Movie Review: The Mummy - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

In 1999 Universal Studios made the decision to revive their classic movie monster, the Mummy, in a new film that would seek to combine some of the obvious horror elements that go along with the character with the sly wit and grand adventure that was found in the Indiana Jones series. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz were signed to star and Stephen Sommers, coming off of Deep Rising, was set to write and direct. The film was a box office success and all of the principles were brought back for the 2001 sequel, The Mummy Returns, which spawned a moderately successful spinoff in The Scorpion King. The success of these two films, which drew split critical reactions, would seem to point towards a second sequel. For some reason it took seven years for this film to reach the big screen. Unfortunately, that time was not spent crafting a fine action/adventure film. It is more like a film that was thrown together with an eye towards flashy effects as a substitute for substance.

The first two films had Rick (Fraser) and Evie (Weisz) facing off with the mummy Imhotep. They first uncovered the mummy in 1923, thus learning of the curse set upon the ancient Egyptian priest. In 1933, Rick and Evie O'Connell, now married and with a young son, face off a second time with Imhotep when the mummy is resurrected once again, this time in London. Fast forward to 1947 and the O'Connells again come face to face with a mummy, the difference is that this time it is a different mummy and they are battling it on the other side of the world.

As The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opens, we learn about Emperor Han (Jet Li) and the ruthless tactics he used to become Emperor, culminating in a curse being placed on him and his men, forever sealing them inside what looks like terracotta statues. Of course, this is a curse destined to be broken. Following the opening exposition, we pick up the O'Connells, now retired and living in the lap of luxury in England, where they secretly thirst for further adventures. While they keep their adventurous desires to themselves, their son, Alex (Luke Ford), has secretly dropped out of college and is heading up his own archaeological dig, just like Daddy, in China.

Guess what? Alex is looking for Emperor Han, and is on the verge of uncovering the ancient tomb. As he draws ever closer to breaking the seal, Rick and Evie are approached for an important mission that would require them to go to China. The mission is to deliver the Eye of Shangrila, an enormous diamond that legend says can guide its possessor to the Pool of Eternal Life. Guess who else happens to be in China? Evie's brother, Jonathan (John Hannah), of course! Wow, what a coincidence!

All of these early pieces fit together in just such a way that you'd swear they were written that way. Oh yeah, they were. Anyway, the puzzle pieces feel anything but organic as they fall into place allowing the plot to surge forward.

As the tale makes its way further in, we discover that a single family has guarded Han’s tomb for generations, hoping to ensure that the curse is never broken. However, the curse is broken, and Han is back among the living seeking immortality and continue his quest to take over the world. The race between Han and the O'Connell crew leads them up the Himalayas and climaxes with an epic battle at the Great Wall of China.

Unfortunately, the film has very little connective tissue and what is there is not delivered in an elegant fashion. A good example is the entire opening segment that introduces Han and tells his story leading to the curse. It is completely told at the start with voice over from Michelle Yeoh. To me, this was not a good sign for the story telling, I would rather have seen the film start with the O'Connell family doing their thing and having the Han exposition sprinkled in as we learn of the terracotta army. Beyond that, things happen with little explanation, such as the sequence with the Yetis. Where did they come from? How do they fit with this universe? And why does one signal a field goal? (yes, seriously) The final scene in this sequence is also left hanging.

It is easy to look at this movie and see what doesn't work. The coincidences that lead to the primary players getting together, the use of the yetis, some of the questionable choices, among others. For as smart as Alex is supposed to be, he sure acts like he doesn't know what he's doing, and not in the movie silly kind of way, more like an inept bumbling fool (just watch what he does upon first entering to tomb). There are plenty of cases where nobody asks the right questions, when they should be obvious.

I know this is meant to be a fun movie, but that does not mean sloppy, and the writing is sloppy. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor does not get much right. Flash substituting for substance, flash that is lackluster, characters that have no character, a plot that is just thrown together, and comedy that is not always that funny.

The acting is pretty sub par, and I bet that Rachel Weisz is smiling about her decision not to return. Maria Bello, who has turned in strong work in other projects, is just not the right person to play Evie. Her performance is so wide-eyed and out of place as to be distracting, and let's not even talk about her accent. Accents do not usually bother me, as I generally cannot tell if they are correct or not, by Bello's English accent in this movie is one of the worst I have ever heard. Luke Ford's Alex is annoying and could use a little parental influence.

Now, acting is not all bad. Brendan Fraser does a fine job bringing together the action star and the comedian together in a charismatic presence. It is not a great performance, but I did enjoy it. Jet Li is also fine, as the evil Emperor Han. Li even gets a couple of good fights in, including a sword fight with the equally enjoyable presence, Michelle Yeoh. Finally, John Hannah is decent as the comedic relief, running a nightclub called "Imhotep's" and always ready with a quip.

You know, when it comes right down to it, as bad as this movie is, I still had some fun with it. Sure, some of that fun was of the head shaking, "I can't believe how bad that line/scene/joke" was variety, but I still had a decent time.

Bottomline. Keep your expectations low and you can have fun with this. I still prefer the first two films, but this fits in with the look and feel of those earlier outings. There have been better films in this genre this year, and you would be better served seeing something else on the big screen, but for a straight up popcorn muncher, this fits the bill.

Mildly Recommended.