Still funny and entertaining after all these years

Rating: 9/10 (19 February 2016)

Well, times change. At the time The Mummy was a big hit in the theatres, many people going as far as claiming it was more entertaining and even having better special effects than the other big blockbuster that came out at approximately the same time, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. I still find that claim ridiculous (yes, I enjoyed The Phantom Menace immensely and I refuse to be ashamed about that, what's more, I love it even more now). The effects in The Mummy were fine (if nothing special) then, but seem pretty outdated and amusingly B-level now. But it doesn't really matter. It's not the effects that make or break a movie. What I want to say is that audiences generally seemed to enjoy The Mummy in 1999, but since then, it seems people have forgotten how to watch a movie that is pure tongue-in-cheek fun (hence the relatively low rating on IMDb).
It is not a real remake of the 1932 horror classic. It is an adventure movie, a kind of comedy version of Indiana Jones. And for that, it does work very well. Brendan Fraser is a surprisingly good fit for the swashbuckling character of Rick O'Connell (a career best, probably), as is Arnold Vosloo for Imhotep. The movie is funny, exciting, well-paced – in short, sheer mindless fun.
I must admit, I dismissed The Mummy as a so-so popcorn movie back then, but I have seen it many times since, and it never fails to entertain. It has proved to be highly rewatchable, and that is always a sign of a good movie for me.