Entertaining Silliness

Rating: 8/10 (20 June 1999)

I suspect that nobody is supposed to take this film seriously as the film itself is suggestively tongue-in-cheek. If it had been a straight horror flick, I don't think I would have given it a second thought but as some reviewers indicated that the film was more of an adventure film a la Indiana Jones, I went along for the ride.
The Mummy has the feel of an old B-movie but certainly with a much bigger budget and more spectacular special effects. The introduction, which is silliness itself, contains some stiff, cheesy acting and narration, making the way for a whole range of comedic moments. The result is pure entertainment mixed with absurdity.
Particular credit must go to its cast, who looked like they were enjoying themselves during this rollercoaster ride: Brendan Fraser, with his goofy good-looks, was a delight, battling with mortal and undead villains. Rachel Weisz, was having fun looking like she was an expert in Egyptology and of course, John Hannah as her brother, showing uncanny timing for one liners.
I confess I had a good laugh out of this. I don't think anybody seriously thinks they're getting a history lesson out of this. If they do, well, they're in for a disappointment. Ultimately, the association with Indiana Jones is fairly minimal. The Mummy is first and foremost an adventure film exploiting bits and pieces of known history as it sees fit.
(A word on special effects in general: With the release of Star Wars, the Matrix and the Mummy, many have criticised the overemphasis of special effects above human actors and good storytelling. I think it is important to see special effects as much an art and a craft as any other forms of film making. Special effects are tools at the film maker's disposal and to be used according to how they would like to present their vision of something beyond the ordinary. There must be a place for all types of film making without this kind of constant barrage of censure of blockbusters. Each film should be judged on its merits - ie, the degree of success it attains in its execution. Comparing Her Majesty, Mrs Brown with something like The Mummy would be like putting apples and oranges on the same footing. This talk about High Culture vs Popular Culture has gone on for more than a hundred years and there doesn't look to be any resolution in sight. Incidentally, Shakespeare and Dickens were not elevated to their lofty status until after their time.)