***1/2 out of ****

Rating: 9/10 (9 May 2001)

I was skeptical of The Mummy Returns, thinking the trailers were just showing us the good stuff which would come too few and far between like Driven, but this film delivers outstanding action. It never gets boring, such as its predecessor The Mummy. That film tended to drag and the mummy isn't shown until a quarter into the movie. But this film keeps the action moving and doesn't abandon its characters. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz generate great chemistry and the screenplay develops them so well. I love the way they connect with their son, Alex. They care for him and play that convincingly, therefor, we care.
Some critics say the film is boring because it has TOO MUCH action. I disagree. That's what makes this film great, plus it has an interesting plot. The mummy is resurrected by the reincarnation of his former love, An-nack-su-namun, to battle the Scorpion King, whose 5000 years of slumber is about to end, in order to take control of his army, Anubis warriors. The main characters have to stop the mummy and kill the Scorpion King in order to send the army back to the sand from wence they came and also save their son who wears the Bracelet of Anubis which the mummy needs to guide him the Am Sheer, the resting place of the scorpion king.
I got that from the first viewing and I didn't know what this movie was about. With all its characters and complicated plot, one would think this movie would turn into a mess right before our very eyes, but it doesn't. The plot was rich enough to carry on for two and a half hours. This movie is way better than the first, even though some of the action scenes are dangerously similar to the ones seen in the first movie.