DOSEN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!!!

Rating: 10/10 (25 July 2001)

I first caught this movie on my pay-tv service. Having not been to the theatres in almost eight years I wish I had seen this one on the big screen. It deserves to be seen there not on a 28-inch television that lacks the ability to show the movies beautiful landscapes. The cast of Brendan Fraser, Rahel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Kevin J. O'Connor, Jonathan Hyde, Erick Avari, Aharon Ipale, Patricia Velasquez, Tuc Watkins, Stephen Dunham, Corey Johnson, Omid Djalili and Bernard Fox are magnificent. I listed them all because I feel this movie wouldn't have worked without a single one of them. This movie worked not only because of them but because of Stephen Sommers' able direction and writing. From the moment it opens the audience is transformed to a world where the impossible is possible. I believed this movie. It had a heart at its centre and a truth far beyond anything that has been filmed in the genre of late. Boris Karloff fans and admirers of the original 1932 version will be disappointed, but please give this one a shot. It has all the elements of those old classics and more. Sommers has done his homework on this one replete with all the Egyptian lore. I think though he excells in capturing the feel of the time and essence of flawed chracters. There isn't one character in this movie that isn't flawed and that is fresh. These days you have characters played by actors who aren't supposed to be flawed (Harrison Ford). You accept these idiosyncrasies as endearing traits and either root for them or boo them depending on the side you take. Particular attention should be paid to the music. Jerry Goldsmith scores a big one here. His lush love themes and expansive melodies (epecially the Caravan and the Camel Race) are reminiscent of Lawrence of Arabia. If I could give this one more than a ten star rating I would. All I can say is, I reccomend this movie highly. Don't come to it with pre-conceived prejudices from the bad reviews or other comments. View it with an open mind and heart. It is 2 hours and 5 minutes of the best damn action I've seen on film in a long time. Kudos to all involved!!!