Rating: 
Summary: Adventure is Reborn
Review: "Oh, I REALLY hate mummies."
- Rick O'ConnellAfter cutting his teeth on family friendly adventures like Disney's Huck Finn and The Jungle Book, writer/director Steven Sommers was given the task of remaking The Mummy for a new generation of moviegoers. Taking pages from Raiders of the Lost Ark and drawing on his own experience from previous movies, Sommers crafted a fun supernatural adventure that plays like a true matinee. And it is a true wonder. It is the 1920's. Rick O'Connell, adventurer and mercanary, is sprung from jail by a beautiful British librarian and her questionable brother in the hopes that he will lead them to the lost city of Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, said to contain the wealth of Egypt. However, there is a twist. 3000 years ago, the High Priest Imhotep was imprisoned in the Hamunaptra for his part in murdering the Pharoh. Cursed with the Hom-dai, he would become incredibly powerful should he ever be awakened. Guess what happens. The plot is fairly cliched and predictable, but enjoyable nontheless. Imhotep is, while rather evil, a person whose actions can be at least understood as he tries to ressurect his true love. The main cast is equally entertaining and impressive, with Brendan Frasier doing a fantastic Harrison Ford impersonation as O'Connell, Racheal Weis showing depth in her female lead character, and John Hannah providing some great physical comedy. Special note goes to Oded Fehr as the Med-jai warrior, Ardeth Bay. There are some great one-liners and some fantastic banter. Like Raiders, The Mummy is an action movie, and the action delivers. Sommers has a specific style of directing that is equally reminiscent of Spielberg and Micheal Curtiz, and he knows how to do GOOD adventure. The action pieces are just as tense and enjoyable as anything from Dr. Jones's exploits, but it never feels recycled or tired. From the opening confrontation between the French Foriegn Legion and the bandit Tuaregs (which is reminiscent of Van Damme's Legionaire, only not bad) to the final fight and escape from the City of the Dead, Sommers keeps the pace tight and exciting, and the characters impressive, entertaining, and funny. This movie does NOT take itself seriously, it's honest about it, and it is does so for a reason. It only asks that we have fun while watching. And this is a very easy thing to do. 5/5 2001 saw a sequel to The Mummy hit theaters, featuring the return of the entire principal cast from the first movie, and adding Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to the mix as the evil Scorpion King. Eight years after the events of the first movie, Rick O'Connell and Evylyn Carnahan have settled down, married, and have a son. A son who takes after his parents FAR too much. After accidentally beginning a countdown to Armageddon by opening the bracelet of the Scorpion King, young Alex is kidnapped. Imhotep has been awakened once again, and it's up to the adventurous parents to rescue him. Aided by the super-cool Arab ninja, Ardeth Bay, the pair set off on a race across Egypt to reach the Oasis of Am Sher before the Scorpion King's army of Anubis Warriors is used to enslave the world. The audience gets more background about each of the main charcters, from a strange tatoo that could signal Rick as a sacred warrior, to strange visions of the ancient world that show Evy as an Egyptian princess. It all ties into the story cohesively and systematically, but it is nice to get a fresh view of the characters that worked so well in the first film. Just like its predecessor, The Mummy Returns is a saturday matinee style adventure movie where the fate of the main characters, and often the world, hang in the balance again and again. There are more set pieces, bigger special effects, nastier monsters, and generally more of EVERYTHING. However, it never feels like it's only "more of the same," because Sommers always manages to make it fresh, like the chase through London on a double-decker bus, or the skirmish in Am Sher with a savage tribe of Pygmy mummies. Additionally, in the pre-Lord of the Rings era of early 2001, The Mummy Returns featured two of the biggest and most impressive battles scenes on screen, reminiscent of Spartacus and Braveheart in their scope. Most importantly, however, The Mummy Returns does not suffer from sequelitis. The story and characters translate so seamlessly from the first film that it feels as though is is merely a continuation of the first movie, rather than a sequel made to make some extra cash. The relationships have evolved, the characters, though wiser, are still just as endearing, and the story ties in more with the first movie than you would think. Additionally, it's nice to see an adventurer stick with his love interest, rather than finding new hubbies each movie, ala Indiana Jones and James Bond. All the acting in the second film is equally solid as the first, with the same tongue-in-cheek situational humor that makes the movie subtely poke fun at itserlf even as the characters are in dire peril. This kind of attitude toward the adventure movie keeps the mood light, even through some of the darker twists the plot takes. We know how it's going to end, and it's a heck of a lot of fun to watch this movie get there. Like its predecessor, The Mummy Returns is a case study in great matinee adventure, adding a modern twist to the genre. 5/5 The extras on the DVDs are worth the price of admission and then some. Along with the falleries and trailers, the "Making of" segments on both movies are comprehensive and informative, with behind-the-scenes looks at the cast, locations, and visual effects. However, the commentary tracks on both Mummy movies are the best segment. Steven Sommers and editor Ducsay share experiences about the shoot, stories about the actors, and keep the back and forth both entertaining and interesting, and they seem to be having a generally good time all the way through. The complete package is one of the best adventure sagas in Hollywood today. The DVD quality is fantastic, and the extras are some of the best available. It's not going to become a timeless classic, but The Mummy Collection is the best way to kill an afternoon since Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure is Reborn
Review: "Oh, I REALLY hate mummies."
