The Hands-Down Worst Film of the 1990's

Rating: 1/10 (7 July 1999)

"The Mummy" is the worst film of the 1990's... PERIOD. I have never witnessed a more vile waste of talent and money than this absolutely hideous piece of crap. The previews made it appear creepy and supernatural, but as the lights dimmed and the movie began, I realized things were taking a turn for the worst. I actually dragged friends along with me because I thought the film would be a prime slice of big-budget Hollywood horror. Yet the film is so tongue-in-cheek and played for laughs that it completely alienated me as a viewer.
The special effects are decent, but the 1930's version was damn creepier with a budget of probably 1/100th what this one cost. The story of "The Mummy" is gothic: it deals with undying love and revenge. These two ideas that are callously thrown aside for as many silly action sequences as they can squeeze in. The acting is too damn campy, which began to annoy me, say, fifteen minutes into the movie. The racial stereotypes are downright insulting, while usually solid actors Brendan Fraser, John Hannah, and Rachel Weisz are completely wasted.
The best thing that happened in this movie is when the credits went on at the end. And boy, did I have apologizing to do to my friends.
Now I don't like dissecting films at all; I usually take them as pieces of pure entertainment. But this one-- BY GOD-- almost made me lose all hope in Hollywood's ability to thrill an audience. Universal Pictures, you should be ashamed of yourselves. And there's talk of a sequel.... Now that's scary!