Fun, fun, fun

Rating: 8/10 (8 January 2015)

Okay, before I begin the review proper, I must warn you that I'm probably going to be using the word 'fun' a lot to describe 'The Mummy.' Because that's all it is – fun. A lot of people liken it to the Indiana Jones movies and I can see where they're coming from. Then again, an equally high proportion of the audience detests how the two movies are likened to each other. No, I'm certainly not saying that The Mummy is anywhere near as good as the Jones trilogy (notice how I'm leaving out the Crystal Skull out of that statement!), but it is similar.
The Mummy is one of those 'family fun' kind of movies – an adventure which should most likely be screened on a Saturday afternoon for everyone to cheer along to. Brendan Fraser takes the lead and is at his best when he's acting big and dumb, but, in doing so, he's also completely lovable and easy to root for. Rachel Weisz is his 'love interest' and, apart from being able to read/speak the ancient texts, doesn't do that much for the portrayal of women in cinema, as she spends much of her time in need of rescue (you'll have to watch the sequel if you want to see her kicking some a$$!). John Hannah is her on-screen brother and he's the main 'comic relief' of the film – a part which sometimes goes horribly wrong if it's handled incorrectly. However, fortunately, despite being the coward of the bunch, he's funny enough not to be annoying (and even fires a gun or two near the end if you watch closely).
So, our blundering trio of heroes only go and wake up an ancient mummy when they're raiding a tomb in Egypt. And he's not happy. Not only does he want to 'borrow' the bodily parts of those who woke him up, but he also wants to take over the world – typical, huh? The creature itself is actually CGI for the most part. I guess they couldn't get an actor who was decomposing to play the part. However, when he's fully formed, he's played by Arnold Vosloo, who does the job to act menacing (even when he doesn't say a word of English).
So, expect gun fights, undead creatures chasing our heroes, the odd car chase and pretty much everything else you'd come to find in a PG action/adventure movie. Yes, nothing here is that new, but when something's handled correctly that doesn't matter. It's still a fun a film that should please everyone. Basically, there are two ways of watching The Mummy – you can either nitpick the whole thing and pull it apart, or you can simply gloss over any of the plot holes and simply enjoy it from what it is – the filmic equivalent of Brendan Fraser himself – big, dumb, silly fun, fun, fun.