The Mummy Review
by Michael Redman) (redman AT indepen DOT com)May 13th, 1999
This mummy should have stayed under wraps
The Mummy
A Film Review By Michael Redman
Copyright 1999 By Michael Redman
*1/2 (Out Of ****)
Ancient Egypt has been a source of fascination for the western world for centuries. Mysteries surrounding the construction and meaning of the pyramids have given rise to numerous theories: some outlandish, others difficult to believe and none proven.
Most information concerning the arcane secrets of the gigantic structures has been lost to vandals and the ravages of time. Were they built using science that we no longer know about? By ancient astronauts from Sirius? By engineers from legendary Atlantis? Or is there a more mundane answer that, for some reason, we've been unable to discover?
Recent discoveries that the pyramids might be much older than previously thought, that they are accurate astronomical indicators and that they might
not have been built as burial chambers verify how little we know.
The lack of facts only adds to the allure of the lost civilization. In the early 1900s, occult groups dressed in Egyptian garb. There's even a pyramid with a floating eye on the back of U.S. currency.
And now we have "The Mummy".
The film is loosely based on the 1932 classic which spawned at least seven sequels and the Universal Films series of monster films. If we're lucky, this version will die without any descendants.
In 1719 BC, Egyptian high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) is caught with his hands on the Pharaoh's mistress. Not living in a particularly forgiving culture, he is mummified alive, doomed to spend all eternity in torment with flesh-eating bugs for company.
Soldier of fortune Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) stumbles across the hidden ruins of the lost city of Hamunaptra in 1923. A few years later he returns
with librarian and Egyptologist Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) looking for gold and archeological treasure.
Unwittingly they unleash Imhotep, who now has almost unlimited powers although he's not likely to show up in <I>People's<I> most beautiful people issue. His wrappings eaten by the insects, the priest has decomposed and is...gooey. Grabbing various organs from available humans, he rebuilds himself so he can resurrect his long-dead lover.
The movie is filled with special effects designed to awe and frighten the audience, but the most horrifying aspect of the film is that it is a comedy. The original featured atmospheric lighting and smart directing to create tension. The 1999 version is more like a high budget "The Three Stooges Meet Indiana Jones And The Mummy".
The attraction that fills the seats is the anticipation of magnificent
effects. The previews are a masterpiece of promises that don't deliver. Some
of the effects are impressive, but others are surprisingly lame. The early sequences in ancient Egypt are majestic, but the computerized scenery features that too-smooth look that plagues recent films. It looks like the background
is filmed through a thick layer of Vaseline. Later, the re-animated bodyguards aren't much better than the monsters in "Jason And The Argonauts".
There are missed opportunities galore. Director Stephen Sommers wastes time showing Evelyn knocking over bookcases while virtually ignoring the mysterious guardians of Hamunaptra.
Details of the plot are troublesome. Why would the Egyptians construct a creature who would destroy the country if discovered? The other group of treasure hunters racing to the lost city adds nothing to the story.
The cast is a mixed blessing. Fraser never connects with his character and Weisz's damsel in distress is too goofy. The second bananas fare better. John Hannah as Evelyn's scheming brother is a perfect foil for the adventurers. Kevin O'Connor plays sniveling Beni with a presence that does Peter Lorre proud. Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay, leader of the guardians, is intriguing but barely on-screen.
The film is less reminiscent of the original than it is of "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold", a feeble "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" rip-off. Producer James Jacks admits "Indiana Jones" was a role model.
Maybe they should have looked a bit more carefully at what made that movie work. "The Mummy" is a farce masquerading as an adventure film based on a classic horror film. It succeeds at none of the above.
(Michael Redman has written this column for over 23 years and has decided that mummification may not be his choice for eternity after all. Email random words to [email protected].)
[This appeared in the 5/13/99 "Bloomington Independent", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at [email protected].]
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