- Rick O'Connell After cutting his teeth on family friendly adventures like Disney's Huck Finn and The Jungle Book, writer/director Steven Sommers was given the task of remaking The Mummy for a new generation of moviegoers. Taking pages from Raiders of the Lost Ark and drawing on his own experience from previous movies, Sommers crafted a fun supernatural adventure that plays like a true matinee. And it is a true wonder. It is the 1920's. Rick O'Connell, adventurer and mercanary, is sprung from jail by a beautiful British librarian and her questionable brother in the hopes that he will lead them to the lost city of Hamunaptra, City of the Dead, said to contain the wealth of Egypt. However, there is a twist. 3000 years ago, the High Priest Imhotep was imprisoned in the Hamunaptra for his part in murdering the Pharoh. Cursed with the Hom-dai, he would become incredibly powerful should he ever be awakened. Guess what happens. The plot is fairly cliched and predictable, but enjoyable nontheless. Imhotep is, while rather evil, a person whose actions can be at least understood as he tries to ressurect his true love. The main cast is equally entertaining and impressive, with Brendan Frasier doing a fantastic Harrison Ford impersonation as O'Connell, Racheal Weis showing depth in her female lead character, and John Hannah providing some great physical comedy. Special note goes to Oded Fehr as the Med-jai warrior, Ardeth Bay. There are some great one-liners and some fantastic banter. Like Raiders, The Mummy is an action movie, and the action delivers. Sommers has a specific style of directing that is equally reminiscent of Spielberg and Micheal Curtiz, and he knows how to do GOOD adventure. The action pieces are just as tense and enjoyable as anything from Dr. Jones's exploits, but it never feels recycled or tired. From the opening confrontation between the French Foriegn Legion and the bandit Tuaregs (which is reminiscent of Van Damme's Legionaire, only not bad) to the final fight and escape from the City of the Dead, Sommers keeps the pace tight and exciting, and the characters impressive, entertaining, and funny. This movie does NOT take itself seriously, it's honest about it, and it is does so for a reason. It only asks that we have fun while watching. And this is a very easy thing to do. 5/5 2001 saw a sequel to The Mummy hit theaters, featuring the return of the entire principal cast from the first movie, and adding Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to the mix as the evil Scorpion King. Eight years after the events of the first movie, Rick O'Connell and Evylyn Carnahan have settled down, married, and have a son. A son who takes after his parents FAR too much. After accidentally beginning a countdown to Armageddon by opening the bracelet of the Scorpion King, young Alex is kidnapped. Imhotep has been awakened once again, and it's up to the adventurous parents to rescue him. Aided by the super-cool Arab ninja, Ardeth Bay, the pair set off on a race across Egypt to reach the Oasis of Am Sher before the Scorpion King's army of Anubis Warriors is used to enslave the world. The audience gets more background about each of the main charcters, from a strange tatoo that could signal Rick as a sacred warrior, to strange visions of the ancient world that show Evy as an Egyptian princess. It all ties into the story cohesively and systematically, but it is nice to get a fresh view of the characters that worked so well in the first film. Just like its predecessor, The Mummy Returns is a saturday matinee style adventure movie where the fate of the main characters, and often the world, hang in the balance again and again. There are more set pieces, bigger special effects, nastier monsters, and generally more of EVERYTHING. However, it never feels like it's only "more of the same," because Sommers always manages to make it fresh, like the chase through London on a double-decker bus, or the skirmish in Am Sher with a savage tribe of Pygmy mummies. Additionally, in the pre-Lord of the Rings era of early 2001, The Mummy Returns featured two of the biggest and most impressive battles scenes on screen, reminiscent of Spartacus and Braveheart in their scope. Most importantly, however, The Mummy Returns does not