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The Mummy Returns

Movie: A+

Sound: A+

Picture: A+

Special Effects: A+

Reviewed By: Stacy-Marie

Universal Studios and writer/director Stephen Sommers team up again in the continuing saga of The Mummy Returns.

The story line is similar to the first movie. The resurrection of an ancient Egyptian mummy, the possibility of world domination, and of course chosen ones to save all of humanity. You get the general idea. And of course with all the heart pumping action, eye-dazzling special effects, and comic relief we've come to know from its prequel.

As the story begins the audience is told the legend of The Scorpion King. Who, in his quest for world domination makes a pact with the god Anubis. The Scorpion King, played by WWF superstar The Rock, is vaguely reminiscent of Arnold Swartzenegger in his Conan days. Being his fist lead role in a feature film, The Rock does a convincing job of bringing ancient Egyptian lore and typical Hollywood together in a spectacular cinematic opening.

Fade to Egypt 1933. It has been approximately 8 years since Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) saved the world from the accursed mummy Imhotep. Now married, with an 8-year-old son Alex (Freddie Boath), they continue on their Egyptian quest guided this time by Evie's visions. Both Fraser and Weisz reprise their respective roles with the same wit and charisma that charmed audiences in The Mummy. Newcomer Boath brings the movie up a notch with his quick-witted humor and ability to pull off a scene.

From here the plot seems to follow the standard. After opening a chest found at the dig site, which coincidentally was cursed, they head home with their booty in tow. Jonathan (John Hannah) rejoins the cast as Evie's troublesome brother. All is well, or seems to be, until a renegade museum curator comes after the chest. Teamed with a snake wielding reincarnation of Anck Su Namun, an Egyptian native with a bad attitude, and several other sword/machine gun-toting rebels the curator is on a mission of epic proportion. Which happens to involve world domination with the resurrected Imhotep.

During a major sword fighting scene, Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr) the prophetic Madji from The Mummy, shows up to warn of impending danger. I guess he just happened to be in the neighborhood. The fight is over and all are accounted for except one, Evie, who has been swept away by the curator's clan. Here on out the movie moves swiftly. Rick and Ardeth risk life and limb to save Evie from a fiery grave, but not before the mummy is once again brought to life to destroy humanity.

With Evie rescued there is nothing left to do but engage in a major "mummy warrior" chase scene. As the saviors of the world speed away in their "get away vehicle", mummy warriors take chase using walls, buildings, and anything else they can cling to while running. Excellent action and fight sequences ensue as once again our heroes overcome danger. Or so they thought. As the chase ends, Alex, who holds the key to the location of The Scorpion King, is kidnapped. This forces the gang to engage in yet another "save the world" adventure.

During a tedious journey to rescue Alex, Evie is shown more visions, which help to tie both movies together. The believability of the special effects and fighting scenes during her flashbacks are crucial to the storyline. They are a success. Ancient Egypt is recreated in all its glory.

Flash to Alex. After meeting Imhotep, Alex realizes he must escape if he's to help in any way. He regretfully fails and falls back into the mummy's clutches. Knowing he must give his parents a clue as to his location, Alex leaves various maps for his parents to follow. Without a doubt Boath delivers a smart performance as young Alex. He may just be one of the brightest up and coming young stars.

As you may have already guessed, his parents trail after their young lad. Encountering Imhoteps wrath as they proceed, they overcome the odds and make it to the Oasis. Once there they must rescue the boy, defeat Imhotep, and bring down The Scorpion King. Sounds like a lot to do in one day. While the Oasis scene continues an unexpected burst of laughter overtook me as blow dart/knife wielding pygmy mummies take down several bad guys. While watching this part of the movie I was reminded of Jurassic Park and the Raptor scene, constantly wondering, "What is that?"

The movie continues to provide non-stop action. Alex is rescued, The Scorpion King is taken back to the underworld with his army, and Imhotep is finally defeated. Anck Su Namun also joins the deceased, as does the museum curator. I would be more specific but I don't want to ruin the experience.

The Mummy Returns is a roller coaster ride of adrenaline, providing audiences with all the special effects, thrills, and chaos that we have come to expect. Fraser and Weisz deliver a performance in this sequel that lives up to all my expectations. John Hannah is a delightful comic relief, Oded Fehr adds dry humor combined with excellent swordplay, and Arnold Vosloo recreates his role as Imhotep with the same passion that made him a success in The Mummy. The Rock proved that a few scenes in a big production could get you a leading man movie deal (The Scorpion King). Could he be the next Arnold? I look forward to finding out.

This is one of the best DVD's in my collection to date. It has a wide variety of special features including: a conversation with The Rock, a DVD-ROM link to the movie production, a making of feature, visual and special effects formation, feature commentary, outtakes, Live's music video, Egyptology 201, theatrical trailer, The Mummy PC game demo and screen savers for your DVD ROM, and much more.

The only fault I found with the special effects was the realism of The Scorpion King during the fighting scenes near the end of the film. I thought the body was well created but the facial expressions and features could have been more life like and less computer animated. Other than that, the effects were very realistic.

I encourage anyone who enjoys a good action packed thrill to see this film. A spectacular effects show and storyline make for an incredible DVD experience. The end result, good will triumph and true love prevails.

Enjoy!

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Edition Details:
Region 1 encoding (US and Canada only)
Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby
Commentary by director Stephen Sommers
In-depth look into the astonishing special effects: stage-by-stage breakdown of key special effects scenes
Unlock the secrets of the Scorpion King! Exclusive DVD-ROM access to the production of next summer's blockbuster The Scorpion King, including a never-before-available interview with The Rock
Go behind the scenes with director Stephen Sommers and the cast
Outtakes
Live music video
"Chamber of Doom": a virtual tour of Universal Studios' latest theme park attraction
"Egyptology 201": a fun and educational look at ancient Egypt and Egyptian mythology
Widescreen anamorphic format