Rick and Evelyn O'Connell, along with their 8 year old son Alex, discover the key to the legendary Scorpion King's might, the fabled Bracelet of Anubis. Unfortunately, a newly resurrected Imhotep has designs on the bracelet as well, and isn't above kidnapping its new bearer, Alex, to gain control of Anubis' otherworldly army.
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| Title | : | The Mummy Returns |
| Release Date | : | April 28, 2001 |
| Runtime | : | |
| MPAA Rating | : | PG-13 |
| Genres | : | Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Thriller |
| Production Co. | : | Universal Pictures, Alphaville Films, Imhotep Productions |
| Production Countries | : | United States of America |
| Director | : | Stephen Sommers |
| Writers | : | Stephen Sommers |
| Casts | : | Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Dwayne Johnson, Freddie Boath, Patricia Velásquez, Alun Armstrong, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Shaun Parkes, Bruce Byron, Joe Dixon, Thomas Fisher, Aharon Ipalé, Quill Roberts, Donna Air, Trevor Lovell, Tom Fisher |
| Plot Keywords | : | son, ancient egypt, bracelet |
| Alternative Titles | : |
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The Mummy Returns Reviews
- Better than some would make out...by on 21 May 200156 out of 63 people found the following review useful:When The Mummy hit theatres in 1999, critics everywhere panned it as being a poor man's Indiana Jones. While the two movies are about as similar as Dr. No is to GoldenEye (thankfully), I suppose comparisons between one non-stop adventure film and other are inevitable. In the end, what really counts when determining a film's quality is the level to which it can entertain. And if there is one thing The Mummy did well, it was entertain. Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and Arnold Vosloo were very well chosen for their roles.The Mummy Returns is easy to see as being another sequel churned out to satiate the greedy money-machine that Hollywood has become, but it has a few things working for it. One thing that is immediately obvious is that the sequel was very much intended to be a film that could be enjoyed without ever having seen the original. The only references to the previous film are done to fill in the narrative gaps about who Imhotep is, and why he is the way he is. The addition of The Scorpion King was an interesting effort to give the film a new antagonist, but the lack of screentime didn't work well in this tangent's favour. Another tangent that could have been better developed was the rivalry between Imhotep's girlfriend and whatever her name was. Imhotep originally mistook Rachel Weisz's character for being his girlfriend reincarnated, so the use of a woman who looks exactly like her while creating this new tangent needed to be developed differently.Most people won't give a damn about complex story tangents and will want to know if this film is entertaining. And it is entertaining, alright. There is barely a dull moment in the film's substantial running length, and Oded Fehr does a bang-up job of providing a Mad-Max-cum-Indiana-Jones hero. I want to know where they get those groovy costumes and tattoos from, they look quite nice. Anyway, when all is said and done, this is an eight out of ten film. A few badly constructed story details here and there, but some extremely entertaining action sequences make up for them. Don't listen to the nay-sayers. This is matinee-style material at its (almost) best. Get the DVD when it comes out, it will at least tide you over until George Lucas gets his head out of his proverbial and realises that the VHS era is well and truly over.
