“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is but a shadow of the franchise’s former greatness. Whereas the original Mummy film unabashedly followed the adventure film formula – and did it so well that the film was an unmitigated success – this installment follows its own “Mummy” formula to an unremarkable and unsuccessful end. The truth is, not only is the formula growing old and tired, so are the actors. Not even the introduction of Maria Bello as Evelyn (formerly portrayed by Rachel Weisz) or Luke Ford as Alex can infuse the franchise with a freshness or, at the very least, a newfound vigor. That’s not to say that Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is awful. It’s just not very good, either.

If anything, the film is an improvement over 2001’s The Mummy Returns in terms of overall narrative and structure. But the fault isn’t with the story, it’s with the execution of that story which is lacking.

As with the two previous Mummy films, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opens with a prologue which establishes the past history which will be uncovered during the course of the film. In this case, the setting is ancient China, as opposed to ancient Egypt. While I personally prefer Egyptian history to Chinese history, the change in setting is a definitely a good thing. It allows the film to create a new aesthetic and a fresh(er) approach to the storyline. And even though I personally prefer Egyptian history, Chinese history is no less rich in legend, myth and lore.

Unfortunately, little else in the film is different. Rick and Evelyn’s son, Alex, is back. This time, he’s not a wide-eyed young boy, he’s all grown up (sorta) and is off doing his own thing, infuriating his parents by not staying in school and being a “good kid.” Instead he’s in China, busy digging up another mummy in the hopes of making a name for himself.

For their part, Rick and Evelyn have “retired” following World War II and are having difficulty adjusting to their more sedentary lives. This leads to a number of scenes in which forced humor is used to almost disastrous effect (fly fishing, anyone?). But when opportunity for one last chance for adventure, the eagerly take it: ferrying a priceless artifact to Shanghai. Once there, they meet up with Evelyn’s brother, Jonathan. In perhaps the best homage of the movie to the previous films, Jonathan is the owner operator of a swinging club named “Imhotep’s.” Definitely a good inside joke.

From here the movie unfolds as we might expect: the mummy is brought back to life, regenerates his powers, and is finally defeated in a big action set piece to close out the movie. Along the way, and in the hopes of adding something different to the formula, we’re given the O’Connell’s family conflict and the introduction of Zi Yuan and Lin, two women intricately connected to the history of Emperor Han (Jet Li): the Dragon Emperor himself. The family conflict is forced and contrived and while I appreciate the attempt to add some characterization to the story, it just doesn’t work. On the other hand, Zi Yuan and Lin are both very good in their roles. I’d say the same of Jet Li, but he isn’t asked to do much other than look menacing. Which, of course, he does.

The other main attractions of Mummy films are the special effects and action. In Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, both are on full display, but neither is as well integrated into the overall narrative like they were in the original. Indeed, they’re awkward and conspicuously garish. I will say this, though, the Yeti and the dragon were definitely impressive.

Overall Grade: C-

“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is a below average film. It tries to follow the same old formula and while it is an improvement over The Mummy Returns, it is still a far cry from the original installment. If you’re a fan of Mummy films, it’s certainly worth your while to watch this one. But unless there’s nothing else you want to see in the theaters, this one might be best left for a rental.

Overview

The Mummy Returns is a failed attempt to recreate the enjoyment and success of the original Mummy film. The truth is, this movie suffers from just about every pitfall that plagues the typical sequel. There is very little that works in this film. For the most part, we move from one pointless action set piece to another in a plot that is barely sustainable under the oppressive weight of contrivance and implausibility. About all that the film once had going for it was its preponderance of digitized special effects. But now, seven years later, the effects look very much dated (and obvious). About all that’s left to enjoy are a few brief moments from familiar characters, and a few, relatively sparse, scenes which manage to create a semblance of adventure and suspense.

Analysis & Criticism

It would be easy to pin all of the blame for the film’s failure on the character of Alexander O’Connell (Freddie Boath), the ten year-old son of Rick and Evelyn O’Connell (Brendan Frasier and Rachel Weisz). The fact is, he gives a singularly despicable performance, sabotaging nearly every scene he is in. There is absolutely nothing at all compelling about his character, much less his performance. Indeed, his presence in the film is just the first of the many typical sequel errors that makes The Mummy Returns a very, very difficult film to enjoy. But it is by no means the sole reason.

The main premise of the film centers around the use of reincarnation in an attempt to weave together the backstory of both Rick and Evelyn with that of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) and Anck Su Namun (Patricia Velasquez). As a concept, it’s a bit convoluted and obscure, but it could have been more serviceable had the plot been less contrived and implausible. It simply isn’t a particularly good story.

Things begin well enough with a prologue, detailing the exploits of The Scorpion King, a legendary warrior, portrayed by none other than Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock). We learn that in ancient times the Scorpion King was one bad dude who made a deal with Anubis. Following this, the Scorpion King’s soul was claimed by Anubis, setting up a scenario whereby if someone else, thousands of years later, defeated the Scorpion King in battle, the winner would be able to use Anubis’ army to take over the world. A re-incarnated Anck Su Namun has decided to resurrect Imhotep and use his powers to defeat the Scorpion so that they might rule the world together.

In order to do this, they must retrieve the Scorpion King’s bracelet and use it to locate a pyramid hidden within a lost oasis. Of course, Alex O’Connell has mistakenly put on the bracelet and gotten himself captured by the bad guys, which sets up a chase across Egypt which ends, of course, in the Pyramid. This sets off a grand, three-way battle between Rick and Imhotep, Evelyn and Anck Su Amun, and the forces of Anubis against the armies of the Magi. All of this might sound epic, and indeed, the final act of the film is enjoyable in a mindless popcorn sort of way. But the journey was so difficult to endure that the scenes are certainly not worth the wait.

