negative to say about this film. I highly recommend it to everyone!

5 out of 5 stars

The Mummy

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

In Egypt, circa 1290 BC, high priest Imhotep engages in an affair with Ankh-sun-Amun, the mistress of Pharaoh Seti I—other men are forbidden to touch her. When the Pharaoh discovers their tryst, Imhotep and Ankh-sun-Amun murder the monarch. Imhotep flees with his fellow Egyptian priests. The Medjay then enter the room, to see only Ankh-sun-Amun and the dead pharaoh (however, in the sequel The Mummy Returns, it was shown that Evelyn – in her previous incarnation as Princess Nefertiri – was the one who called the guards). Ankh-sun-Amun then kills herself, intending for Imhotep to resurrect her. After Ankh-sun-Amun’s burial, Imhotep breaks into her crypt and steals her corpse. He and his priests flee across the desert to Hamunaptra, the city of the dead, where they begin the resurrection ceremony. However, they are caught by Seti’s guards before the ritual could be completed, and Ankh-sun-Amun’s soul is sent back to the Underworld. For their sacrilege, Imhotep’s priests are mummified alive, and Imhotep himself is forced to endure the curse of Hom Dai: his tongue is cut out, and he is buried alive with a swarm of flesh-eating scarabs. The ritual grants eternal life, forcing Imhotep to endure the agony of his wounds for all time. He is buried under high security, sealed away in a sarcophagus below a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis, and kept under strict surveillance by the Medjai, descendants of Seti’s palace guards. If Imhotep were ever to be released, the powers that made him immortal would allow him to unleash a wave of destruction and death upon the Earth.

In 1926, Cairo librarian and aspiring Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan is presented with an intricate box and map by her bumbling brother Jonathan, who says he found it in Thebes. After the pair discover the map leads to Hamunaptra, Jonathan reveals he actually stole it from an American named Rick O’Connell, who is currently in prison. Rick tells them that he knows the location of the city because his unit of the French Foreign Legion reached the fabled city, only to be overrun by hostile Bedouins. He makes a deal with Evelyn to reveal the location of Hamunaptra, in exchange for Evelyn saving Rick from being hanged.

Rick leads Evelyn and Jonathan’s small expedition to the city, where the group encounters a band of American treasure hunters led by the famed Egyptologist Dr. Allen Chamberlain and guided by Beni Gabor, a cowardly former Legion soldier and former comrade of Rick, who had hidden himself in Hamunaptra during the Beduins’ attack. Shortly after reaching Hamunaptra, both groups are attacked by the Medjai, led by a warrior named Ardeth Bei. Bei warns them of the evil buried in the city, but rather than heed his warning, the two expeditions continue to excavate in separate portions of the city. Evelyn is looking for the Book of Amun-Ra, a solid gold book supposedly capable of taking life away, but unexpectedly comes across the remains of Imhotep instead. The team of Americans, meanwhile, discover a box containing the black Book of the Dead, accompanied by canopic jars carrying Ankh-sun-Amun’s preserved organs; each of the Americans takes a jar as loot. Before opening the box Dr. Chamberlain reads an engraving saying that any and all who open the box are cursed to mutilation of their flesh. The men ignore the warnings, but Beni refuses to assist them, and flees.

At night, Evelyn takes the Book of the Dead from the Americans’ tent and reads a page aloud, accidentally awakening Imhotep. The sorceror’s resurrection awakens the camp and they search the pyramid for the cause of commotion. One of the treasure hunters is found by Imhotep and his eyes and tongue are taken from him to be used by the mummy. Although both groups return to Cairo, the mummy eventually finds them with help from Beni who has bargained with the mummy in exchange for fortune and his life. The mummy finishes absorbing the American he found at the pyramid and eventually absorbs two more including Dr. Chamberlain leaving only one to absorb to fully regain his power.

Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, and the last surving American treasure hunter head to the museum in search of clues to put Imhotep back to rest, only to find the Medjai Ardeth Bei speaking with the curator. After Evelyn reveals that Imhotep referred to her as Ankh-sun-Amun at the pyramid Ardeth and the curator hypothesize that Imhotep is indeed seeking to resurrect his love once more and has chosen his sacrifice: Evelyn. Evelyn hypothesises that if the Book of the Dead brought Imhotep back to life, the Book of Amun-Ra can kill the high priest once again. Shortly after discovering the location of the Book Imhotep, now with an army of brainwashed slaves, corners the group. In the process of doing so Imhotep absorbs the last American thus fully restoring his power. Evelyn agrees to accompany Imhotep if he spares the lives of the rest of the group. Rick reluctantly agrees to do so, only for Imhotep to go back on his word and order his slaves to kill them. Luckily, Ardeth discovers an entrance to the sewers and they escape, however, the curator stays behind to hold off the horde of slaves to allow the rest to escape, losing his life.

