Review of Mummy, The

Introduction

When you go to see a special effects spectacle like The Mummy, starring some brain-dead hunk like Brendan Fraser and a CG sandstorm, the phrase ‘leave your brain at the door’ should instantly leap to the forefront of your mind. But Stephen Sommers’ insanely waggish remake of the Boris Karloff horror film of the 30’s, is so genuinely banal that instead of merely requiring suspension of disbelief, it requires a lobotomy of simply stratospheric severity to be enjoyed on any level whatsoever.

Video

The film appears in its orginal theatrical widescreen ratio. As with `Titanic` the video hinders rather than helps the digital efefcts making them look even cleaner and more artificial than they did flickering on celluloid. Given how dark the film is however, the transfer is certainly a success, although we`d expect that from a film which largely comes from a digital source.

Audio

The soundtrack here is powerful, perhaps second only to `The Matrix` for sheer technical bravura. The creepy suspence sequences and loud, pounding action scenes are well suited.

Features

In keeping with the contra-lateral nature of the DVD market, the lamest movies yet again get the best DVD’s. For starters this is apparently the ‘Full Uncut Version’ (if you can spot what’s ‘full’ and ‘uncut’ about it, let me know). As for extras, it features some deleted scenes that barely flicker onto the memory; a lengthy, in-depth featurette entitled ‘Building a Better Mummy’ describing the film’s elaborate visual effects (funnily enough, almost exactly the same information is repeated in another feature on the DVD); the enthusiastic theatrical trailer; some bonus material for those DVD-Rom users; a distracting, naval-gazing commentary from director and editor; plus the usual collection of production and filmmakers notes. The oddity in this bunch? Well, maybe the goofy animated menus, but more likely the ‘Egyptology 101’ section which offers us a series of ‘facts’ about Egyptian history. Of course, it reads more like the Dr. Seuss guide to Mummy’s.

Conclusion

Brendan Fraser is Legionnaire Rick O’Connell, a grizzled loner type (hello Indiana Jones) who is thrust into the search for an ancient Egyptian tomb: the ominously subtitled ‘City of the Dead’, which promises an abundance of priceless treasures. Joining him on his quest is goofy Librarian Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and her light-hearted brother Jonathan (John Hannah, one of no less than three unfunny comedy sidekicks).

Some of this stiff, curiously mannered and distinctly corny drivel is actually fun: the conclusion being a whistle away from ‘Raiders Of The Lost Ark’ in terms of style and charm. But its never great fun. ‘The Mummy’ is too self-conscious, too trapped within its computer graphics rut to ever loosen up. The irony is that although ‘The Mummy’ features more computer generated visual bombast that most other busters of blocks, it couldn’t be more old-fashioned if it tried. The effects look rubbery, artificial, only adding to the film’s bland atmosphere and retro B-movie angst (Bring back Harryhausen!). Director Sommers seems to have so much Spielberg flowing through his veins, that one must assume the bearded deity smelled the fromage this film emanates from his hacienda in Beverly Hills.

‘The Mummy’ is basically beyond a joke. At moments you really begin to wonder if this is a movie at all, actually trying to tell us a story, and take us on an adventure or whether Fraser, Weisz, Hannah and Sommers are just taking the p*** and having a laugh at our expense. Well they certainly seem to be having more fun than we are.