R E V I E W S

Mummy Returns, The (2001)

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, John Hannah
Director: Stephen Sommers
Rating: PG-13

Studio: Universal

Review Posted: 5.5.01

Rating: 1.5/4

By Angelo.

Mummies have been buried under the sand for thousand of years, and there are rumors of curses to those who disinter them. “The Mummy Returns” continues the saga of the 1999 box-office blockbuster, however this time the adventure 
is even more unengaging and ludicrous than before. Maybe they should have thought twice before unearthing this sequel, for now we are truly cursed by having to watch a dismally appalling attempt to create a magical journey.

It is 1935, and Rick O’ Connell (Brendan Fraser) is back for more adventure. However, nowadays he is married to Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and has a nine-year-old son Alex (newcomer Freddie Boath). Imhotep’s mummy has just been resurrected by an evil British museum curator, and now vows vengeance and immortality. All he needs to find is the Bracelet of Anubis, which will lead him to the fabled desert oasis of Ahm Shere. This will then cause the resurrection of the Scorpion King (The Rock), who he will need to defeat to get ultimate power. However, the young Alex has the bracelet locked on to his wrist, so the boy is kidnapped by Imhotep, as Rick and Evelyn, with a few friends, try to rescue their son and prevent the world from horrendous consequences.

“The Mummy” comes back and tries to haunt us again, but this time it horrifically fails. The dialogue is so lame that I would rather have tried to decipher hieroglyphics than listen to the characters babble on and on. Fraser’s character is so forgettable that I couldn’t even remember his name 
after the movie ended. Rick O’ Connell is Indiana Jones minus the charm and screen presence. A lot of the story points are based too much on coincidences that it becomes absurd, like how Evelyn conveniently just happens to be the reincarnation of the bracelet’s guardian or how Alex just 
stopped the train at exactly the right place where Imhotep wanted to go. Usually a movie like this would somewhat redeem itself with state of the art visual effects and cinematography, but at some points in the film, I was 
wondering if I was watching a cartoon or not. In other words, I wasn’t too impressed.

The movie did have somewhat entertaining bits. The final 20 minutes had feisty fight scenes, and I really liked the flashbacks and retelling of the mythic past. However, when the movie jumps back to the twentieth century, the magic is gone and we are left with a vapid and contrived narrative.

“The Mummy Returns” is another poor excuse of a sequel trying to one up its predecessor. However, it falls terribly flat. At one point in the film, Evelyn asks, “How does the story end?” and I was just thinking only if.

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