- Romance makes movie completeby on 2 December 200154 out of 71 people found the following review useful:After seeing "The Mummy" in the theaters for the first time two years ago, I knew I would be hooked. I've watched it about twenty times since then, and as many people know, this movie does not get boring or less funny after watching it numerous times, in fact, I think it gets more and more thrilling each time. I began hoping for a sequel to be released, and when I heard that one was in the making, I was relieved that they weren't going to end this great storyline with just one film. When "The Mummy Returns" was finally released in theaters, it didn't recieve very many good reviews right away. I was dissapointed because I didn't understand how Stephen Sommers could direct such a great movie classic and then totally botch a promising sequel. I let the reviews get to me and I didn't see the movie while in the theaters. I waited until this past weekend to watch TMR on pay-per-view not expecting much due to the bad reviews, but I soon found out that, boy, were some of those critics wrong.Right from the opening scene I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed. The action, special effects, acting, comedy, and romance were all better than it's prequel in my opinion. The plot was a little confusing, and the Scorpion King graphic at the end looked like the same one used in the video game, but all in all it was an extremely fun and enjoyable movie. I actually found myself watching it three times in a row. I probably could have watched it 24 hours straight, but I didn't want to ruin it right away.The SFX in TMR were outstanding. The pymies were so amazing, and the Anubis warriors were excellent as well. But, on to the greater aspects of the film. I thought that Jonathan, played by John Hannah, is one of the funniest characters ever, his one-liners are terrific, I was laughing out loud during his lines. Arnold Vosloo is great as the title character, but could have been more like the original, he was not as powerful in this film but was good anyway. Many people disliked Alex O'Connell, played by newcomer Freddie Boath, but I found him to be quite funny and likable. He had many great lines and was sarcastic when the film needed it. He is a cute kid and l hope he will have a good acting career. Oded Fehr is wonderful as Ardeth Bay. He keeps the heroes grounded.Meela/Anck-su-namun, played by Patricia Velasquez has some good scenes, but I found her to be not as great as the rest of the cast. I wasn't really looking forward to seeing The Rock as the Scorpion King in this film, but he wasn't as bad as I thought, even though he was only it for about three minutes, I would have labled him as an extra. It was all hype for him. My favorite part of "The Mummy Returns" was the great chemistry between Brendan Fraser (Rick) and Rachel Weisz (Evie). They looked like an actual couple in this film, unlike other recent movies. This was why I liked this one better than the prequel. A little bit of romance was what was missing from the first 2/3 of "The Mummy", and I am so glad it was included much more in this film. Brendan Fraser is very easy on the eyes and he looks like a down-to-earth guy, not like a stereotypical moviestar. I think this is why the two seem so believeable in TMR, they are just two normal people who are still very beautiful people. I am glad they made Evie more attractive in TMR, she deserves to show off her pretty eyes. Rick is great because he is still the same sarcastic, wise-guy, handsome hero, who has all the females in the theater (including myself) drooling and sighing, that he was in the first mummy movie.I hope that they will make another sequel with Fraser, Weisz, Hannah, Vosloo, Fehr, and Boath all included. They can't take out any of these characters without the movie being butchered. I probably won't see "The Scorpion King" since Brendan and Rachel, my favorite characters, won't be in it. I know there are many others just like me who love the romance in this film. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes action, SFX, comedy, romance, and good clean fun. I would give this movie a 9.9 out of 10 points with the 0.1 being subtracted because it wasn't long enough to really explain the plot in more depth. When it ended, I wished it wasn't over. This goes in my top 5 movies of all time.
- Simply Awesome!by on 2 June 200359 out of 81 people found the following review useful:On my day off from work today, I decided to pop in the Mummy Returns for something fun to watch. I hadn't seen it since it was released for homeviewing, so it's been about a year or two. I must say that this movie takes my breath away each time I see it. The Mummy Returns is a roller coaster ride which barely stops during the entire 2+ hours! I love the CGI effects, and how lavish the scenery looks. The movie made me feel as though I was witnessing Ancient Egypt and and the 1930's era in person. So what if things look 'cartoony' during the battling sequences! I think that the battle sequences in Two Towers looked just as much the same. I find that with many fans nowadays, they take things way too seriously. If a movie or TV series is not what they hope for, then they blast it all to hell just because they are whining babies. Take for instance Star Trek Nemesis. That was another really good movie, yet the so called 'fans' ripped it apart piece by piece and then fed it to the dogs. I just wish that the babies would enjoy the movies instead of complaining that a movie isn't good quality. If thats the case they should just go back to their rooms and watch Fargo or the English Patient! Both the Mummy and the Mummy Returns rock as far as action movies go. Get a huge bag of chips a large bottle of pop, sit down with your girlfriend and enjoy two great movies!! Excellent fun!!
