The Mummy (1999)

Yes, this is technically a remake. But if I learned anything from Oceans Eleven. It's not always a bad thing. It is a decent story of a ancient Egyptian priest who comes back from the dead to rule the world... or destroy it... bring about plagues... rescue his love... OK that part gets a little lost. But the events play out with plenty of action, danger, and pretty well timed comedy.The cast is too notch, Brendan Fraiser at his height, personally I thought he would have been the next Indiana Jones. RACHEL Wisez was great and adorable. I've always liked Arnold Vosloo as an actor. And this movie introduced me to Oded Fher, who is also great.Over all a great popcorn movie. It's not deep, but it has everything you could ask for in a good relaxing after a lo g day movie.

Amazingly a lot of action, adventure and some fun in it!From beginning to end, The Mummy is very simple, and not one second of it is incomprehensible to a young audience member. The pacing is great; the buildup to the resurrection is actually a great success, and the adventures that ensue are horrifying, hilarious, and adventurous. Brendan Frasier gives a very nice performance as Rick O'Connell, and Rachael Weisz is just as good as Evey. For what he's given, Arnold Vosloo is very menacing as Imhotep, and Oded Fehr's character could have used more screen time to allow us to appreciate him more -- though plenty of that is in the second. The action flows, and is shot very well. The special effects are really good, and I don't think there has ever been a cooler-looking mummy. Jerry Goldsmith's score is decent enough to warrant a buy, though not nearly as sweeping as it could have been, it's still a decent collection of music

It's always difficult for brainless action movies to hold up over time. It's incredibly rare that such films can stand more than a decade or so without feeling too silly. The Mummy, which was made nearly 2 decades ago, definitely falls under this category. With a dumb script, exaggerated acting, dated CGI, and a dopey tone, 1999's version of The Mummy is a cable movie at best.It's amazing to see how far this series has come, from the intellectual 1932 film to the blockbuster action 2017 feature, it's clear that this is a property that people are interested in no matter the genre it forms. With that said, if a film titled 'The Mummy' never manages to offer a single scare or thrill, there's something seriously wrong with the direction. "But that's not the direction they wanted to take with the movie", some may say, well then make the film you intended at least a little bit entertaining. I had heard this film wasn't to be taken seriously, but to show no respect or knowledge for the source material at all feels disappointing to say the least.The acting is abysmal. Some of it can certainly be contributed to the dialogue they were given and perhaps the direction as well, but the line delivery here is just brutal. I know Brendan Fraser isn't particularly regarded as Oscar caliber, but Rachel Weisz definitely is. To see all them do such poor work is more than difficult to watch. But I think this can all come back to the tone established by director and writer, Stephen Sommers. The lighter, goofier tone is clearly purposeful, but it only works if you buy into the characters. I always bring up the Fast & Furious as examples for these types of films because they succeed in making over the top action movies without sacrificing the dynamics between their central characters. The Mummy doesn't do that one bit.I think one of the things that does work is Jerry Goldsmith's beautiful score. Not only does it harken back to the days of John Williams' heroic theme for Indiana Jones, but it actually complements the action quite well. It's just too bad I didn't particularly care for the action that was going on anyway. Overall, this film displays a serious lack of awareness in tone, humor, and writing, even if some of the action provides brief swashbuckling fun amidst a great score. The Mummy is forgettable.+Score-Tone-Rough acting & writing3.8/10

Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah) obtains a map of the ancient city of Hamunaptra from Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) whom has landed himself in prison. He shows the map to his sister Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) a librarian whom is also an authority on Egyptian History. When Evelyn learns that Rick knows the way to the ancient city she pays a considerable sum for his freedom and the three of them make their way to the ancient city. Unfortunately for them, a rival group have also arrived at the ancient city (in search of the treasure), but even more unfortunately for everyone else their combined meddling has awoken a Mummy that has been dead for over 3000 years. The Mummy (Arnold Vosloo) intends to use Evelyn as a sacrifice to bring his dead lover back to life...The Mummy is a fairly goofy, tongue-in-cheek type adventure film and that is perhaps one of its greatest strengths. The fact that it doesn't take itself seriously is actually one of its selling points - the cast look like they're having fun here and that does translate well on screen.I think where this film may run into problems with some people is if you start drawing comparisons to other films - when looking at it is does remind one slightly of Indiana Jones (it's easy to see elements of both Raiders of the lost ark and The Last Crusade). The problem is that it is weaker than both these films because it doesn't have the same tension to it - director Sommers seems to use goofball charm and humour to get by. Don't get me wrong it's fun to watch and quite enjoyable, but it doesn't offer the same type of tension or suspense that you get from an Indiana Jones film and naturally suffers by comparison.The cast are all on good form with Brendan Fraser making a good hero; he's not quite Harrison Ford, but he does a good job. Rachel Weisz is excellent as well and whilst she's clearly intelligent for the most part I did like the way that she had occasional ditzy moments and also liked that she was afforded some vulnerability (the scene where she was drunk is a good example). John Hannah was fun to watch as a minor comic relief character (kind of like Sallah in Raiders of the lost ark). Vosloo was very good as the antagonist, but in some ways the goofy nature of the film held him back and he wasn't as terrifying as he perhaps could have been.In some ways The Mummy is both unremarkable and unmemorable (particularly when compared to the earlier Indiana Jones films), but it does have some charm to it, some laughs and the fact that it doesn't take itself seriously is also a big plus. It's good for a one time watch, but if you want to watch a really good adventure film focusing on archaeological digging the you really owe to yourself to watch Raiders of the lost ark which is an absolute classic.