The Mummy (1999) Review

The Mummy (1999)

The Mummy follows Rick O’Connell, who is tasked with uncovering a lost Egyptian city and the treasures it holds, only to unleash a 3000 year old mummy that threatens to destroy the world. 

I think one of the best things Universal could have done when rebooting the Mummy (in this case, the first time) is to make it a fun little period piece with plenty of humor. Because let’s be real, this is the kind of concept that is hokey on it’s own, no need to shy away from the funny aspects of unleashing a millenniums old, resurrected mummy on the world. The mixture of the setting and characters also give off big Indiana Jones, action adventure pulp novels vibes that really complement the tone of the film.

Not mentioning the complete lack of historical accuracy (literally none), much of the villain is left understated. Like how will bringing back his love make things worse? Why does he all of a sudden want to end/rule the world? Sommers pretty much said “who cares, we have Arnold Vosloo, that’s all that matters”. And frankly, he’s right. 

The special effects in this were also pretty groundbreaking at the time, for just the sheer scale they were utilized and the accuracy at which they were brought to life, most still holding up today. Sure, they are used to tacky effect, but that’s one of the upsides of also having such a tacky movie, you can throw in huge sand faces, decomposing mummies, and weird little swarms of bugs to either hilarious or horrifying effect. 

The film includes a nice cast too, starring Oded Fehr, Kevin J. O’Conner, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Rachel Weisz, and Brendan Fraser. This is what really put Fraser on the map as an action star and it’s easy to see why, he’s hilarious, more than capable in such a role, and brings the needed swagger and charisma that such a character needs, giving him a golden on screen presence that works well alongside Weisz and Vosloo. 

The Mummy, directed by Stephen Sommers, is by no means a groundbreaking film, but as a fun little desert excursion that draws back to classic 20’s adventure novels, it works stunningly and is bloody good time to be had at that. 

7/10