Dazzlingly fun action/adventure film clicks on all cylinders.

Rating: 10/10 (19 May 2001)

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** *** 1/2 out of ****
The recent box office success of The Mummy Returns has given me cause to re-examine its predecessor. Most of the critical response to the sequel has been mixed, with the majority of the critics stating it's weak when compared to the original. Movie audiences have been far kinder, many stating it's better than the original and some saying it's even better than Raiders of the Lost Ark! Naturally, I took the time to look back at The Mummy, the film that opened the summer of 1999.
The film was by no means the most anticipated blockbuster of the summer. That honor belonged to more hyped up films like Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the Austin Powers sequel, but the box office numbers for The Mummy shocked everyone. I saw the movie for myself and found myself agreeing with many critics and viewers, the film is by far the most fun I've had in a movie theater in nearly ten years, since I last saw Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. The Mummy is a rollicking thrill ride, a blend of action/adventure/humor with a nice dash of romance that keeps things moving along at a lightning pace. Best of all, the characters were memorable and the action sequences were thrilling and exciting.
The plot isn't anything that's Oscar worthy, but it does set up a fun premise. In the times of Ancient Egypt, a priest named Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) was having an affair with the Pharaoh's wife, Anck Su Namun (Patricia Velazquez). The Pharaoh discovers this matter of infidelity, which forces Imhotep and his lover to kill him. As punishment, the Pharaoh's guards execute Anck Su Namun, and in despair, Imhotep takes her lifeless body to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, in hopes of restoring her spirit to her body. In the middle of the process, the Pharaoh's guards interfere, the ritual is left unfinished, and Imhotep and all his priests are killed and mummified. Imhotep's body, in particular, must be guarded at all times, for an ancient curse has been placed on it and if he is awakened, he could bring the end of the world.
The story cuts to the 1920's, with a lovely but ditzy librarian named Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) intrigued by her brother Jonathan's (John Hannah) latest discovery, a key with a map that could lead to Hamunaptra. Unfortunately, the map is burned so they must rely on the man who had been in possession of the key, a former legionaire named Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser).
He leads the small group into the desert, with a rivalling team led by a former acquaintance of O'Connell's named Beni (Kevin J. O'Connor), who is leading a group of Americans. They reach the lost city at the same time, and while O'Connell's team discovers the mummified body of Imhotep, the Americans retrieve the mysterious Book of the Dead.
Evelyn, who is developing romantic feelings towards O'Connell, is interested in the other group's discovery. She steals the Book of the Dead from them and reads several passages aloud, with horrifying results. Imhotep is awakened and is on a quest to gain power and revive his lost love, Anck Su Namun. To accomplish this, he must first kill the men who found the book and sacrifice Evelyn. It is now up to O'Connell, Jonathan, and a mysterious cult leader named Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr) to stop the mummy before his reign of terror spreads over the world.
The film's director and writer, Stephen Sommers, must be really well-versed in adventure films. He knows how to bring out the boyhood sense of fun in nearly every scene, and he never fails to do anything less than make this a rousing thrill ride. He never does anything particularlyl innovative, but his ability to breathe life into the adventure genre again is refreshing. His emphasis on characters and humor make this a more satisfying experience than most other summer blockbusters. It's nice to see a movie that has true intentions of entertaining the audience, and not just try to make a quick buck.
The action sequences are a partial reason for the movie's success. Sommers tries out something different for every action scene. There are gunfights, swordfights, tense chase scenes, and a breathtaking sandstorm. But Sommers wisely doesn't exhaust you with non-stop action. The real non-stop thrills don't begin until the 1-hour mark. He does a nice job of building the momentum with adventure, humor, and romance.
Speaking of the romance, Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz have an undeniable amount of sizzling chemistry. They work well together and it would be nice to see them in a film outside of this genre. Fraser is the perfect choice for the ruggedly handsome hero. He does a great job for the physical parts and his charisma is just as strong as his acting. Weisz does end up mostly playing the damsel in distress, but there's great fun in that acknowledgement and she plays her part quite well. Plus, the fact that she's very cute doesn't hurt matters. John Hannah as the comic relief is quite hilarious. Some of the jokes he's given aren't necessarily funny but his delivery is so dead-on, I couldn't help but laugh.

The lead trio have the most presence. The actors playing the villains don't really have much dialogue. Arnold Vosloo is a menacing physical presence and though he doesn't say much he does ooze with a certain sense of icky creepiness (could be due to those mummy effects). Patricia Velazquez doesn't do much other wear some skimpy clothing. As a mummy, she basically shrieks her way through the role. Once again, it's not as if though these villains really need to be well-defined.
Sommers' script isn't anything brilliant by a long shot, but it's a very entertaining and well-spun tale, which is better than what can be said for most big-budget summer films. The dialogue, though sometimes seemingly corny, actually works perfectly and is often quite hilarious. The humor, obviously intentional from all standpoints, keeps the movie's pacing tight and adds an extra degree of fun to the whole production.
Sommers also injects the film with the right tone and mood. It's hardly a frightening film, and that's certainly not the point. He keeps things on a light-hearted, though still tense and thrilling, level. The movie doesn't take itself very seriously, and as a result it's a movie experience that's all the better for it. We've already had a horror-related film about a mummy, and it was time for something more cinematically rousing, which is definitely Sommers' intent.
The special effects are quite outstanding. The initial sight of the mummy is obviously far too CGI, but it works within the film's tone. Having a seriously scary-looking monster would have ruined the slight tongue-in-cheek attitude the movie was going for. The rest of the visuals are great. The design of Hamunaptra is convincingly ancient and mystical. The large wave of locusts and beetles are also a sight to behold, but the film's best effect is the sandstorm, which Sommers films from the perfect angles, giving us a sense of how immense in size and scope it is.
The Mummy has obviously had the largest lasting impression of 1999's summer films. It may not have the money of Phantom Menace or the innovative visuals of The Matrix, but it's a film that is superb because it succeeds in what it promises to do, and that's to thrill and entertain you for a couple of hours, and it has no pretensions about doing so.