The Mummy Returns

Review by William Barker

Egypt - a place best known for pyramids and the Sphinx, also has another claim to legendary civilisation - ripping the guts out of people and wrapping them in bandages so they can scare the heck out of people 5000 years later.

The Mummy Returns is the follow up to the cult hit, the Mummy, and stars all the old (and extremely old) cast. It first and foremost an action adventure flick, but the cinematography and setting make this an ocular feast. Add to this some of the most grandiose special effects ever and you can be certain that this movie will entertain.

The prologue is great, setting the scene in 3000-and-something B.C. It introduces a new character into the series, the Scorpion King, played by ultra-buffed pro-wrestler The Rock. Said king likes to fight - and win - but after decades of conflict, his army is eventually defeated.

He prays to the ancient Gods of darkness (aka Anubis) and is granted a second chance to defeat his enemy, with the help of an unending army of canine-like demons. Massive clashes ensue and they are a delight to watch, with great choreography and plenty of hacking and slashing (no blood though). To cut a long story short, Gods of darkness trap Scorpion King in hidden desert oasis until next needed.

After this we are re-introduced to the film's protagonists some 4936 years later. Set during the mid 1930s, the film is based about 10 years after The Mummy. Rick O'Connell (Brendon Fraser) and his wife, Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) set the scene after uncovering a mythical and supposedly non-existant arm band, once owned by the also supposedly mythical Scorpion King.

A third O'Connell is added to the mix in the form of a son, Alex (Freddie Boath). His role, like that of Jonathan (John Hannah) is to provide some comic relief and both excel in this department. The double-decker bus chase scene through the damp streets of London is a rather amusing example.

Director Stephen Sommers really put Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) to work as the movie is simply chock-o-block full of CGI (computer graphics). Depending on how you see it, this could be a blessing or a blight. There's way more special effects than seen in the original, some are amazing and some look average, to be honest. The effect is, on the whole, very entertaining, however.

The plot is slightly more complex than the original, inviting two villains, the original mummy (Imotep) and now the Scorpion King into the fray. From the British Museum in London to the city of the dead in Hamunaptra and finally to a dangerous jungle oasis, the film is a definitely an audio-visual feast. One of the highlights from the flick takes two femme fatales fighting in what has to be one of the year's most intricately choreographed fight scenes ever.

With almost every actor who starred in The Mummy returning for the production, fans of the orginal should go and see this - twice. Some may be disappointed by the slightly frayed plot line, but if it's action aplenty you're after, The Mummy Returns is an adventure that won't disappoint.

Stay tuned to the DVD channel for The Mummy Ulitimate Edition DVD later in the year.

The Mummy Returns
Rated: MA 15+
Australian release date: May 10, 2001.
Director: Stephen Sommers.
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Patricia Velazquez, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Running time: 125 minutes.
Website: www.themummy.com