Rating: 
Summary: Falls short of original...but still full of mindless fun
Review: I had high hopes after the surprisingly good 'The Mummy' became
an instant cult classic...but unfortunately it came up short--for me, anyway. As far as action went, 'The Mummy Returns' certainly delivered, in fact almost too much if you ask me. As for storyline, I liked the idea of our main couple married and
living comfortably in England years after the original *experience* which brought them together in the first film. But
the whole Scorpion King thing left me wondering what went wrong?
I realize a certain amount of suspension of belief MUST be done in order to even make an attempt at enjoying these films, but
this one took that to the extreme--again, if you ask me.My children thought it was the greatest thing EVER...and unfortunately the younger generation asks less and less of the movies they see, and therefore they seem to lack more and more
these days. Some elements bothered me, including the skeletal
pygmies which were never explained, and how poor the ending fight scene with the digitally animated Scorpion King looked overall. Every time the focus came to the Scorpion Kings face it was a very poor representation of The Rock who played that
character...sure you could see the similarities, but overall it
looked poor. The problem with this is that special effects these days have become SO GOOD, the bar has been raised, and if
something doesn't look 100% REAL, well it tends to be almost cheesy. Gripes aside, it was still worth seeing and my 9 year old daughter has it listed as her ALL-TIME favorite movie (where did I go wrong???). Searching for a mindless load of action? 'The Mummy Returns' certainly fits the bill--and then some. The added bonus features in this particular DVD version definitely make this buy even better, and without spoiling it, give it a shot and I think you might see it again just to see those extra's.
Rating: 
Summary: bad
Review: this is one of the worst movies ever made. I have no clue why it was so popular. First of all, the story is so stupid! Scorpion King? Give me a break! And the special effects look terrible. Woody Woodpecker looks more realistic. If you see this movie, be prepared to see humans interacting with cartoons most of the time. So I guess this movie is just like 'Space Jam.'
Rating:
Summary: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Review: "The Mummy Returns" is a prime example of everything wrong with big budget Hollywood movies these days: bloated excess, no plot, no character development and absolutely no concern for the intelligence of its audience. Sure, if your a lobotomized squirrel you may find something remotely entertaining in this waste of celluloid. But if you have even a couple of functioning neurons chances are you'll just keep looking at your watch waiting for this thing to end. The first film was fun, this one is merely tedious. The sad thing is, as long as we keep handing the studios are hard earned cash for drivel like this they'll just keep on churning them out.
Rating:
Summary: Not As Good As The First, But Still Good!
Review: It's true that this movie comes nowhere close to even topping the first film, but it is still very good. Set several years after the first, Rick and Evie are now married and have a son. When exploring a tomb, they discover an ancient bracelet that once gave power to the scorpion king. Now, Imhotep and his reincarnated lover, Anak Su Namuhn, Are in search of this legendary bracelet so that they may defeat the Scorpion King and rule the earth with his army. The bracelet will show the wherabouts of the scorpion king only to the one who wears it. When Rick and Evie's son, Alex, tries it on and can't get it off, Imhotep kidnaps him. Now Rick and Evie must save their son and the world... again! You won't regret buying this! It's not bad, It's just not as good as the first. Lot's of cool special features including a look at the new movie, "The Scorpion King"!
Rating: 
Summary: The Mummy of All Movies!
Review: This sequel is more sure of itself than its predecessor, which suffered from lack of target audience. In this regard The Mummy Returns is more refined. However, it is a throwback to the classic days of Special Effects extravaganza where the visual element overrides all plot and character elements. What this achieves is a rolicking movie without much to relate with the main characters. Comedy plays a less significant role in this sequel, compared to the first movie, which gives it a more serious edge. This balance of drama versus comedy makes the sequel more comparable to the Indiana Jones trilogy than the first movie, but still falls a long way short of the quality of the Spielberg/Lucas venture. It is a typical "leave-your-brain-at-the-door" movie, which, when all things are considered, IS entertaining. On the whole I feel this is a more rewarding movie than the first.
Rating:
Summary: Highly entertaining
Review: It's true - the dialogue in the movie is hacked together and very cliche, the plot is rather flat, the writers obviously either did not understand or did not care about the laws of physics, and I was highly disappointed by the CG of the Rock later in the movie. The movie also stole scenes from many other movies, including ET and Indiana Jones. However, the movie didn't take itself seriously, and that was what made it funny. The script writers made the stolen scenes extremely blatant and obvious, and when the horribly trite dialogue became too pretentious, a timely quip from Brendan Frasier or another actor/actress punctured the melodrama. Furthermore, this movie has several terrific battle scenes, with what must have been thousands of extras. The knife-fighting scene (as seen in the trailer) is also spectacularly choreagraphed. And toward the end of the film, the editors do a great job cutting between three different-but-simultaneous combat sequences. If you expect something intellectual, you will be hugely disappointed. If you just want to be entertained, I think that this movie does a good job. There is a great deal of action and comedy. The scenes of the desert and of Ancient Egypt are stunning, if perhaps a trifle inaccurate.
Rating:
Summary: Fun, but where's the widescreen?
