The Mummy (1999) Review

In the 19 year interm between the third and fourth Indiana Jones movies, we had a smattering of globe-trotting old-timey adventure movies looking to replicate the same financial success of o'l Indiana Jones. Most notably, we had the two National Treasure movies, the two Lara Croft features, Sahara, you get the picture. Also in the mix were probably the most financially successful features in this trend, the first two Stephen Sommers Mummy movies (there would be a third one in this series but it was released a little over two months after the fourth Indiana Jones movie), which updated the original Boris Karloff horror movie by adding larger-scale action and a lighter tone to the mix, which actually makes for quite the fun adventure.


Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz) is determined to follow the inscription and map found in an ancient trinket her brother, Johnathan Carnahan (John Hannah), recently discovered and make history by discovering a centuries old tomb that many have tried and failed to find. In order to complete this mission, they recruit the help of an American man whose been to the location of where this tomb can be found, Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser). The trio head off for potential treasures untold, though a trio of Americans, led by Rick's recurring rival Beni (Kevin J. O'Connor), are also searching for the same mystical tomb.

Once they all arrive though, Evelyn stumbles upon The Book Of The Dead, which carries an inscription that she reads aloud and, just like in Evil Dead, reading that passage from an ancient book aloud inadvertently unleashes undead chaos, though here it comes in the form of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a man who seeks to revive his centuries-old lover. In order to accomplish this, as well as get his full body and mystical powers back, living human beings will need to be slain and the prospect of all that carnage and the potential destruction our entire world mean that is has now come upon Rick, Evelyn and Johnathan to stop this undead menace and save the world.

The Mummy keeps things nice, simple and fun, three traits that serve the movie well. The story is streamlined and easy to follow and actually makes plenty of room in the middle of its running time to just let the romance between Evelyn and Rick flourish in a charming manner (Evelyn's drunken declaration of her pride of being a librarian may be the most giddily endearing moment of the entire endeavor). This is a film surprisingly willing to just let appealing actors bounce off each other and when ya got folks like Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and Kevin J. O'Connor (whose loads of fun as the oddly likeable slimeball Beni), it really is quite entertaining to just watch the dynamic between the leading cast members unfold.

Once the titular Mummy comes back to life, director Stephen Sommers shows a fine flair for creating suspense that feels right for this exact type of movie, the kind of thrilling fun that would belong on the best kind of Haunted House ride where you're just not sure where or when the next ghoul might pop out at you. That's the sort of excitement that fits right at home with the previously established tone of The Mummy and there's loads of spine-tingling fun to be had in seeing Imhotep gradually get more and more powerful and cause chaos for the variety of well-established heroic figures one can't help but get invested in.

Of course, once the climax kicks in, The Mummy reaches easily its lowest point, as all the endearing character dynamics and charming suspense get tossed aside for a super generic CGI-filled final battle between Imhotep and our human leads. None of its all that remarkable and exciting, it goes on too long and aside from a nicely over-the-top capper to Beni's storyline, it honestly feels like an outright detraction from the thoroughly fun and endearing sequences that have preceded it. Even if it ends on a weak note though, the 1999 take on The Mummy is loads of old-school fun in the best possibly way that charmed my socks off in its best moments. There's a delightful embrace of the kooky and the light-hearted in The Mummy that serves it super well and gives it something its own lead monster doesn't have; a heart!