cheesy fun

Rating: Null/10 (5 December 2001)

The Mummy Returns is a true Hollywood blockbuster. Big stars (if you can call Brendan Fraser that), tons of special effects, large-scale battle scenes and non-stop action. This is one of those movies that is just fun to watch. There is no real depth to it and what little character development there is seems ridiculous. But don't worry, you won't have time to think about these things for too long, because before you know it people are getting shot at, chased by giant tidal waves, and attacked by one or more of the following: mummies, giant dog warriors, bugs, pigmies, mysterious bad guys, half-man half-scorpion creature. One might even say that there is too much action, that is if there was such a thing as too much action (I assure you there isn't). In fact it's the action sequences that make the mummy so great. There are lots of John Woo style gunfights, Gladiator style fight sequences and Matrix like action. The plot finds Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz this time trying to save their son from the mummy who has been resurrected to fight an ancient warrior known as the Scorpion King, portrayed in a cameo by The Rock, and take over the world (you know the drill). As entertaining as this all was I have to say I liked the 1999 original better. One of the major problems with this film was the same special effects over kill that destroyed SW: Episode 1. There are times when literally everything on he screen is computer animated. I mean, I like CGI but when it gets to the point were everyone looks like a cartoon, enough is enough. The film also suffers from unoriginality, ripping off everything from Indiana Jones to Jurassic Park to the first Mummy. Nevertheless it was fun (I can't stress that enough) and since Hollywood is built on ripping others off I can forgive them for that. So go see it, it's not the best film of the year but where else can you see a 40 foot tidal wave chase a rocket powered balloon through canyon walls.