Mummy Movie Mania

As a sort of break between film reviews, I’ve decided to take a look at the stars of the well-known and not-so-well-known Mummy films from the past 78 (WHOA!) years…

Why, you ask? In the days of Karloff, and even more today, names often make films more successful than quality. And if you’re anything like me, you might have a few actors whose movies you will see no matter how awful you know they’ll be (Looney Tunes: Back in Action, anyone?).

So, here’s a look at some of the well-known and surprising stars of Mummy films past:

1. Boris Karloff: Perhaps the biggest name actor in a Mummy film ever, many critics and fans still associate his name with the genre. He was the first Im-ho-tep and thus set the stage for anyone who would play that role or any other mummy after. He’s a legend for his monster films in the 1930s, and rightfully so.
2. Brendan Fraser: Yes, yes I admit to a bit of bias here…but when people think of the recent Mummy films, his name is often the first to come to mind. In fact, he’s become so heavily associated with the films that almost any article about him describes him as “Mummy star, Brendan Fraser.” He’s one of two constants throughout the entire series and the audience can always expect to see him in his signature boots and rolled-up sleeves with guns blazing.
3. Gerard Butler: No, I’m not kidding. Butler stars as “Burke” in Russell Mulcahy’s 1998 Tale of the Mummy in one of his first feature film roles. Goofy, right? But he’s definitely another of those actors I’d watch no matter what strange film he’s in.
4. Christopher Lee: Another legendary actor, famous for some rather dramatic roles in his time. Lee stars as “Kharis”, another version of “Im-ho-tep,” in this 1959 Terence Fisher version. The genre should be proud to have him in it, given that his roles range from “Saruman” in The Lord of the Rings series to another great monster, Dracula, in several movies throughout the ’70s.
5. Lon Chaney, Jr.: Appropriately enough, we end on another legend of the monster film era. Chaney played everyone from Dracula to Frankenstein to the Wolf Man and yes, a mummy. He actually originated “Kharis”, the role Lee took over in his version. Chaney starred in The Mummy’s Tomb/Ghost/Curse (in that order), the reviews of which are coming soon…

It’s actually interesting to me how, even beyond the already-famous actors, the recent Mummy films have launched some new careers and put others into the mainstream spotlight. For instance, the charming Oded Fehr went on to star in the Deuce Bigalow movies and an episode of the popular American TV series Burn Notice.

On another level, Rachel Weisz went on to star in other blockbusters, including Constantine, and even won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in 2005′s The Constant Gardener (which honestly makes me wish she’d reprised her role in the third Mummy film even more!).

Clearly, Mummy films are only the beginning for many actors…for some, a launching pad to other legendary roles or awards and for others, a way to make their name widely known.

Coming up: MORE cheesy Mummy films to review! I can hardly wait to delve into the undead world of these strange and silly movies and look for the connections between the original, my favorite and the others.

Universal Studios Hollywood a.k.a. home of "The Mummy"!

Rob Cohen in place of Stephen Sommers + Maria Bello as Evelyn O’Connell + Luke Ford as an “American” Alex O’Connell + Chinese mummies = the formula for an awkward ending (if only) to the most recent Mummy series.

But, to try to keep the glass half-full, we’ll try to evaluate this from a somewhat neutral standpoint (ie: let’s pretend I don’t adore the first film for a minute here).

Released 7 years after The Mummy Returns, this third installment in the series takes the main characters you know and love to a completely new location: China.

The general plot is this: a Chinese emperor (Jet Li, looking bad ass and not nearly in the film enough for him to get top-billing) seeking the key to eternal life is betrayed by his most-trusted general and the woman he employs to find the key (a la the Imhotep/Anck-su-namun relationship, though not nearly as compelling because of the lack of character development). After the emperor viciously kills his general because of this affair, the woman, Zi Yuan, curses the emperor and turns him and his entire army into terracotta statues.

Meanwhile, in post-war England, Rick and Evelyn O’Connell are having a hard time staying away from adventure while their son is unearthing the terracotta army (because those O’Connells just can’t resist causing Mummy trouble). The solution? Rick and Evelyn visit their son to see his discovery and drink at Jonathan’s hot new bar (the BEST PART of this film, by far…it’s even called Imhotep’s!!).

And of course, because the O’Connells are present and get duped by Alex’s evil professor, the evil emperor comes back to life!

