Returning With Better Effects But Mediocre Story

Rating: 7/10 (11 May 2001)

I just "returned" (ha ha) from the movies this evening from seeing "The Mummy Returns". And while I loved it, I was also a bit disappointed.
The story begins with a narrator explaining the legend of the Scorpion King (The Rock), and in turn begins with a magnificent battle scene. After the legend, we are taken to the current time where Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) are touring the tomb in which Evie finds the mystical bracelet of the Scorpion King. However, a group of bad guys and a reincarnated version of Im-Ho-Tep's (Arnold Vosloo) mistress Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Valezquaz) are also after that very bracelet to use in their plot to bring back Im-Ho-Tep, raise the Scorpion King's powerful armies from the dead, and take over the world (bwa ha ha!-kidding). They succeed in stealing the safe in which the bracelet was kept, but are foiled when they discover the bracelet isn't there, on account of it being on the wrist of Evie and Rick's kid, Alex (Freddie Boath). So they steal the kid, leading Rick and Evie into another wild adventure dealing with ancient curses and evil mummies in order to save both their son and the world from destruction.
This movie was spell bounding cinematically. Beautiful and breath-taking special effects in almost all of the scenes! You saw some of The Matrix effects used in some of the fight scenes. And the sound effects have certainly improved from the last film. It was amazing to watch.
But it stumbled upon one problem, and that problem can be best explained by one of my mottos for movies: a movie can't live on special effects alone. Between the action/fight sequences...well, the story was weak. It never really interested or impressed me whenever there was no effects. Now, I'm not one of those people that need lots of awesome effects to keep me entertained. It's just that the screenplay/story needed more work when it couldn't rely on movie magic to help it survive.
The acting was okay. I thought Rachel Weisz was somewhat weak in her performance. Brendan Fraser did an alright job, as did pretty much all of the actors. The one I really liked though was whoever played Izzy, Rick's assistant. Any no-effects scene he was in was instantly wonderful. He deserved a bigger role, and I think they should make a movie out of Rick and Izzy's pre-Mummy adventures. I'd pay to see that!
Overall, the movie was fun summer entertainment. While weak in some areas, I thought it was very fun to watch and a good way to spend a Friday night in the summer. I give it a 7/10