Imhotep, with Evelyn and Beni in tow, returns to Hamunaptra, pursued by Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth. Evelyn is rescued after an intense battle with Imhotep’s mummies, and she reads from the Book of Amun-Ra. Imhotep becomes mortal, and Rick stabs him. Rapidly decaying, Imhotep leaves the world of the living, vowing revenge with the same words he carved into his sarcophogus, “Death is only the beginning”. Beni accidentally sets off an ancient booby trap and is trapped by a swarm of flesh-eating scarabs as Hamunaptra begins to collapse into the sand. The heroes escape and ride off into the sunset on a pair of camels laden with treasure

REVIEW:

When I started this blog a few years ago, my first review was The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Ever since then, I keep thinking that I’ve reviewed The Mummy, but up until now, obviously, I haven’t gotten around to doing so. Finally, here it is…

First off, let me say that some people like to say this is a remake of the classic 1932 version of The Mummy, but it isn’t. There are some elements, such as Imhotep, but that’s it. As far as I can tell, they used the same story gor the basis, but also used a little imagination to distance itself from the original.

I love that they didn’t try to stick this in modern day. The 1930s worked for the Indiana Jones franchise, and continues to do so here. Having this in modern times just wouldn’t have the same success, I believe.

The special effects are great. Yes, they’re all CGI, but it is like ice cream on the side of cake. You don’t need it because of all the other great things that are going on, but it just adds that little extra something.

The story is great, especially the beginning narration that tells us how Imhotep became the mummy, although it is never really said how it is he developed powers, unless I missed something (which is totally possible).

The cast of characters each add something meaningful to the film, and aren’t just there to cash a check. Brendan Fraser is the perfect leading man for this type of film, a great action star who also has that comedic appeal when necessary.

Rachel Weisz and John Hannah as brother and sister I didn’t buy, but their individual characters were interesting. Weisz as the nerdy (and still hot) librarian and Hannah as the gambling…playboy, I guess is the word?

Arnold Vosloo doesn’t really have any lines, in English, but he is an intimidating presents when he is on the screen. I only wonder what it would have been like if he could have spoken English.

The scenery is not too shabby, but when most of the film is in the Egyptian desert, what  can you really expect to see but sand, some ruins, and an occasional oasis/mirage.

Pacing is great. I always harp on how much I hate films that move along and then suddenly slow down to an almost complete stop, but this one moves along without stopping until the end credits roll.

In the end, The Mummy is a great action flick that has something for everyone, even those that think that CG effects are the greatest things since sliced bread. For those of us that are fans of the original 1932 version, there are also respectable nods to it as well. I highly recommend this to everyone. It is definitely one of those pictures you should see before you die!

5 out of 5 stars

The Mummy (1932)

PLOT:

An Ancient Egyptian priest called Imhotep is revived when an archaeological expedition finds Imhotep’s mummy and one of the archaeologists accidentally reads an ancient life-giving spell. Imhotep escapes from the archaeologists and prowls Cairo seeking the reincarnation of the soul of his ancient lover, Princess Ankh-es-en-amon. Imhotep was once mummified alive for attempting to resurrect her, and, upon finding a woman bearing a striking resemblance to her, attempts to mummify her and make her his bride. In the end, she is saved when she remembers her past life and prays to the goddess Isis to save her. The young woman utters a prayer and the scroll containing the resurrection spell is burned, and Imhotep dissolved.

REVIEW:

In the lexicon of classic horror films, The Mummy seems to fall just above mediocrity. This is truly sad, but when you consider the competition being Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, Dracula, the Invisible Man, and to a lesser extent, King Kong and Godzilla, I’d have to say that  is a far assessment.

This is the first film I’ve seen starring Boris Karloff. The only other exposure I’ve had to him prior is hearing him sing “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” After watching this film, I have to say that this guy is not someone you would want to run into in a dark alley. He’s quite the intimidating figure…at least as Ardath Bay/The Mummy he is. Even thought this film is far from scary, by today’s standards, Karloff’s fear factor has stood the test of time.

Zita Johann is the female lead, Helen Grosvenor, or as Imhotep believes, Ankh-es-en-amon. I didn’t care for her, though. Not that she did  a bad job or anything like that, but there was just something about her that didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was her vague resemblance to Drew Barrymore, or the fact that she falls for some random guy who just happened to save her, I don’t know, but I wasn’t a fan.

The rest of the cast seem to be put there for the sole purpose of filling screen time until the climactic fight scene. Sure they have various purposes, but for the most part, they are just filler and may very well have been extras that happen to have lines here and there.

This is an excellent film. Unlike it modern day counterpart, it relies more on the acting than special effects, as most films of this time did. Talent was required to work back then, not the ability to work with a green screen. I’m sure there are quite a few of you out there that could care less about seeing this, but I implore you give it a a shot and see what real acting was like.

4 out of 5 stars