suffer from sequelitis. The story and characters translate so seamlessly from the first film that it feels as though is is merely a continuation of the first movie, rather than a sequel made to make some extra cash. The relationships have evolved, the characters, though wiser, are still just as endearing, and the story ties in more with the first movie than you would think. Additionally, it's nice to see an adventurer stick with his love interest, rather than finding new hubbies each movie, ala Indiana Jones and James Bond. All the acting in the second film is equally solid as the first, with the same tongue-in-cheek situational humor that makes the movie subtely poke fun at itserlf even as the characters are in dire peril. This kind of attitude toward the adventure movie keeps the mood light, even through some of the darker twists the plot takes. We know how it's going to end, and it's a heck of a lot of fun to watch this movie get there. Like its predecessor, The Mummy Returns is a case study in great matinee adventure, adding a modern twist to the genre. 5/5 The extras on the DVDs are worth the price of admission and then some. Along with the falleries and trailers, the "Making of" segments on both movies are comprehensive and informative, with behind-the-scenes looks at the cast, locations, and visual effects. However, the commentary tracks on both Mummy movies are the best segment. Steven Sommers and editor Ducsay share experiences about the shoot, stories about the actors, and keep the back and forth both entertaining and interesting, and they seem to be having a generally good time all the way through. The complete package is one of the best adventure sagas in Hollywood today. The DVD quality is fantastic, and the extras are some of the best available. It's not going to become a timeless classic, but The Mummy Collection is the best way to kill an afternoon since Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Rating: 
Summary: Because More Movies Need Librarian Heroines
Review: And that is the biggest reason to buy this movie! :)
The main reason this is one of my favorite movies is that my fiance and I ARE Rick and Evelyn. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is that I'm stingy with stars-- it's not like this is the greatest movie ever made or anything. It's just a WHOLE LOT OF FUN, and the only chance most moviegoers get to see how tough librarians can be!
Rating:
Summary: More Oded Fehr, PLEASE
Review: As far as entertainment is concerned, I loved both films. I have seen them both at least one hundred times just to catch a glimpse of Ardeth Bay (portrayed by Oded Fehr). It appears that everytime Oded appears on screen, we feel safe and protected--never mind the women drooling. Had Sommers left this character out of the film, there would have been NO MUMMY MOVIE.
The reason for just four stars is the simple fact that 1) You cannot make Imhotep a bad guy when he was the ONLY Egyptian in HISTORY deified by his people. Not only that, you can't place an early dynasty priest (4th or 5th Dynasty) into the 19th Dynasty with Seti I. It isn't plausible--especially if you are a historian and you study Egyptology. For those who don't know, Imhotep was the world's first (or at least at this juncture) physician and architect (creator of the Step Pyramid at Saqqara in Egypt), 2) If you lived in Thebes during this time period, there is no way you could see the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Sphinx. They are too far away (reference to the first film), and 3) If Seti was in audience, why wasn't he wearing the dual crowns of Egypt--the White one and the Red one? He would have probably worn the more casual one if he was at play and believe me, the Pharaohs had TONS of crowns for separate occasions.
I am aware that this was fiction, but if they were going to use historical names, they should have put a little more thought into the project. Other than that, it was a blast. They should have just gave Ardeth Bay a little more to do. I thought he was a little underdeveloped for such an impressive character--even though classically, the Medjay were originally from Kush (Nubia) in Upper Egypt and were probably a little more "African".
Rating:
Summary: Great set, great movies.
