Too Much Of A Good Thing?

Rating: Null/10 (28 September 2001)

Unlike its predecessor, this hugely successful sequel to 1999's superior "The Mummy", is light on character and heavy on spectacle. Too much spectacle perhaps. The charm of the original, which came from the relationship of its characters, and was its strongpoint, is gone, in favor of overwrought computer generated special effects. The film is almost exclusively action sequences; one after the other. The original's cast is back, and that helps defray the onslaught of action; but this sequel is about half as good as the original. "The Mummy" is the greatest adventure film ever made, so half as good is still entertaining. If you're a sucker for heavy-handed CGI-created action scenes, then you simply cannot go wrong with "The Mummy Returns"; and while I would have preferred the character interplay of the original, as a fun piece of fluff, it is recommended.