Rating of
2/4
"The Mummy" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 12/21/11
An archaeological dig accidentally unleashes a curse onto the world in the form of an undead Egyptian priest intent on resurrecting his lover. Another film typical of the Stephen Sommers formula, The Mummy pillages popular folk lore and introduces a blend of non-stop action and tongue in cheek humour into the mix to create a low brow crowd pleaser that's all flash and no substance. Basically, this film references the comic swashbucklers of the forties (or rather, rips off Raiders of The lost Ark, which references the comic swashbucklers of the forties) but the weak dialogue, simplistic plot and juvenile humour makes it more Scooby Doo than Indiana Jones. The plot is little more than set piece/gag/set piece/gag which means there's never a dull moment but there's little sense of pacing or tension. Brendan Fraser exhibits his usual goofy charm and Rachel Weisz is very endearing as the spunky but accident prone romantic interest, but the comic relief provided by Kevin J. O'Connor and co is more mildly irritating than funny. By far the biggest weakness however is its over-reliance on cartoonish CGI that's really beginning to show its age. In its favour it's never boring, but in the end it's nothing more than a poor man's Raiders that kids may get a kick out of if they're not too demanding.
