A Múmia

Here, the makers took the original stock horror film and turned it into an Indianajonesesque adventure in the tradition of Raiders of the Lost Ark. The most visually rich part of the film was the opening scenes set in ancient Egypt. I would love to see an entire film built around that. The sets and costumes were brilliant.

Especially tantalizing is the strictly painted-on attire of Patricia Velazquez as Anck-Su-Namum; what a stunning visual; but it completely upstages her performance. I have heard people talking about it. Some have mistakenly guessed her top was a mesh costume of some sort; not true, it is entirely - and only - paint.

But Velazquez isn't the only thing to turn heads in the film, Rachel Weisz is appropriately attractive, though not as startling; her character is as solid and believable as she is lovely.

The newcomer, Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bey, set quite a few female hearts aflutter; in our party, at least. The internet was lit-up searching for more photos of this guy.

At first, I didn't particularly care for Brendan Fraser as the primary character (he's too well kept and cutesy for a rugged guy-type for me), be he grows on you. He seems to be developing into a versatile actor who will be around for a long time. His work here is good too.

The special effects were the real star of the film, and they were visually rewarding and complimented the story in the right way in the right places. How Arnold Vosloo dealt with those in his role as the mummy Imhotep should be acknowledged. He must have had to imagine quite a bit of what he was interacting with to pull it off, and he does so with great style and substance for this type of role. He was nothing short of excellent.

In fact, most of the remaining characters were well chosen. Jonathan Hyde and Kevin J. O'Connor added to the film in important ways, too. Together, everyone painted an enjoyable film, delivering exactly what it promised; fun, action, and adventure.

It seems like a long time ago when this came out, but I remember it being the first DVD I had ever bought sight unseen, meaning I had never seen the film in the theater. I was pleased. I got what I had hoped for: a fun, special-effects extravaganza.

In fact, if you read a number of reviews, you see the word "fun" more than anything. That best describes this film.

This was an Indiana Jones-Jason And The Argonauts combination adventure story. It's cartoon-like in nature with an absurd swashbuckling hero, outlandish action scenes and the occult theology that filmmakers love so much. (The Mummy has God-like powers, even producing Old Testament plagues.)

However, the film isn't all good news. It's too long by about 10-15 minutes and there is simply too much action and too much noise. The film needs more lulls.

Brendan Fraser is pretty good as the Indiana Jones figure and Rachel Weisz, a new face at the time, makes a solid impression in her debut. The DVD offered a sharp picture which highlighted a number of jaw-dropping scenes. It's pure escapist fun and not meant to be anything else.

Certainly this Universal remake is more in the vain of Indiana Jones rather than the original Mummy. It is high on adventure and comedy, and wins because of it. The sets, scenery, special effects are all first-rate. The film is fast-paced from beginning to end and is very suspenseful. Stephen Sommers again shows his talent as a director for creating action-packed adventure with a high level of comedic overtones. The cast are all very good in their roles, yet none of them seem really to be taking themselves or the film too serious. Brendan Fraser is an affable hero, and Rachel Weisz makes a good heroine. Good support comes from John Hannah, Kevin J. O'Connor, and the mummy, Arnold Vosloo. Also a real treat was seeing Bernard Fox in a small role as an aging British pilot. Don't expect the old mummy of lore in this one, but sit down and have one heck of a ride...a rollercoaster of hijinks in the sands of Egypt.

Citizen Kane it ain't, but if you're looking for good, silly, H. Rider Haggardesque fun, this is the film for you. While it hasn't replaced the Universal classic in my affections, let's face it, the venerable original creaks a little. I mean, Karloff's Imhotep only moves two feet per hour -- geez, how will I ever escape him? Arnold Vosloo's Mummy is considerably more fleet, and frankly (from the dirty old lady's perspective) is pretty darned buff for a dead guy. A modern affectation, sure, but I like the idea of a mummy with a great butt.

Brendan Fraser looks good, has a fabulous voice, and a whole boatload of goofy charm. Hey! Call me shallow, but that's pretty much all I'm looking for in a screen idol. John Hannah was acceptable, if not inspired, as the wastrel brother. Rachel Weisz is gorgeous, and acquits herself well in the role of "Heroine in an Adventure Film;" i.e., she screams and gets rescued a lot.

OK, I lie. The modern "Heroine in an Adventure Film" is SPUNKY, screams, and gets rescued a lot.

And as to Oded Fehr, who plays the mysterious desert guardian of the mummy's tomb (a role traditionally assayed by Welsh character actors) -- I and the rest of the ladies in my party indicated, through a series of incoherent grunts and some unattractive drooling, a strong desire to see much, much more of him. And we mean that both literally and figuratively. Powers that be, please take note.

A couple of small caveats: the bug quotient in this film is much higher than I usually tolerate. It puts you right off your Milk Duds. And where in the hell did those camels come from?

So if you're in a mood for brainless entertainment, I recommend that you set your intellect on stun, rush to the nearest cineplex, buy the large popcorn (WITH butter), and settle in for a couple of hours of colorful, loud, over-the-top fun.

Catmommie

A real romp of an adventure/horror genre with a wonderful aesthetic that works perfectly and he period setting is pure genius at creating an immersive world. Performances are terrific with Weisz and Fraser having a blast and a great dynamic. The CGI does look a little outdated and of course brings the overall film down but the humour and the overall tone is balanced brilliantly.