An absolute adventure classic

Rating: 10/10 (3 February 2016)

Stephen Sommer's The Mummy is a rip roaring adventure flick of the very best kind. It's got that timeless dime store novel vibe and is there for the main purpose of entertaining the bejesus out of us for two hours of popcorn movie bliss. I'll no doubt get so hate for it, but I enjoy it more than any Indiana Jones flick out there. It's just too much fun, peppered with sassy humor whenever it stops for breath. Rachel Weisz seemed like a pretty grounded choice to play Evelyn, the flighty archaeologist who discovers an artifact leading to the ancient Egyptian city of Hamunaptra, where supernatural forces lie in wait. Brendan Fraser in his pretty boy heyday plays Rick O Connell, the dashing soldier of fortune who tags leads their pack with riches in mind. Little do they know, the cursed ghost of High Priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) haunts the remains and has nasty plans for anyone that crosses his vision. Vosloo's dark charisma makes for a wicked antagonist with just the right notes of sympathy, and they really have fun with the special effects, as he turns the forces of nature against out heroes in fantastical scenes that rival Arwen bringing that river to life. The cast is full of hidden treasure character actors including John Hannah as Evelyn's cheapskate brother, Jonathan Hyde as a snooty historian with probably the funniest line in the film, Kevin J. O Connor as Rick's sniveling war buddy, Oded Fehr as the leader of a mysterious band of warriors, Erick Avari as Asa museum curator, Patricia Velasquez as Imhotep's foxy lost love and Bernard Fox in a chortlong, scene stealing turn as a drunken war pilot. Despite having elements of horror, the tone is persistently light, and flies along with terrific humor, swashbuckling and a sense of old world entertainment that can't be beat. A comfort movie for me, must have for any collection and a classic in the stable of 90's films.