Review: For some reason this DVD set has been released in region four before anywhere else and has been on the Australian shelves going on 4 months now. So needless to say I can comment on this set. The two mummy films 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy returns' are each fabulous films in there own right. This is due to one simple reason. That is the fabulous mixing of action and comedy that gives the films a lot of their charm. We meet Rick O'Connoll (Brendan Fraser) in the first film when he is deserted by his legionnaire cronies and finds himself left in the ancient city of Hamunaptra with a mummy waiting to awake. He meets Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and her brother (John Hannah) who rescue him from a hanging as they are in search of the city of the dead. It all goes wrong when in exploring Evee reads from the book of the dead and awakes the Mummy (Arnold Vosloo) who is ready to resurrect his dead love Anuk Sun Amun (Patricia Velasquez) and is reluctant to have anyone stand in their way. The first film is essentially and action film however it can be enjoyed on a number of levels through the comedy, horror and romantic interludes that director Stephen Sommers ties in to the film. It's great to see such a classic horror character of the Mummy resurrected in a new film and it works so well. 'The Mummy Returns' is exactly that. The Mummy, Prince Ihmotep is resurrected again to hunt and kill The Scorpion King (The Rock) legend says that whoever kills the scorpion king will get to command the armies of the underworld... and therefore take over the world. The film is set 10 years after the first film with Evee and Rick having a young son Alex, who mistakenly puts on the bracelet of anubis which will not only lead him to the scorpion king, but also kill him after one week. This means Rick is faced with a race against time when Alex is kidnapped. 'The Mummy returns' has all the charm of the first film and then some. The action is intensified as is the comedic moments, which makes 'The Mummy Returns' such a fabulous film. Although the film is a sequel it works on its own as well, which allows the audience to engage the 2 films at any times. The only specific difference between the two titles is the first 'Mummy' seems to have more or a 'continuous watchability' it always seems I reach for my 'Mummy: Ultimate Edition' before my 'Mummy Returns' but nevertheless the films are great. The 2 DVD's are fabulous, the sound and picture are equally brilliant to the quality of the films. In the Australian edition a 35mm film frame was given with the box set allowing it to work as a collector's item. Nevertheless the box set is well worth buying just to sit back and enjoy two modern pieces of cinema, which are fun, entertaining and have great story lines.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Again...
Review: I am a huge fan of the first MUMMY film from 1999. I sat through the sequel, expecting a fun follow-up, I was disappointed. Here's why When the sequel came out Universial Pictures reissued an "Ultimate Edition" DVD of the first film. I bought it and found the plot of the sequel was pretty much laid out with a making of THE MUMMY RETURNS featurette. I have said before that I do not mind spoilers, but I do mind bloated commercials for other films on any DVD Now history repeats itself with this collection. The only reason that the set was released now, was to coinside and promote the prequel film, THE SCOPION KING, hitting the multiplex. I understand the studio wants to make money, and the film series is a gold mine for them. But how many times do they have to reissue the DVD(s)? Besides, is there anyone left that likes the films, who doesn't own them already. Silly me, I thought STAR TREK and STAR WARS were the only cash cows around. For the record, I didn't buy this set. I thought some fans, who already own either, or both films, might want to think twice before spending hard cash on something that is new, but really is not. "Let The Buyer Beware".
Rating:
Summary: Good buying price
Review: I bought this for my husband- I'm not into the Mummy so much however he loved- playing scenes over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Quantity and Quality at unmatched price
Review: I just purchased it, the Mummy Collection. It is amazing that you get both the movies, with really cool behind the scenes footage, elaborate content to keep anyone watching it for a long.
It is a very good purchase, you wouldn't resist.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and fabulous
Review: I LOVE the Mummy movies, but buy the movies separately and buy "The Mummy Ultimate Edition" instead. This set only comes with the Collector's Series of the first one, so you miss out on all the great special features of the Ultimate Edition. The Mummy Returns does not have an Ultimate Edition, so that doesn't matter. But I would definitely pass this up in order to have the Ultimate Edition of the first Mummy.
Rating:
Summary: The movies are wonderful, this package [is weak].
Review: I LOVE the Mummy movies, but buy the movies separately and buy "The Mummy Ultimate Edition" instead. This set only comes with the Collector's Series of the first one, so you miss out on all the great special features of the Ultimate Edition. The Mummy Returns does not have an Ultimate Edition, so that doesn't matter. But I would definitely pass this up in order to have the Ultimate Edition of the first Mummy.
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