What ensues is a life or death (literally, someone dies then comes back to life) battle to kill the emperor and his army before they can take over the world, with some crazy “I’m the immortal daughter of the equally immortal Zi Yuan” hijinks in the mix.

So, the plot is pretty standard, quite similar to the first two and not overly surprising for a Mummy film.

However, the film’s main issues lie in lack of character development: how are we supposed to believe Alex could fall in love with Zi Yuan’s daughter when they just met? Sure, Rick and Evelyn did, too, but their courtship was charming, highly romantic and believable.

Maria Bello seems not to have watched either of the first two films before taking on the role of Evelyn O’Connell, because the character comes across as cold, bitter and only attached to her husband and son when dramatic things happen (ie: DEATH!); whereas Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn was a warm, intellectual woman whom you could believe truly loved and would die for her husband and son.

While I covered most of the film’s flaws in last week’s post, I did miss one: where was Ardeth Bay? Understandably, he wouldn’t travel to China with the O’Connells, but there was no mention of him and no character to even attempt to replace him. He was the connection to ancient Egypt in the first two, and you really felt his passion and conviction for his cause; this film lacks a similar character and as such, it’s hard to feel a connection with the past in this case.

However, the film has a few amusing points, which kept me from throwing things at the screen during the midnight showing (see the picture below for how much fun I had!).

• God bless, Jonathan Carnahan, his bar and his relationship with Geraldine the Yak in this film. John Hannah stays true to form in this film, serving as charming comic relief throughout…I can only hope that, if The Mummy 4: Rise of the Aztec actually happens without Brendan Fraser, Hannah makes up for what will inevitably be another craptastic Rob Cohen special.
• Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell. Scratch that, as an older, somewhat wiser Rick O’Connell. Once again, Fraser charms because, like Hannah, he knows what makes his character work. My only complaint this time around is the lack of boots…
• The homage to the first film with the initial back story. Seriously, as Zi Yuan escapes the burning, terracotta emperor, she rides away toward a statue of him, which disinigrates with the passing of time as the title flashes by, a la the first film. It made me all giddy and such.

Despite this rather negative review, I do suggest giving this film a go if you’ve got some spare time on your hands. It’s a rather fun romp and it is good to see the O’Connells on an adventure with mummies once more. I also recommend, however, having the first film on your hands, as you’ll want to remember why the series was once charming and delightful after the obvious “here comes a fourth film!” ending.

And as promised, here’s a picture displaying how much fun I had at the midnight premiere of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor…next week, I delve once more into the world of all things old school and cheesy with The Mummy’s Hand!

Yeah, I baked a cake.

Yes, prelude, because I dare not submerge you into that dark world of Maria Bello as Evelyn and Luke Ford’s lack of any sort of accent when Alex was clearly BRITISH in the second film, just yet. *deep breath* OK, here we go.

First, here’s the librarian scene that captures the silliness of the first film so darn well. What’s not to love about Rachel Weisz’s drunken declaration that she’s most proud of being a librarian?

Alright, now to the nitty gritty. This third film which thinks it is capable of being called a Mummy film in the sense of the first two.

Here are a few slight “differences” (ie: annoyances to people who’ve actually watched the first two) this film doesn’t try to hide (because you CAN’T):

1. Maria Bello as Evelyn. I understand that Rachel Weisz did not want to reprise her role, as she’d just become a mother and was in the midst of filming roles with a lot more substance to them. I also understand that the director (we’ll get to him later) wanted to take Evelyn in a more “mature” direction. It’s post-war London, Evelyn has been through two mummy adventures and served as a secret agent with Rick (yes, you unfortunately read that right) during the war. However, Bello lacks the warmth that Weisz gives to the first film in particular. She comes across as cold, pushy and well…NOT RACHEL WEISZ!

2. Rob Cohen as director. While Stephen Sommers doesn’t exactly possess a Spielberg-esque resume, he at least understood the spirit of these films and appreciated it; after all, these were his babies. Bringing in a new director, for a new location (again, more on that later) just seems like a completely unnecessary overhaul. Again, Sommers was in the midst of another project (that brilliant piece called G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra), so he simply stepped in as a producer on the project. But this producer did not direct and the result was a confused mess, trying to carry over characters that only work if the film has a certain spirit (which I will further address in my full review)…in short, it’s best not to switch directors if you’d like to complete a trilogy. It’s done often, but that doesn’t mean it should be.

