Makes the first one look good...

Rating: Null/10 (25 May 2001)

I didn't expect much from this film but I have to say that it performs the service of making the first film look like CITIZEN KANE by comparison. Sure, the dog-critters in the beginning are cool but we have no idea where they came from or why they are here. The Rock, for all of the publicity surrounding his appearance is on the screen for maybe 5 minutes maximum. The mummy himself seems to be something of a supporting player behind Branden, his wife and kid and brother-in-law and even the pilot. The movie can't seem to decide what it wants to be about so it is about the "Scorpion King", the Mummy and some midget pigmy creatures that appear to be refugees from a bad video game. I've read where people have gushed over Alan Silvestri's score and claim it's better than Jerry Goldsmith's score for the original film. Goldsmith's score for the first film was magnificent and even better when compared to Silvestri's. Not to say Silvestri cannot write a great score - he can and has done so with his scores for PREDATOR and CONTACT but the score for MUMMY RETURNS is far from being his best work. Funny thing that even though the scenes taking place in London were filmed in London, they don't look like it. They look like they were filmed on a set in Burbank and could have been making you wonder why they went to the trouble to film in London. The thin storyline could barely support the first movie. It sure can't support two movies and although they are filming SCORPION KING as I write this, that is an idea that's already D.O.A. Universal Pictures needs to realize this series of films has already run it's course and do the all CGI FRANKENSTEIN film they shelved last year instead.