"We don't have time for subtle," says Brendan Fraser, the star of The Mummy Returns, neatly encapsulating the relentless pace and hammerheaded tone of the film. As is the way of sequels here we have more, more, more of the same formula: more explosions, more action and more mind-numbingly endless CGI effects. Once again borrowing shamelessly from the Indiana Jones series, The Mummy Returns, like its predecessor, has boundless energy but lacks the stylish verve and charm of Spielberg's trilogy. All the original cast are reunited, this time joined by WWF star the Rock in a cameo role designed to plug his spin-off vehicle, The Scorpion King, and young actor Freddie Boath who plays an English eight-year-old in the 1930s whose dialogue borrows from Bart Simpson ("Get a room" and "My dad's gonna kick your arse" are two of his choice phrases). Other cinematic thefts include a Jurassic Park-style creatures-in-the-long-grass sequence and a lengthy triple-threat finale along the lines of Return of the Jedi. Still, despite the wearying relentlessness of its computer-generated effects, endless chases and fights, this is undeniably fun popcorn fodder and provides some memorable scenes along the way, notably Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez battling it out for the affections of nasty old Imhotep.
On the DVD: This two-disc "Special Edition" is a treat for fans of the franchise. The first disc has an anamorphic widescreen print of the movie in its 2.35:1 CinemaScope ratio, and a choice of Dolby 5.1 or DTS for the headache-inducing soundtrack. There's a decent commentary from the director and producer, plus a couple of DVD-ROM features. Disc 2 has all the usual stuff, including a 20-minute "making-of" documentary, a five-minute interview with the Rock about The Scorpion King, plus an exclusive trailer for it that is unsurprisingly reminiscent of Conan the Barbarian. There are also some detailed special effects breakdowns of key sequences, a blooper reel of outtakes and a virtual tour of the Universal theme park attraction "The Mummy Returns Chamber of Doom". Sundry trailers, production notes, a music video and an "Egyptology 201" text feature round out a well-loaded second disc. --Mark Walker
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Just a bit of a laugh I bought this film after watching the first, and it is not as good. But that doesnt matter because i wasnt expecting it ot be. The storyline is nonsense and the animation of the Scorpion King was dreadful but they brought back much loved charcters and Rick and Evie's 8 yeard old son Alex. The fight scenes were good and the little pygmies mummies were great.
The thing that brought it down a star was was the fact, they sacrificed the horror like in the first one, to make it a 12 rating.
Overall, I... more info
"Not These Guys Again." It's 1933, and the O'Connells are at it again. The now married Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evy (Rachel Weisz) are back in Egypt exploring a long sealed tomb. They've even brought their eight year old son Alex (Freddie Boath) along for the ride. They're hear because of a bunch of strange dreams Evy has been having. Exploring the tomb, they find the bracelet of the Scorpion King (The Rock). Unfortunately, they aren't the only people looking for it. A group of diggers has found the mummy of Imhotep (Arnold... more info
AN EXCITING SEQUEL After seeing "The Mummy" on video for the first time years ago, I knew I would be hooked. I've watched it about twenty times since then, and as many people know, this movie does not get boring or less funny after watching it numerous times, in fact, I think it gets more and more thrilling each time. I began hoping for a sequel to be released, and when I heard that one was in the making, I was relieved that they weren't going to end this great storyline with just one film. When "The Mummy Returns" was... more info
Suspenseful, witty and exciting. Enjoyable film, no boring parts. Suspenseful, witty and exciting. Fantastic cast.
I dare say that this one is better than the first! I own all three and this is my favourite.
It's quite scary but not too much so that it becomes unenjoyable. Just light pieces mixed in with humour and a great storyline.
![The Mummy Returns - Superbit [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510TMXCZXZL._SL160_.jpg)