3. CHINA? Really? I’ll make this my last big complaint-for now-but I’m a die hard Mummy movie fan and believe you should always stick with Egypt a.k.a. Mummy central when trying to capture the mysticism behind mummies and their myths. It was, again, just another example of how this film was a complete, epic departure from the first two and how it didn’t seem to want to tie in with them at all.

OK, so next week I’ll try to focus more on the positive, really I will. I do think this film had a few good points that almost made it better than The Mummy Returns, and those are certainly worth addressing.

For now, you can make your own decision based on the preview…Look out, China, here come the O’Connells!

One word summary: reincarnation.

Seriously, everything about this movie comes back to reincarnation, but we’ll get to that in a minute…

It’s 1932, eight years after the end of the first film and Rick and Evelyn are now married and living it up in London, thanks to that giant bag of treasure on the camel they used to get home after narrowly escaping death in Hamunaptra.

They’re still adventurers, though, and the film begins with the O’Connells digging for treasure with their precocious and extremely annoying son, Alex. Their trip is rudely interrupted by three mercenaries (who actually serve as interesting foils to the three Americans in the The Mummy), who are searching for the Book of the Dead–that’s right, the same book that brought Imhotep back to life eights years before.

As Rick, Evelyn and the most annoying child in the world venture back home, a reincarnated Anck-su-namun, a.k.a. “Meela”, with the help of the evil curator of the British museum, are trying to bring none other than Imhotep back to life so he can harness the power of The Rock the Scorpion King and yes, attempt to take over the world once more.

Now, despite my sarcasm regarding Alex and some of the plot (how Rick and Evelyn ever had such an obnoxious child is completely beyond me), The Mummy Returns ain’t half bad. While it lacks the charm and blatant cheesiness of the first film, it has its own adventure in store.

As it turns out, (SPOILER ALERT!), Rick and Evelyn are reincarnated Egyptians; Rick was Evelyn’s protector back in the days of Imhotep/Anck-su-namun, while Evelyn was Pharaoh Seti I’s daughter (the pharaoh killed by Anck-su-namun in the first film)!

This plot twist is, in and of itself, quite ridiculous. However, it adds a different, rather unpredictable layer to the film that I only saw coming because I’m a super nerd and read the novelization before seeing it. Silly me.

Once again, too, Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz shine as Rick and Evelyn O’Connell. It’s easy to see how the love between these characters could last for 3,000+ years because it’s so strong in their present time. Seriously, Rick jumps over the edge of a dirigible to save Evelyn and she risks being crushed by rocks to save him from falling over a cliff. Even in less extreme moments, though, their love is tender and selfless, a beautiful contrast to what turns out to be Imhotep and Anck-su-namun’s very one-sided love.

The music by Alan Silvestri makes the film the grand, sweeping adventure it is, though. While Jerry Goldsmith’s beautiful, Middle Eastern inspired soundtrack gave the first film a taste of romance/action, this time around the music pushes the adventure in your face–in the best possible way. With an Indiana Jones flair, the music helps the film take on more layers and a bit more seriousness.

Unfortunately, though, this seriousness is what makes the film the weakest of the three. Whereas the first film realized and embraced its absurdity, The Mummy Returns tries too hard to actually be taken seriously. Reincarnation is an interesting concept for any mummy film (hello, Im-ho-tep as Ardeth Bay in the original), but when intense special effects are thrown into the mix, you lose the classic edge such a concept would give.

In the end, The Mummy Returns is enjoyable, but makes you wish a couple of things: first, that Rick and Evelyn hadn’t spawned, second, that the plot would just stop trying so darn hard!

Here’s the preview, which gives you all the adventure and an idea of the delightful character reunion that is this film.

And here’s my favorite part on the DVD: the BLOOPERS! Here’s the silliness I wish this film would’ve embraced once more.

Next week: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Prepare to be perplexed, bamboozled and generally angered at the lack of Rachel Weisz. *sigh* At least Brendan Fraser is still in it.

Absurdity is only the beginning.

Or if you’re Imhotep, death is only the beginning.

Thus runs one of the films most memorable quotes, memorable mainly because it is repeated so many times, by various characters.

