Directed by: Stephen Sommers
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Omid Djalili, Patricia Velasquez
Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller
(26 votes)
One of the definitive popcorn movies of the 90's, director Stephen Sommers' remake of the Universal classic "The Mummy" still stands tall as one of the most likable and engaging romps to come out in recent memory.
A team of adventurers set out in search of a legendary lost city in the Egyptian desert. Among them are an inquisitive librarian, her buffoonish brother, and a gun-slinging American acting as their guide. However, they are unaware that their journey will unleash an ancient and deadly force on the world, as they awaken... the mummy.
Reinterpreting the horror classic into an accessible and entertaining adventure, Sommers' film is very much in the same vein as classics like "Jason and the Argonauts" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." It's big. It's fun. And it's enjoyable from start to finish. It's filled to burst with everything you could possibly want of a popcorn film - archetypal dashing heroes, slimy villains, swashbuckling fights, strong humor and of course a touch of romance.
Stars Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz make for a wonderful duet, with fantastic chemistry and very endearing performances. Especially Fraser, in what may be his finest role. Sommers direction is fun and frenzied, with strong camerawork and a good sense of tone and pace. And there's not enough that can be said about Jerry Goldsmith's lovely score. It's one I still like to pop on now and again to listen to while I work.
"The Mummy" is exactly what it sets out to be - a grand adventure for the audience to sit back and enjoy. It may not be great cinema. But what it is for certain, is great fun. It's a movie I've enjoyed watching for over twenty years now. And I imagine twenty years from now, it's one I'll still pop on now and again for fun.
And I can't help but give it a perfect 5.
Continuity mistake: In the scene in the library, when Evie is putting back the books. She leans over to put the book back, but it falls to the ground and she is balancing on the ladder. When the camera cuts back to show the whole ladder, the book is nowhere to be found on the floor. (00:13:00)
Rick: Well if it ain't my little buddy Beni. I think I'll kill you.
Beni: Think of my children.
Rick: You don't have any children
Beni: Someday I might.
Trivia: An explanation for why there is no salt acid booby-trap protecting the gold book like there was protecting the black book. In the missing scene some of Imhotep's priests burst through the floor/ground and attack Jonathan and Rick, who get tossed aside. The priests then open the gold book's hiding place and get burned all up by the salt acid. You can even see when Rick grabs the TNT that there is smoke rising from the hole.
Question: Do the symbols / markings on Ardeth Bay's face mean anything?
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Chosen answer: The tattoos on his forehead are the Egyptian Hieroglyphs that spell "Underworld", and the ones on his cheeks are the Egyptian Hieroglyphs for the word "truth." All Medjai males get these tattoos as part of the coming-of-age rite, when they turn sixteen, of which the most important is the tattoo on their right wrist (which Rick O'Connell also has) that marks them as "warriors for God." Other tattoos specific to Medjai males are on their arms, forearms, hands, pectorals, shoulder blades and beneath the navel - the tattoos on the nose and chin are no longer used, since the time of Seti I. Medjai females only get the wrist tattoo when they come of age, but are not marked with any of the other symbols that are particular to men. Fun fact: If the Medjai - male and female alike - shows any sign of pain or cries during the tattooing process, it is considered that they have brought shame to their family.