- Enjoyable thanks to the humor and the many special effects.by on 31 October 200453 out of 71 people found the following review useful:Most people compare this sequel to the first movie 'The Mummy', which is a good thing of course, but I haven't seen the first one, so no comparisons from me.So what can I tell you? Well, the movie isn't as bad as I expected. It's all to clear that the director's first thought wasn't about the script but about the many special effects, but i still quite liked the movie. What made this movie work for me was the humor. Normally this kind of movies takes itself much too serious, there is no place for any joke or funny situation at all. In The Mummy Returns this is different.Thanks to the humor, this movie was very enjoyable, but it is of course the many special effects that make this movie what it is. Don't expect anything real: a mummy coming to life, sucking the life out of people, armies of mythological creatures... will of course never exist in reality, but it certainly was nice to see.I guess it is best to qualify this movie as some excellent way to pass some boring hours on a cold and rainy afternoon. It's certainly not an intellectual movie, but I didn't mind about that when watching it. I give it a 6,5/10.
- A good Sequelby on 25 January 200538 out of 47 people found the following review useful:Rick and Evelyn now married with a son, find themselves amidst the second coming of Imhotep. After their Son Alex is kidnapped by Imhotep as he seeks the Scorpion King (The Rock) Rick and Evelyn must pursue their sons capture, with the aid of the clues Alex leaves along the way.Aside from some unusual revelations in Evelyn and Ricks past, the movie concentrates mainly on the action this time out and runs a little short on story.I Liked the evolution of Evey's character, now she's hardened up she makes a mean adversary, and takes part in some good battles.All in all, i enjoyed the experience and once again the Visuals were more than adequate.If you enjoyed the first, then watch this one, its good fun and has some fine moments.7/10
- Unpretentious and fun. 7/10by on 4 May 200150 out of 74 people found the following review useful:The Mummy Returns is maybe a step above the first one. The action is non-stop, and it does manage, for the most part, to rouse the audience, or at least me. The good guys are likable. Brendan Fraser is where he belongs. Rachel Weisz is beautiful. John Hannah amuses as Jonathan, and Freddie Boath manages not to annoy as Alex, the kid. He's pretty good as a smart-mouthed brat. The bad guys are, for the most part, fun to hate. Im-Ho-Tep is a good villain. Maybe he isn't given enough to do here, but he's still cool. Patricia Valazquez is a real stunner as his love interst, Anck-Su-Namun. She's probably the best thing about the film. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was good as Lock Nah, the main henchman. Perhaps the weakest part of the film is the Rock as the Scorpion King. The narration during the film's prologue is not nearly as good as it would be if we were watching the story develop. The Scorpion King is basically a boring character. His computer-animated doppleganger at the film's climax is neat, but it would have been better if there were some feelings towards that character.People who know their action flicks will notice that the Mummy Returns steals about every action scene from every action movie made in the past 20 years, quoting movies like Aliens, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park 2 (why? that movie was terrible), and especially Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, with which, if you remember, The Mummy I was competing with in the box office successfully in May of 1999. They don't try to hide any of it. They even make a jest at Spielberg with a shadow against the moon from ET and Amblin Entertainment. It's all in good fun. You shouldn't be too angry at the sloppy script. If you are going to be angry, the shoddy computer animation should be your target. Still, it's not bad.
