annoying kid!!

Rating: Null/10 (2 June 2004)

** SPOILERS**
I'm a big fan of The Mummy for the very simple reason that if you want a couple of hours of brainless, silly entertainment, there is no better film. except maybe Van Helsing. . . . .
It had a cheeky charm about it, a tongue in cheek humour and acknowledged it's lack of originality in every scene it stole from Indiana Jones, from Hammer horror movies, from King Solomon's Mines and so on. Where The Mummy Returns fails, is that it fails to do this. This is a very silly film trying to be serious and it just doesn't work. Introducing plot devices whereby Rick OConnell is destined to be the saviour of mankind is just stupid. Underusing the funniest character in the film(Jonathan) is just stupid. Making fundamental changes that can't possibly tie in the first film is just stupid. And that child is just stupid.
I'm not a kid friendly person to start with. And whilst he was quite cute, and obviously enthusiastic and not a bad actor, I just didn't like him. It seemed like a way of getting more kids to like the film really which just annoyed me.
I do actually quite like this film, but given a choice I would rather watch The Mummy. I like the way Evie evolves as a character, but she is the only one who does - and it's supposed to be set 9 years later. And how is it that if she's the reincarnation of Nefertiti, Imhotep thought she was Anck-sun-amun in the first film? I know this film isn't supposed to be taken seriously, but when Sommers expects you to, I feel the need to pull him up.
The Mummy Returns feels like a sequel that rehashes all the best bits of the first film - all the same plot devices, fight scenes and action sequences. And it fails to deliver the same payload. And don't even start me on the Rock. I really looked forward to seeing him in this film, I loved the idea of his character. And what did I get? A 2 minute prologue, the rest was a CGI scorpion monster that growled. Disappointing.