The Mummy

I loved The Mummy when I was younger and at least once a year I found time to watch Stephen Sommers' genre mash-up, which doesn't lack adventure action, romance, or even a hint of horror. As I've gotten older, I've found that sometimes a film works for me, while other times not so much. Compared to the director's previous Deep Rising, The Mummy definitely offers better characters (as well as cast): Rachel Weisz is truly charming as the intellectual librarian yearning for secrets hidden under the Egyptian sand, John Hannah plays the role of the goofy brother (the thief) superbly, and Arnold Vosloo as the bloodthirsty Imhotep also won me over. In the case of Brendan Fraser, it's like with the film, sometimes he suits me, sometimes he doesn't. I mustn't forget to mention Bernard Fox's small but really funny role as the drunken pilot Winston. I originally gave The Mummy four stars, then reduced it to three, but the fact is that I like coming back to the film and enjoy it (despite the weaker CGI in places). (30/05/2019)

When the tricks fade, not even a pile of ashes will be left of The Mummy. Unlike Indiana Jones, this film lacks the essentials that every truly high-quality adventure film has to have – a hero. The local guy is an inflated pretty boy with no charisma. A pretty face doesn't make a good character... Three years ago, the impression was top notch thanks to the technical aspect, now The Mummy seems to me to be decently below average... Compared to Dr. Jones, this Egyptian hunk is driving all over the place... (30/01/2004)

A fantastic adventurous tangle of many supporting characters, a charismatic villain, a characteristically courageous protagonist, and a beautiful and clumsy girl in distress. I could watch this heartfelt affair from morning to evening, Jerry Goldsmith's music and Sommers' enthusiastic direction helped create an unforgettable ride. (20/04/2007)

If you take away the over-the-top digital effects, this film doesn’t have much to offer. Yes, Sommers knows how to give the impression that his films are epic. His work is filled with beautiful views of sandstorms, Egyptian cities in their heyday, or in a kind of eye-catching splendour of their ruins (the set of the crumbling Egyptian mansion must have been terribly expensive), and the dungeons full of treasures are also eye-catching. But the film has otherwise aged terribly, unlike its predecessors, because much of its charm is based on digital attractions, and those no longer impress anyone in the face of today's technology. The Mummy in its early stages is downright digitally awful (but not in the good creepy sense of the word), and Arnold Vosloo overacts like a pig until he becomes a caricature of himself. The only thing that survives unscathed to this day is Jerry Goldsmith's music; it's beautiful, even after repeated listens. It's also quite nice that the film doesn't take itself too seriously and is surprisingly funny in places, like when the offending skeleton heads are blown off like in a baseball game, or when Rachel Weisz demolishes an entire library in a domino effect – that’s the first scene I always remember when I think of Sommer’s The Mummy. (27/09/2021)

I can unashamedly call The Mummy one of the seminal films of my childhood, and I'll try to capture its magic as simply as possible: a fearless and likeable hero in Brendan Fraser, a really cool and scary bad guy played by Arnold Vosloo, plus a lot of great one-liners and tons of catchy and dynamic action – or how little it takes to make kids happy. (13/07/2011)