- Pretty good for a sequel.by on 7 May 200326 out of 30 people found the following review useful:This movie is pretty good, it delivers pretty much the same thing we got in the Firs movie. Some characters are more developed and some others more expanded, all the same, some others are reduced and we are introduced to new characters. The plot is good, not as good as the first movie, but still does a good job keeping you interested and entertained the whole time.The sequel takes place 10 years later, when Rick O'Conell (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) are now married, and have a son, Alex (Freddie Boath). Alex has been kidnaped by the bad guys, including the infamous Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) and his eternal love reincarnated (Patricia Velazques). Now it's just a matter of time for them to find Alex before it's too late for everybody...The performances are pretty good, almost all of them. Brendan Fraser does a good job once again as the handsome Rick, he is strong, funny, charismatic, what else can you ask? Rachel Weisz role has been developed a lot more, she is no longer the clumsy egyptologist wanna-be, now she runs the British museum and is a mom; and she does a great job with that. John Hannah is also back as the useless Jonathan, this time not as funny as he used to be. Oded Fehr character has been expanded a lot, we get to see him a lot more in this movie. He did a good job as Ardeth. One more time, the winner of this movie is Arnold Vosloo as the villain; his performance was excellent! He manages to express all the emotions without opening his mouth! This guy has great acting skills, too bad not many movie producers/directors have noticed it. The Rock does his movie debut with this movie, he is the Scorpion King, the whole movie turns around him, even though he was in the movie for the first 5 minutes of it. Still he did a good job for his first time. Patricia Velazques was the only one who did a BAAAAD job. Her acting is awful! She is pretty and everything, but she really needs some acting classes.The music once again is one of the key parts of this movie, it is really good, even though Jerry Goldsmith wasn't in charge of it. The direction is good too, just like in the first movie, and we get to see a lot more of special effects.This movie is good, i really enjoyed it, I liked the first one better though, but that's just me. You might like this one better, so YOU MUST SEE THIS ONE! **** out of *****
- A Special Effects Extravaganzaby on 8 May 200127 out of 33 people found the following review useful:If you've seen the trailer for this movie, you're probably expecting fast paced adventure, non-stop action and a special effects extravaganza with just enough story to keep it all interesting. And if that's what you're hoping for, you certainly won't be disappointed; because that's exactly what you get in `The Mummy Returns,' written and directed by Stephen Sommers. The story begins in Egypt, where Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife, Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) discover an ancient bracelet that had once belonged to a warrior known as `The Scorpion King (The Rock),' who, back in the day, had sold his soul to the god, Anubis, for control of his armies and domination of the world. Now, it seems, The Scorpion King's resurrection is imminent, and if he succeeds and once again raises the armies of Anubis, he could very well take over or destroy the world. Followers of Im-Ho-Tep (Arnold Vosloo), however, who are privy to this information as well, decide to resurrect their dark leader so that he can face The Scorpion King, defeat him, take control of Anubis' armies and conquer the world himself, putting them in control. But the key to the whole plan lies with who has control of the bracelet at the time of The Scorpion King's resurrection. And the O'Connells have taken it back home with them to London.So the adventure begins in earnest, moving from Egypt to London, then back again to Egypt. Along the way, there's plenty of mummies, fighting, and bugs, but very few surprises, except for one scene near the end when something quite unexpected happens. The story itself gets somewhat lost in the muddle, but it doesn't really matter; plot is fairly insignificant in a movie like this, as long as it maintains at least a thread of credibility and can give the action some context. And that it does, so all is well and it allows you to get on with what this movie is really all about, which-- simply put-- is having a good time.With shades of `Indiana Jones' and `Star Wars' abounding, the real success of this movie lies in the fact that it never pretends to be anything other than what it is or what it was meant to be, and that is an entertaining, fun movie. It's visually explosive, from the sweeping, desert vistas of the converging, battling armies, to the mummies and assorted demons and creatures generously sprinkled throughout. And the hand-to-hand combat scenes between Evelyn and Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velazquez) are especially thrilling. The one element of the film that doesn't seem to work too well has to do with a particular mode of transportation to which the O'Connells must resort upon their return to Egypt, and which ultimately plays a significant part in the outcome of the whole adventure. It's something that seemingly would have been more appropriate in `The Adventures of Baron Munchausen' or `Peter Pan.'As far as the performances, suffice to say that the actors involved all do their jobs well; after all, in a movie like this you're not going to find anyone struggling with `The Method.' Fraser strikes a handsome, heroic pose-- call him a poor man's Indiana Jones-- and Weisz is becoming as Evelyn. Most importantly, they all walk the walk and talk the talk, and Sommers keeps them on track and wisely avoids allowing any lapses into `camp' or tongue-in-cheek character interpretations, which makes this a solid, fun-filled, action-adventure movie that is what it is.The supporting cast includes John Hannah (providing some comic relief as Jonathan Carnahan), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Lock Nah), Freddie Boath (Alex O'Connell) and Obed Fehr (Ardeth Bay). As with most sequels, you'll get more out of `The Mummy Returns' if you've seen the original, which had more of a story and, of course, would give you the background of the characters. But even on it's own and taken at face value, this movie is a feast for the senses, and just a lot of good fun. Just don't go in expecting anything more than what the trailer promises; if you can do that, chances are you're going to enjoy the movie and have a good time. I rate this one 7/10.
