Sit down, shut up and enjoy it - The Return

Rating: Null/10 (21 May 2001)

WARNING: There will no doubt be a couple of spoliers for the film here. If you don't want to know what happens then stop reading right now!
Having seen various documentaries about the making of 'The Mummy Returns', it is clear that the enthusiam of Stephen Sommersd and the cast was phenomenal. They had a ball making it, and it shows. This movie is fun. And while, yeah it's great to go and see really heavy emotional/acty pieces such as 'The Sixth Sense', 'Gladiator' e.t.c, there are just some times when you need to see some mindless fun. This is what this movie is and it doesn't pretend likewise.
Personally, have quite an indepth knowledge of the first film, I found The Return was no where near as scary as the original (although tell that to the two friends I went with!) and the plot was more complicated but ultimately didn't work quite as well. On the positive side however, the action sequences (and there are many) were phenomenal and breath-taking, highlights being the bus chase sequence, the battle with the Army of Anubis and the end sequence with the Scorpion King. (Just a little note on that - a lot of people have been unimpressed with the CGI Scorpion King, and while I admit, yeah it would have been better if they'd actually used the Rock's real head and torso, the effects were still pretty 'wow'. I mean there was a definite, 'OH MY GOD!!' moment when he appeared).
Character and actor wise, I was so pleased that so many of the original cast returned (i.e. all those who weren't dead after the first one and a couple who actually were). Brendan Fraser - got the whole action hero thing down really well, nice emotional scenes when Evy was stabbed too. Rachel Weiz - Such a difference in character from this film to the next, great heroine. John Hannah - A little under used, but amusing as always. Arnold Vosloo - He IS the mummy. Won't be able to see him in anything else now without imagine what he looked like part rotted. Oded Fehr - What can I say? The man is attractive and he can act. More please. The Rock - Not in it that long so couldn't really tell. Not sure how well he'll carry Mummy 3. Patricia Velasquez - Okay, so maybe some models CAN act. Freddie Boath - A complete little star. Never too sure about kids in movies. For every Haley-Joel Osmet there's a Jake Lloyd. Freddie Boath was brilliant though, really fun.
Of the more minor actors, Lock-nah was scary and great, and Issy was very funny. Nice to see the Pharoah back too.
Plot-wise, the only part I wasn't sure of was the whole thing about Evy's past life. Seemed a little too coincidental for my liking, even if Ardeth just passed it all off with that handy plot device - fate. Also the opening sequence with the Scorpion King was a little rushed. I would have liked a little more detail.
Overall, I loved and adored this movie. I'm still not quite sure how it compares to the original (since I've seen that about fifty times and this one only once, it's hardly fair to make up my mind quite yet). Without a doubt though I'll be heading off to the cinema again soon enough to get a second dose of this great rollercoaster ride of a film. We aren't going to see anything like this again (bar Tomb Raider of course - almost forgot that) until Indiana Jones 4 comes out, so make the most of this while you can.