A solid film, but you may want to wait until the video.

Rating: 5/10 (11 May 1999)

In 1926 Egypt, a spunky librarian/Egyptologist (Weisz) saves the life of an American Foreign Legionnaire (Fraser) who claims to have been to Hamunaptra--the ancient Egyptian City of the Dead. She is looking for the book of Amon Ra, but finds a 3,000 year old mummy who's having a really rotten day.
Let me begin by saying that I'm really not fond of horror films. I generally stay away from movies that have the primary purpose of scaring the audience. So, what was I doing at THE MUMMY?
That can be answered in two words: Brendan Fraser. I have enjoyed Fraser's performances in past films and find him to generally be a likable character. Unfortunately, he was miscast as the lead character of Rick O'Connell. In a role that called for cool-headed stoicism, he came across as stiff and befuddled. I believe his "Encino Man" and "George of the Jungle" characters have rubbed off on him. He was monosyllabic to the point of muteness.
The script tried to give Fraser plenty of Arnold-esque throwaways to evoke laughter, but Fraser simply does not have Schwarzenegger's panache. Beyond a few mild chuckles, there wasn't much to evoke the campy feel that I believe the producers wanted. Fraser is affable, almost goofy, but he tried too hard to be hard-bitten when he should have accentuated his little-boy persona.
There was a distinct "been-there-done-that" aura surrounding this entire production. The set-pieces and sequences were strictly by-the-book thriller/action cliches ripped from countless other like-minded films. We have flesh-eating scarab beetles, ancient spells, American treasure-hunters, British intellectuals, a groveling evil sidekick, mysterious desert tribesmen, and lots of skeletal undead shuffling about.
I also found the effects and cinematography to be disappointing. I like to get a "movie" experience when paying for a theatre ticket, and THE MUMMY failed to deliver. Much of the film plays out in the claustrophobic labyrinth beneath Hamunaptra. While the lighting was always done well-enough to see the action, it would look much the same on a small screen as it did on the large. And the CGI mummy was stiff and mechanical. Especially in the full-body shots, it moved more like a stop-motion model than computer wizardry.
There were a few good scenes. One set of warrior mummies move with the grace and speed of giant cats. An old warrior gets a final chance at redemption and brings a lump to your throat. And there's some pretty good sword fighting in the climactic scene. In general, the supporting cast was solid, with decent acting jobs all around.
So, what did I really like about THE MUMMY?
That can also be answered in two words: Rachel Weisz. As the inept librarian, Evelyn, she simply sparkled. She was a bright, effervescent light in a gray film. She added color and levity to every scene and bubbled over with more personality than most of the rest of the cast combined. Her naivete layered over a harder core makes her one of the more interesting heroines to appear on the silver screen in some time. THE MUMMY is definitely worth a look see for her appearance alone.
But you may want to wait until the video is released.
Cavebear's ranking for THE MUMMY
Quality - 3: Solid, if unspectacular, film.
Appeal - 2: Nothing new or exciting to offer fans or non-fans of the genre, but should play well until the Stars fall on May 19. Then it will be (un)dead in the water.
Final ranking (Q+A): 5