THE MUMMY : Tomb of the Dragon E.
Review - Matt Mungle
"This Mummy unwraps very little ."
Will the new installment of The Mummy break the curse of over hyped letdown? Granted it doesn't carry nearly the weight as did the new Indiana Jones film that released earlier this summer. And sucked. But still, fans of the first two Mummy films have to be a little anxious to see what the years have added to the O'Connell family. Plus gone is Rachel Weisz though her character remains. This never bodes well regardless of who is filling the excavated shoes. Hard to believe it has been almost ten years since the original movie introduced Rick and Evelyn and sent them on their first adventure. What is not hard to believe is how little has changed in the area of Mummy's and curses in general.
In "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" we find a retired Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Maria Bello) in the 1940's. The big war is over and their once exciting lives have now lulled into boredom. Though they both have agreed on retiring from the world of the living dead they certainly miss it. So, when they get a chance to deliver a rare stone to Shanghai they eagerly accept. While there they find their son Alex (Luke Ford), who they thought was off in college, has been doing some archaeology of his own and has uncovered the tomb and body of the cursed, 2000 year old Emperor Han (Jet Li). When the curse is lifted by some over enthusiastic Chinese military, it is up to the O'Connell family to help stop Han and his living dead warriors before they take over the world.
As a huge fan of the first Mummy movie I have to say there were many things about this that I enjoyed. The art of excavating and the history of ancient tombs. The hidden traps and snares that await anyone trying to uncover their secrets. Too, with most of the characters and settings being in China it adds a colorful and stylish element to the look and feel. There are many over the top martial arts duels. The choreography of these scenes added a fresh action element to the series. Also, you have to remember that these films are very tongue in cheek and so most of what would normally pass as cheesy stupidity, I found to be humorously witty. The living dead do things that are visually funny even when meant to be serious. Sure you have to over look a few plot holes on the road to action success. Especially when dealing with curses and ancient history. But if you can look past them you will enjoy a pretty decent action adventure ride.
That said there were a few things I had a hard time getting past. One, sorry to say, was Maria Bello in the role of Evelyn. One of our finest female actors today, and one of my favorites, she just didn't have what it takes to pull off the action adventure of this nature. Weisz was so perfect as the intelligent yet ditzy scholar. She delivered the wit and style with such ease. Her balance to Fraser was pure onscreen magic. In contrast, Bello seemed stiff and uncomfortable throughout. Completely gone was the chemistry that made the couple work in the first two films. I am not sure why the choice was made but it caused the film to suffer as a whole. Sorry, Maria. Also I was not sold on Ford in the role of Alex. I just didn't like his character. He had a cockiness about him that only took away from the fun of these films. The role called for someone with the boyish charm and warmth that Fraser has. Someone you could pull for and want to win. My dislike just made me not care what happened to him.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is rated PG-13 for adventure action and violence. It has some scary images and intense moments but otherwise is a fairly tame family film. I give it 3 out of 5 library cards and think believe it will be hit and miss for most viewers. Those who truly loved the first two films will find enough in this one to make it enjoyable. Those who merely tolerated the others will like this one far less. If you do go make sure you can put all things aside and just have fun. I think to do that is the only way to enjoy it as a whole. The least you expect, the better off you will be. |
