Product: The Mummy Returns [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 4.0
New 2-disc Deluxe Edition due out on July 8th, 2008
The upcoming release of The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor has prompted Universal to release new DVD editions of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. The new Deluxe Edition of The Mummy Returns includes most of the special features from the 2001 Collector's Edition, plus some new features. It will only be available in widescreen format.The Mummy left most professional reviewers cool to lukewarm at best, and this, the first sequel, left them cold. But audiences still enjoyed it. Like the first in the series, it's a big-budget, big-special-effects horror/adventure extravaganza with George of the Jungle playing an Indiana Jones-type character. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprise their roles, he the adventurer and she the Egyptologist, married to each other with a young son in 1933. The same evil mummy-being-thing that bothered them so much in the first film is back, and this time there's an even more terrible force bent on destroying everything. The plot isn't very strong, but there is an army of pygmy mummies. Silly fun, sometimes more silly than fun.These are the new special features:-- "An Army To Rule The World Part 2" featurette-- a digital copy of the movie-- "Unraveling The Legacy Of The Mummy" featurette (also in the new The Mummy Deluxe Edition)-- a sneak peak at The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (also in the new The Mummy Deluxe Edition)Carried over from the 2001 Collector's Edition:-- audio commentary with director/writer Stephen Sommers and executive producer/editor Bob Ducsay-- "Visual And Special Effects Formation," on how the special effects were done-- "Spotlight on Location," a behind-the-scenes featurette-- a conversation with The Rock, you know, the wrestler/actor, who speaks, about The Scorpion King movie-- Live's "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" music video-- "Egyptology 201," text on Egyptian historyThe only feature from the Collector's Edition not announced for the new Deluxe Edition that anyone is likely to miss is a few minutes of outtakes/bloopers. (I wouldn't be surprised to see them show up as an "easter egg" (hidden feature).)The Amazon page to pre-order the Deluxe Edition ishere. The page for The Mummy Deluxe Edition ishere.