Film Review of The Mummy (1999)

source: imdb

I like come back stories. Brendan Fraser's career stalled after his success of The Mummy movies. His last successful movie after the series was "Journey to the Center of the Earth." Curiously, he wasn't in the sequel. Lately, there has been a resurgence in his career and as a result, another sequel to The Mummy" is coming up. Before that comes, I'm going to rewatch the two movies on Netflix which are considered cannon. I'll probably going to watch "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" too but Rachel Weisz is not in it and it's not cannon.

Plot Summary

source: imdb

The story begins in ancient Egypt, where the high priest Imhotep falls in love with Anck-su-namun, the mistress of the Pharaoh I. After they are discovered and Seti is killed, Anck-su-namun takes her own life so Imhotep can escape. Imhotep attempts to resurrect her but the ritual is stopped and Imhotem was captured. As punishment, Imhotep is buried alive in the city of Hamunaptra and cursed to suffer for eternity.

Thousands of years later, the story moves to 1926. Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), an intelligent but clumsy Egyptologist, discovers a map leading to Hamunaptra. She and her brother Jonathan (John Hanna) recruit Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser), an adventurer who previously visited the mysterious city.

They reached the city where they encounter a group of treasure hunters. Unfortunately, their search for ancient treasures leads them to Imhotep's tomb. Evelyn accidentally awakens the mummy by reading from the Book of the Dead, giving Imhotep the opportunity to return to the world of the living.

Imhotep begins regaining his powers while killing those who stand in his way. Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan and a warrior Ardeth Bay must find a way to stop him before he becomes whole. Their journey leads to a boss battle in Hamunaptra, where they discover the Book of Amun-Ra may be their only hope of defeating the ancient priest.

My Thoughts on the Movie

source: imdb

I really like movies that combine horror with humor and that makes The Mummy work so well. It has scary moments, but it also knows when to have fun. One minute the characters are dealing with an ancient curse, and the next they're exchanging jokes or getting themselves into ridiculous situations.

Brendan Fraser is a major reason the movie works. His performance as Rick O'Connell gives the film its adventurous personality. Rick is brave and capable, but he isn't presented as an unstoppable superhero. Fraser also has excellent comedic timing, which helps keep the movie from becoming too dark. This is why I'm eager to watch the sequel even after more than twenty years since the last movie.