Many critics nearly slammed The Mummy upon its release in 1999, claiming it was trying too hard to be another Indiana Jones and that its special effects and story couldn’t hold up to that of it’s 1999 neighbors, Phantom Menace and The Matrix. Hardly fair comparisons.

The Mummy never pretends to be serious, never pretends to be groundbreaking or anything but entertaining. Rather, it’s to be commended for knowing it’s completely silly and absurd and flaunting that in the audience’s face.

From the dramatic opening voice over by Ardeth Bay, detailing the downfall of Pharaoh Seti I’s high priest, Imhotep, after his disasterous affair with the very naked Anck-su-namun (plot sound familiar yet? hmm?), you know you’re in for quite a bit of fun.

After that brief intro, it’s a wild ride of gun fights at Hamunaptra (“City of the dead…”) and Cairo, tornadoes made of Mummy dust (yes, Imhotep can transport himself via tornado) and…romance?

Perhaps the most captivating part about this movie, in my fangirl opinion, is the power of love over time–over 3,000 years and even just a couple of weeks.

Much like its 1932 counterpart, The Mummy stays true to the love theme, though in a more comedic and subtle way. Imhotep causes chaos in Northern Egypt, killing several Americans and zombie-fying the people of Cairo to raise his beloved Anck-su-namun once more; truly an epic love for the ages.

But it’s the love of Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser in BOOTS) and Evelyn Carnahan that truly speaks to me with each viewing; in true adventure film fashion, the rugged O’Connell saves the beautiful, though super nerdy, Evelyn from Imhotep because he realizes how much her loves her! Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s dynamic is one of the best parts of the film, as we watch O’Connell soften and Evelyn grow a bit rougher, all in the name of love and preventing the end of the world.

If you’re expecting a masterpiece from this film, just don’t. If, however, you’re looking to laugh, have a damn good time and go, “awww!” a few dozen times, you might just want to give this film a watch (or re-watch?).

My favorite scene: (which I may post in video form next week–I’m a darn good reciter of all things Mummy)

O’Connell (to Evelyn): “I get your brother but…what are you doing here?”

Evelyn: “Ooh, look I-I may not be an explorer or, or an adventurer or-or a treasure seeker or a gunfighter, Mr. O’Connell! But I am proud of what I am!”

O’Connell: “And…what is that?”

Evelyn: “I…am a librarian!”

Bravo, The Mummy, bravo.

As an ardent, ridiculous fan of Stephen Sommers’ 1999 take on The Mummy, I’ve decided to break this film down into a sort of two part review and…well, there’s really not a better way to phrase it than “fangirl promotion.”

Here’s a bit of Mummy trivia, along with a couple clips that give you a sense of the film’s tone. There’s truly no better way to introduce this movie than through its pure and unadulterated silliness.

5 Facts you might not know about The Mummy:

1. The dashing and charming Brendan Fraser almost died making this movie. You read that right! That was actually Fraser hanging in the Cairo Prison scene. According to Rachel Weisz, he actually stopped breathing and had to be resuscitated before filming could resume.
2. The entire cast had kidnapping insurance taken out on them while filming in Morocco, something Sommers only mentioned to them after filming had “wrapped.”
3. Universal Studios called Sommers the day after the film’s release to demand he make a sequel because the film grossed so much its first day. By the end of opening weekend (May 7, 1999), the film made $43.3 million.
4. Fun history connection #1: Weisz’s character Evelyn Carnahan is supposed to be the daughter of Lord Carnarvon, who discovered King Tut’s tomb in 1922.
5. Fun history connection #2: Imhotep was not an evil high priest; rather, he was an Egyptian architect who developed the first pyramids in ancient Egypt, including the Pyramid of Djoser in 2600 B.C.E.

Whenever people ask, “Why is The Mummy your favorite movie?” I give them the same answer: fun. Sommers’ 1999 remake doesn’t pretend to be anything but a thrill ride, leaving behind the darker suspense of the 1932 version for a goofier, delightful version that will leave the viewer with a spirit of adventure and a good laugh.

Lesson #1: How to respond to mummies

Lesson #2: Don’t open mysterious sarcophagi

(Trivia credit to IMDB and Wikipedia’s The Mummy pages)

If the mummy doesn’t kill you, the suspense will.

Or Boris Karloff’s death glare of doom, you decide.