Review: The Movie: The Mummy Returns is not a terrific, flawless, ground-breaking movie. It's too derivative, pat, and easy. Some of it is downright silly. That said, I don't care. I liked it anyway. The Mummy Returns gives us an awful lot to watch. I found it downright fatiguing around the time our fearless heros reached Ahm Shere, and by the time the Scorpion King arrived on the scene, I was ready for someone to dispense with him quickly to get on with the real story. (Better to have simply threatened us all with resurrection of the Army of Anubis and left the Scorpion King out entirely.) Since the story of Imhotep is really a love story (think Bram Stoker's Dracula), I would have liked to see fewer special effects and more development of Imhotep and Anck-su-namon. Only in retrospect do we realize that Imhotep talks about their love and Anck-su-namon talks about ruling the world. I liked Imhotep's end as well; nice to see something besides a spell, incantation, or sword do away with him for a change. The writer trying a little *too* hard to create Nick and Nora (The Thin Man) with Rick and Evelyn. Nice attempt (Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz gave it the old college try), but not quite good enough. That said, their affection for their son is clear and to the point without becoming maudlin. Alex was a gem. I find most movie kids annoying -- too precocious, too cute, too something -- but the character of Alex showed just enough of his mother's intelligence and his father's street smarts that he was interesting and fun without becoming (heaven forbid) ST:TNG's Wesley. It was sad to see Jonathan reduced to his greed. He was more fun in The Mummy when he had plenty of opportunity to bluster, boast, and cover his tracks with the chaps in the bar. Finally, I don't mind too much about the "bad" CGI because waiting for perfection means the movie is never finished. Had they not included the Scorpion King at all, the movie would have fared better from a CGI point of view -- another good try, but...ugh. Make it a bug or make it human, but not both. In general: Mindless entertainment. Lower your expectations and hang on.
Rating: 
Summary: Not An Oscar Winner, but a Great Action Movie
Review: If you are expecting great serious action then this movie isn't for you, but if you are like me an enjoy action movies this is one of them. While a typical script this movie offers non-stop action, it kind of reminds me of the Indiana Jones series. It kind of brings back the kid in me. A terrific film, I personally would recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible
Review: The only reason I gave this movie two stars is because they spent so much money on special effects that I felt bad just giving it one. This movie is absolutely the worst film I've seen this year. Unless of course you're into weak characters, stupid one liners, and a wise cracking kid that gets more annoying by the minute. It's predictable, and not worth the energy spent sitting through it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun; Oded Fehr Rocks!
Review: Anyone looking for a "great" movie will probably be disappointed, but anyone looking for sheer fun will probably be more than satisfied. Director Steven Sommers took his enjoyable 1999 movie "The Mummy" and expanded it out to an epic scale. The action picks up 10 years after the original; tomb raiders Evelyn and Rick O'Connell (now married, with 8-year-old child Alex in tow) discover another Egyptian artifact (the bracelet of the legendary Scorpion King) that unleashes yet another peril to the world, and once again, Evie and Rick have to stop it. A contingent of bad guys, however, want in on the action, and they raise Imhotep (the mummy from the first movie) because he's the only one strong enough to take on the Scorpion King. The bad guys are led by a woman named Meela, who claims to be the reincarnation of Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep's long-lost forbidden love. Sommers cleverly adds an expanded backstory to the main characters from the earlier film, and while some of it stretches the imagination-- it seems like every character is a reincarnation of someone else-- it's executed in a mostly fun and believable way. In particular, the development of an ancient rivalry between Evelyn and Meela is fabulously well-done, adding considerable dimension to the reasons for Imhotep's horrible punishment in the first film. Arnold Vosloo was great in "The Mummy," but now, teamed up with his long-lost love, he's a thousand times more fun-- creepier, smarter, and yet at times endearingly vulnerable. Mystical warrior Ardath Bay (the very hot Oded Fehr) also has an expanded role in this film, and helps ground viewers when they are faced with things like multiple reincarnations and hoardes of screaming pygmy mummies. Fehr brings exactly the right touches of appeal, swashbuckling dash, and "exotic" Middle Eastern mystery to the role. A surprising amount of care seems to have been given to the supporting characters; they have just enough depth but not too much: Evie's brother Jonathan is back, providing much of the comic relief (but he also has some wonderful moments of heroism); little Alex is fun and resourceful without being overly precocious. Special care seems to have been taken with the villains: they are by turns menacing, funny, and *smart*, often a rare thing in the action/ adventure genre. In particular, Bay's rival Lock Nah is well-written and well-acted. The script isn't exactly Shakespeare, but it's fast, funny, and (mostly) makes sense. The action sequences are spectacularly well-choreographed, and of course, the special effects are impressive. Sommers also allows some wonderful moments of human emotion: the sexual chemistry between Evie and Rick (ditto Meela and Imhotep); Jonathan's concern for his sister and nephew; Evie and Rick's love for their son; Bay's concern for his friends (and his great affection for his wonderful hawk). These little touches make the difference between a mindless action flick, and something that really stays with you after the credits roll. Oddly enough, the much-touted presence of WWF star "The Rock" as the Scorpion King turns out to be almost negligible: it's a cameo that mostly sets up his own epic "The Scorpion King," due out in 2002. The real heart of this movie are the Evelyn-Rick and Imhotep- Anck-Su-Namun love stories. Without these and the other great characters from "Mummy Returns," it's hard to imagine that the next movie in this franchise could possibly top this one. So if you're looking for something great, rent "Lawrence of Arabia." If you're looking for a highly enjoyable popcorn flick, "The Mummy Returns," should fit the bill perfectly.
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