Great Escapist Filmmaking Returns!

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2001)

With all of the empty-headed, boring action movies that are the norm these days, it's good to have a movie like "The Mummy" come along. Yes, it's goofy and tongue-in-cheek, but what the heck, it's a lot of fun and made by folks who clearly love movies. Stephen Sommers, who co-wrote and directed this film, is having a ball with this movie.
Everyone's talked a lot about the visual effects, and oh yeah, the ILM kids have another field day with "The Mummy." ILM must have been a crazy place with both "The Mummy" and "Star Wars: Episode I" coming out at the same time. The creature itself is a marvel, wonderfully creepy and expressive. What I also loved were the cool backgrounds that lend the film a great sense of place, making the audience feel that they're right in Egypt during the time of the Pharaohs and of the 1920's. Thank gosh for computers, cause man, they're making all kinds of cool effects possible.
The acting is very good, and fitting for this kind of movie. Brendan Fraser is very energetic, sometimes hamming it up too much, but certainly having fun. Stephen Sommers gives "The Mummy" a big dose of fun and energy, knowing when to go for laughs and when to go for thrills. Sommers does a great job of bringing back the epic adventure film, and buddy, it's been a long time!

I, as always, have a lot of admiration for the other artists who make movies. I loved the great score by Jerry Goldsmith ("The Omen," many of the "Star Trek" films). He composed many themes, showcasing the beauty of Egypt, the evil of the Mummy, or the adventure of our heroes. Both Goldsmith and John Williams are close to 70, and both of these veterans clearly get a kick out of these adventure films and really let loose with some great music. They make film composers half their ages seem asleep by comparison! Adrian Biddle ("Aliens") knows how to shoot a genre film like "The Mummy," and shows that he knows his stuff when it comes to photographing the gorgeous desert vistas as well.
All in all, a ton of fun for someone like me who was weaned on "Star Wars" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and has been getting kind of cynical about how fun has been disappearing from today's movies. Let's hope Stephen Sommers and others like him keep going and keep making movies that put our faith back in escapist filmmaking.
(9 out of 10 Stars)