Not at all what I expected. I was pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 8/10 (11 May 1999)

It is rare that I end up going to a movie and get nothing like what I expected. I'll admit that I went into this one with some trepidation as I don't usually go for modern "horror" movies but the special effects in the trailer just looked too good to pass up.
Well, it is a good thing that there was more to this movie than cool special effects because all of the really good ones could be seen in the trailer. The movie was, however, anything but a disappointment.
The best way to describe this movie would be to make comparisons to the Indiana Jones movies. In fact, this could easily have been a continuation of that series. The hero was very Indy-Like (with some dashes of Han Solo and the hero from Romancing the Stone) with a good dose of humor thrown into the Macho Hero act. There is the beautiful damsel (actually the brains of the outfit), the incompetent tag along, and the mysterious band of strangers. All in all, well cast and appropriately acted.
There are some good action sequences, great light hearted banter, and no nudity or blood. The deaths, although sometimes nasty, are bloodless. Most of the special effects budget seems to have been spent on the mummies themselves (pay close attention to how them in the later action sequences) but there are a few good "biggies" in the movie as well.
If you are looking for hard core horror, this is not the movie for you. If you are looking for a light action type movie along the Raiders of the Lost Ark style, I think you will be pleased with this one.