Product: The Mummy Returns [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 3.0
Still fun, but not as good
The Mummy Returns is to The Mummy what Aliens 2 was to the Alien. It is a sequel that borrows some of the ideas from the first one, but puts the accent on action scenes at the expense of the story. Main characters, while played by the same actors, are very different from the ones we were introduced to in the first movie. Most changed is the girl - from a sweet and innocent librarian, she became a fighting machine now (the twist from the new story substracts even more from the credibility of her character). Gone are also the witty dialogues, so reminiscent of Indiana Jones movies, that made The Mummy so popular. What we are left with is a lot of action scenes, new villains and new and improved CGI effects. It's fun, but it's also as average as all the other films on the market. Which is bad, because this franchise had a lot of potential.Main characters do what they can to make the movie work, but with dialogues so bad, now Brandon Frasier's bad acting is visible even more. He doesn't have Harrison Ford's charisma, but on the other hand, don't know who does have it.Where the movie shines is at being brainless entertainment. Action scenes are filmed well, CGI scenes are impressive and the villains are all that you'd expect.Overall, i would recommend renting this movie, but not buying it. It is a fun action movie, but nowhere near the first one.