"We don't have time for subtle," says Brendan Fraser, the star of
The Mummy Returns, neatly encapsulating the relentless pace and hammerheaded tone of the film. As is the way of sequels here we have more, more, more of the same formula: more explosions, more action and more mind-numbingly endless CGI effects. Once again borrowing shamelessly from the
Indiana Jones series,
The Mummy Returns, like its predecessor, has boundless energy but lacks the stylish verve and charm of Spielberg's trilogy. All the original cast are reunited, this time joined by WWF star the Rock in a cameo role designed to plug his spin-off vehicle,
The Scorpion King, and young actor Freddie Boath who plays an English eight-year-old in the 1930s whose dialogue borrows from Bart Simpson ("Get a room" and "My dad's gonna kick your arse" are two of his choice phrases). Other cinematic thefts include a
Jurassic Park-style creatures-in-the-long-grass sequence and a lengthy triple-threat finale along the lines of
Return of the Jedi. Still, despite the wearying relentlessness of its computer-generated effects, endless chases and fights, this is undeniably fun popcorn fodder and provides some memorable scenes along the way, notably Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez battling it out for the affections of nasty old Imhotep.
On the DVD: This two-disc "Special Edition" is a treat for fans of the franchise. The first disc has an anamorphic widescreen print of the movie in its 2.35:1 CinemaScope ratio, and a choice of Dolby 5.1 or DTS for the headache-inducing soundtrack. There's a decent commentary from the director and producer, plus a couple of DVD-ROM features. Disc 2 has all the usual stuff, including a 20-minute "making-of" documentary, a five-minute interview with the Rock about The Scorpion King, plus an exclusive trailer for it that is unsurprisingly reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian. There are also some detailed special effects breakdowns of key sequences, a blooper reel of outtakes and a virtual tour of the Universal theme park attraction "The Mummy Returns Chamber of Doom". Sundry trailers, production notes, a music video and an "Egyptology 201" text feature round out a well-loaded second disc. --Mark Walker
Product Description
Double bill of swashbuckling Egyptian adventures starring Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell, an American who discovers Hamunaptra, the city of the dead. In 'The Mummy' (1999), Rick is driven away by locals and arrested. Three years later, Englishman Jonathan (John Hannah) discovers an ancient artefact, which he gives to his sister Evelyn (Rachel Weisz). In turn, she trades the artefact for Rick's release from prison and the trio set off for Hamunaptra, hoping to arrive there before Beni (Kevin J. O'Connor), Rick's crooked former associate. However Beni has already invoked a curse which frees Imhotep, a supernaturally-gifted mummy. He pursues the adventurers across the land, feeding upon the flesh of unfortunate explorers. He aims to sacrifice Evelyn, hoping to resurrect another evil mummy... In the sequel, Rick and Evie have settled down to married life in London with their eight-year-old son Alex. Meanwhile, the British museum is playing host to the corpse of Imhotep, the mummy which had previously given Rick and Evie such a hard time. When ancient magic brings Imhotep back to life, a chain of events is set in motion that will lead to the end of the world, thus forcing Rick and Evie to dust off their mummy-defeating skills once again.
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