- A fast-paced, inventive adventureby on 24 October 200418 out of 21 people found the following review useful:Mummy Returns takes the characters and story from the first film and develops on them in a big, big way. The situations and set-pieces are wilder, the odds even bigger and character arcs more complex.Set 10 years after the first movie Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz have made a rich living out of plundering tombs and pyramids. Who could have predicted that their old nemesis I'm-Ho-Tep would return faster and stronger than before.But I'm still having trouble seeing I'm-Ho-Tep as a villain. Surely it's the scheming, lying, conspiring supplicants that are the real villains. The look in his eyes at the end, when his lover betrays him, is heartbreaking. I can't root for him as a bad guy when he never really does anything bad. Sure he wants to rule the world and all but who doesn't?The effects are not the best (Star Wars Episode 2 used up all the space at ILM at the time) but there are loads of them and they're all lavish and imaginative. I HATE movies that are carried by SFX but Mummy Returns incorporates them into the story in a seamless way. How cool is the big balloon? Or the approach of Anubis' army?Most directors screw-up big budget, big scale movies (AVP, King Arthur, Sky Captain, Exorcist Prequel, Catwoman) but Stephen Sommers knows where the heart of this kind of movie is and delivers, once again, a cheeky adventure with loads and loads of action and enough story and character to back it up. Filmed in Panavision the 2.35:1 anamorphic picture is perfect and the Dolby/DTS 5.1 is very loud and thundering. A very good soundtrack indeed. The extras are total fluff and not worth the time.
- Non-stop actionby on 14 June 20109 out of 11 people found the following review useful:The success of "The Mummy" in 1999 surprised everyone, and on the day that it opened, Universal Studios greenlit another sequel. The original (the 1999 one) was a lot of fun because it mixed creepy scares with awesome action and goofy humor. The sequel does more or less the same thing, except that the action sequences come pretty much one after another from beginning to end.Rick (Brendan Fraser) has married his love from the first film, Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), and the have a son, Alex (Freddy Boath). After finding the bracelet of the mythical Scorpion King, they're attacked by villains who are intent on raising Imhotep from the dead (again) so he can kill the Scorpion King and take over the world. Of course, it's up to Rick and Evelyn to stop them.All the characters from the first film in the franchise are back, and they slide into their parts easily. Arnold Vosloo gets to do more with his character, and Patricia Velasquez (who has about 10 times as much screen time as she did in the first film) has a lot of fun acting like Jennifer Lopez's alter-ego. There are a few new characters as well, including young Freddie Boath, who is excellent as Alex. His screen appeal rivals Macauley Culkin at his best. Shaun Parkes is a much better source of comic relief than Kevin J. O'Connor (he's consistently funny, and the dialogue between him and Rick or Jonathan is hilarious). Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is suitably creepy as a new villain and Alun Armstrong is suitably kooky as the ringleader.Stephen Sommers knows how to create an action movie. He creates real characters, not actors who are given different names, and sends them into action scene after action scene. It's a fun and exciting flick, and that's all it tries to be.
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