Today’s quick review: The Mummy Returns. Now married with a son, Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) O’Connell unearth the Bracelet of Anubis, the key to unlocking the Army of Anubis and wresting control of it from the Scorpion King (Dwayne Johnson). But when a mysterious woman (Patricia Velasquez) revives the Egyptian priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), the O’Connells must stop him before he can claim the Army for himself.
The Mummy Returns is an adventure comedy with horror elements. The sequel to The Mummy, The Mummy Returns delivers the same effortless blend of action and humor as its predecessor. The movie has an entertaining cast, fast pacing, and a healthy sense of adventure. However, The Mummy Returns lacks the tact and patience of the original, resulting in a looser plot, cheaper thrills, and derivative moments.
Many of the strengths of the first movie carry over to the sequel. Writer and director Stephen Sommers returns, as do most of the original cast. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz make for an enjoyable pair of heroes. Their son Alex (Freddie Boath) serves as a fun partner for comic relief Jonathan (John Hannah), Evelyn’s brother. The moment-to-moment action is handled well, and it’s threaded with enough humor to make for a capable popcorn flick.
But The Mummy Returns is not as careful with its story as it should be. Where The Mummy deliberately set up its world, its characters, and the rules of its conflict, The Mummy Returns flies by the seat of its pants. Imhotep returns with little ceremony, accompanied by new characters that are shoehorned into the existing canon. The story dispatches with much of the original’s build-up, and so the payoff is less satisfying.
The Mummy Returns has other, lesser foibles. The plot borrows heavily from the original, all the way down to specific moments. It does so with a wink and a nod, but the comparison does not favor the sequel. Dwayne Johnson is a strong pick for the Scorpion King, but he barely gets any screen time. Rounding out the changes, the scares have been diluted by the film’s faster pace, tipping the tone towards action-adventure and away from horror.
In spite of these shortcomings, The Mummy Returns makes for an enjoyable watch. Those who appreciated the original’s action and sense of humor will enjoy the sequel’s as well. Just be prepared for an inferior story that doesn’t manage its ideas as well as the original did. For an adventure in a similar vein, check out the Indiana Jones series or the Librarian series. For more Dwayne Johnson, check out the spinoff The Scorpion King.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for fine comedy and adventure hurt by a loose story.