The biggest problem has to do with character. Faring the best, in a supporting role, is Oded Fehr as the character Ardeth Bay (the leader of the Magi). How he manages to pull off such a compelling performance in the midst of such a preposterous film is nothing short of miraculous. Rick and Evelyn are familiar in their roles as adventurer and adventuress. But the parental role unfortunately saps their characters of vitality. Toss in their reincarnated natures (Rick is supposedly a warrior from God and Evelyn is the reincarnated version of Nefertiti) and you’ve got characters with way too much concept and almost no development. John Hannah, as Evelyn’s brother Jonathan, is reduced to a more ridiculous caricature of what he was in the original film – in which he was at least an amusing caricature of the drunken, good-for-nothing-yet-lovable brother.

The rest of the supporting cast, from Imhotep and Ank Su Amun to dirigible pilot Izzy (Shaun Parks) and caricature baddies Lock-Nah (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Baltus (Alun Armstrong) manage remarkably well enough. It’s just that the rest of the story in which they are acting is so bad that they never really get an opportunity to demonstrate their talents.

Overall Grade: D

This film is easily worse than The Temple of Doom which, at the very least, had the character of Indiana Jones. Unfortunately for The Mummy Returns, its main characters are nowhere near as memorable of iconic as Indy. And the story is much, much worse. The result is a film that is best left untouched – unless you’re planning a Mummy Trilogy night. In which case, you’ll have to put up with it. Though, before you decide on that trilogy night, you may want to wait and see how well the third Mummy film, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, fares.

Overview

The Mummy is a classic period adventure film that is wonderfully action-packed, funny, and epic. When it debuted in the weeks just prior to release of The Phantom Menace in 1999, there was little hope that The Mummy would withstand the juggernaut of George Lucas’ much anticipated (and hyped) prequel trilogy. But nearly a decade later, The Mummy has not only withstood the test of time, but it has also spawned its own myriad of sequels – the third of which is due in August 2008. But in going back to the beginning, it’s clear that while the movie has a magic all its own. And despite being cliché, the film manages to be the best cliché it possibly can be.

Analysis & Criticism

The Mummy is structured around two things: the Mummy (Arnold Vosloo), and the character of Rick O’Connell (Brendan Frasier), the film’s hero. The characters are wonderfully conceived and portrayed on screen by their respective actors. Vosloo brings the quiet, relentless pursuit of a predatory while Frasier has the dashing, Han Solo “rogue” character down perfectly. Neither performance is anything we haven’t seen before. But the fact is, the roles are so well portrayed that it makes no difference whatsoever. We believe that The Mummy is ruthless and tireless in his lust for power and vengeance. And we believe that O’Connell is dashing, brave, and loyal to his comrades – with the appropriate measures of sarcastic wit.

Rounding out the cast is the brother-sister tandem of Jonathan and Evelyn (Josh Hannah and Rachel Weisz, respectively), and Beni (Jonathan Hyde) as the cowardly, sadistic sidekick. Each of these three characters is just as enjoyable as The Mummy and Rick O’Connell. Indeed, they all bring a welcome variety to the cast, providing appropriate measures of humor and conflict at just the right times. But of course, rising to the fore is Evelyn, who becomes the love interest for O’Connell. Her character isn’t the typical damsel in distress so often seen in these kinds of films. She’s more like Marion Ravenwood (Raiders of the Lost Ark) than Willie Scott (The Temple of Doom). In fact, it’s possible to consider her character as prominently as the Mummy or O’Connell.

As for the story, it’s wonderfully paced, hitting all the right beats – beginning with a well-scripted prologue and moving through action sequences, exposition, and montages at just the right times to keep viewers engaged all the way through the film. Of course, stories about mummies are almost always compelling, so long as they are told properly. But The Mummy does indeed tell a proper story, adding in the right mixture of realism and fantasy to create a plausible narrative. It tells the tale of a group of treasure hunters who inadvertently awaken a thousands of years old monster and have to find some way to undo their handiwork before the world is destroyed.

Part of what makes the film so particularly memorable and enjoyable are its special effects. At the time, The Mummy was fairly cutting edge in its use of CGI to render the Mummy, the sandstorms, scarabs and all manner of plagues including the meteor shower. What’s most impressive about the movie is that, nearly a decade later, the film still looks good. This proves that the CGI was integrated in such a way as to enhance the film. Otherwise, cutting edge 1999 would look downright embarrassing by the time 2009 rolled around. The Mummy not only avoids that pitfall, it manages to create a look and style that perfectly complements its story.

Another perfect complement to the film is its musical score, conducted by Jerry Goldsmith. What’s enjoyable about the score is that, while it’s still symphonic and, at times, evocative of John Williams’ work with the Indiana Jones films, The Mummy score, for the most part is quite memorable. Much like the mixture of CGI, Goldsmith manages to add the right amounts on authentic sounds to his score, making you feel as though you are in the middle of Egypt, in the midst of an epic, adventurous struggle between good and evil.

Overall Grade: A

And that pretty much sums up the film, as well. This is a movie that puts you in the middle of the action. If you enjoyed the Indiana Jones films, The Mummy is certainly worth taking the time to enjoy. It is, simply, one of my favorite films of all time.

The third Mummy film, titled “The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is set to be released August 1, 2008. A new trailer has just been released.   The voice over reads: “After 2,000 years, a mystery lost to time is about to be unearthed … and a legendary evil will be awoken …”

Click below to view it:

It looks like another VFX bonanza, but one has to wonder if this franchise has any legs left in it, especially without Rachel Weisz as Evie. Parts of it certainly look intriguing, but I hope the cheese factor will stay within tolerable limits.