I’m starting at the beginning with these reviews, not just for chronological purposes but also because this is one of the original Universal Studios monster movies that have inspired so many others (including my favorite) since then. This is classic Hollywood horror at its most masterful and at its origins.

Boris Karloff plays high priest Im-ho-tep, who was buried alive for having an affair with high priestess of Isis, Anck-su-namun, 3700 years ago. Meanwhile, in 1932 Egypt, Ardeth Bay (really Im-ho-tep, who escaped from his tomb after it was uncovered 10 years previously) is seeking revenge and trying to bring his former lover back to life no matter the cost or number of lives he must take.

Beyond Boris Karloff’s incredibly suspenseful performance as Im-ho-tep (LOOK AT THOSE EYES!), the rest of the cast bring their own characters to life in a cheesy and appropriately 1932 manner–from damsel in distress Helen Grosvenor to her dashing hero Frank Whemple. Here’s a breakdown of the top three reasons to watch The Mummy and enjoy its brand of cheese:

1. The shadows! I’m not exaggerating when I say every shot in the film is draped in shadows, which serve as the film’s main form of special effects. In an era when the huge explosions and digital Im-ho-teps we see today weren’t available, director Karl Freund casts an eerie spell over the viewer and leaves you nervous; you’re never quite sure what’s behind the next corner or what will happen the next time Im-ho-tep throws out curses from his dry ice pool of wonders (unfortunately I couldn’t find a picture of this, all the more reason for you to watch it).

2. The drama! Oh, the wonderful Hollywood drama! Two particular instances that actually had me freaking out and yelling at the TV (though you know good will triumph–this is old Hollywood AND a monster movie): Im-ho-tep holding a knife to “Anck-su-namun’s” stomach, a.k.a. poor, helpless Helen and his equally ruthless air-strangling of Frank’s father…those poor Whemple boys.

3. The love story! Throughout the film, Im-ho-tep tells Helen (and anyone else who will listen) that he sacrificed more for her than any man ever did for any woman…EVER! More compelling than that, though, especially for me, a fan of love reaching across history without bounds, is the random romantic ending in which Frank’s gentle voice calls Helen back from the past to the present. In a way, the lovely ending is a summary of the passion and drama the film embodies; love reaches across history and both destroys and saves the people it touches.

On that cheesy note, next week=perhaps the best week for me: The Mummy (1999) starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz! Stay tuned for what might just turn into fangirly screaming instead of an actual review…I never promised any of this would be coherent.

The Mummy (1999)

I was a notoriously difficult child to entertain. When I was 9, I stayed with my grandmother over the summer and she was constantly trying to get me to go  with her to see movies I did not want to see. To be fair, I didn’t really want to see anything, so it wasn’t like I could be persuaded by any one type of film. Finally, one hot Arizona afternoon, she put her foot down and took me to see the 1999 Stephen Sommers re-make of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser as ex-French Foreign Legionnaire turned adventurer Rick O’Connell. While she and my aunt were awed by the mostly naked “Mummy” (played by an admittedly charming and muscular Arnold Vosloo), I was amused, though not overly impressed.

A few months later, when the movie came out on VHS (that dinosaur format), my grandmother bought it for me and brought it over, persuading my mum to watch it, too. During the film, my mum kept asking questions which I, for some reason, knew all the answers to. Impressed by my own knowledge, I watched it again after everyone left that evening–and then again the next day and pretty much everyday after that for the rest of my fourth grade career.

The rest is obsessive history, as I fell in love with The Mummy, the actors in it and all things Egypt. I’ve since developed quite a passion for watching all the varied and cheesy forms the Mummy series/story has taken since the original 1932 version, as well as an appreciation for having my own sort of Mystery Science 3000 experience while viewing them. I’m hoping to watch as many of the Mummy movies as I can find and share my reviews through this blog; after all, this cheesiness has to reach the world somehow!

This weekend I’ll be watching the original version (trailer above), starring Boris Karloff as Imhotep. I’ll also be posting pics of my Mummy fangirl experience from its beginnings, just for additional kicks. Yes, this is all quite self-indulgent, but I’m hoping to create a bit more interest and appreciation for the Mummy series, because from Karloff to Fraser, there is certainly something to enjoy in each and every reincarnation of The Mummy.

My (yes) Brendan Fraser/Rick O'Connell action figure & cake for the premiere of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (a.k.a. The Mummy 3)