Other than fancy FX, this movie is pretty standard hack-and-slash

Rating: 7/10 (15 June 1999)

I am sure many people will enjoy this movie. If you are of the type who likes to see a simple action movie with cool effects and don't mind the occasional cliche scene, go see it, and enjoy. The special effects will knock you out.
However, I am of the opinion that a movie should leave you with more than just a few humorous lines and special effects. A few years from now the special effects will look as pathetic to us as the CG in Toy Story does today. What will we think of this movie then?
Stripped of its FX, the movie is not more than a standard Indiana Jones-style adventure, with a bit more gore and much less charm. It has recycled scenes and a _very_ standard plotline. The director tries to cover this up by a little self-humor, but I don't buy it. It's just "deja-vous all over again".
Computer graphics have revolutionized the way movies are made today. Like all revolutions, we don't really know what the end effect will be. But I would like to think that some day, the CG industry will mature, and special effects will be used as a tool to enhance the movie, not as a goal in itself.