The Mummy: Campy Fun

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 1999)

I saw The Mummy tonight also and I must say I enjoyed it immensely. The film has a great camp feel that most recent films of this type have not been able to capture. Some of the films of this genre try to take themselves too seriously and end up as unintentional bad parodies (Godzilla). Others make the mistake of trying to be too campy and forget that a coherent story is also necessary (The Avengers). Still others don't know which direction to go and fail miserably on both sides (Congo).
The Mummy on the other hand knows exactly what it is trying to be. A fun two hours with some thrills and laughs thrown in equal parts. Brendan Fraser borrows heavily from the Indiana Jones Book of Action Hero Acting, but is able to pull it off. He has an innate charm that allows you to believe his little throwaway lines and humorous threats. The real stand out in the film is John Hannah who plays the character of Jonathan. You may remember Hannah from the film Four Weddings and a Funeral where he played Matthew (he is the one who delivers the eulogy at his lover's funeral). This role is a complete departure from that one and he hams up the screen in every scene. I got to the point where I was looking forward to what he would say whenever some new danger came looming onto screen. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well; they all seemed to know not to take the material too seriously.
The film is not perfect by any means, but it wasn't trying to be. I enjoyed it for what it was, a fun two hour romp that was scary sometimes funny a lot of times, and didn't bother spending too much time on the little details like character development or continuity. Sure there were plot holes big enough to drive a herd of camels through, but anyone attempting a serious critique of this film is missing the point.
I wish studios would make more films like this and stop trying to knock the ball out of the park on every film. Not every film has to be the biggest and best ever made. Some films serve well when they entertain an audience and give you your money's worth. Movie going does not always have to be a life changing experience. I believe this weekend's box office figures support the theory that there is a market for this type of film if done well. It was a brilliant move for Universal to release this film when it did. The Mummy serves as a nice intermezzo before this summer's blockbuster feeding frenzy.
In the grand scheme of movie making I give The Mummy a solid 'B', but for hitting its target and not trying to be something more than it is I give it an 'A'.