My love of horror film monsters can be traced back to a children's book I ordered in grade school through Scholastic Book Services called Monster Holidays by Norman Bidwell published in 1974. It's a cute book showcasing the four classic monsters (the vampire, the werewolf, Frankenstein's monster, and the mummy) as playmates for humans and how the monsters can spice up any holiday. Bidwell both wrote and illustrated the book and the monsters are well drawn, more friendly than scary yet the monsters look cool. The book takes the reader through all the holidays from New Year's Day to Christmas with clever art, captions, and even rhymes as the monsters celebrate human holidays. This book may have pointed me in the direction of the Universal horror films that gave audiences FRANKENSTEIN (1931), DRACULA (1931), and THE WOLF MAN (1941). Those were the first horror film monsters I gravitated to. It was only later that I became more interested in the fourth monster from the Monster Holidays book. The mummy.
Unlike vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein's monster, mummies are real. The advent of history shows on cable television ushered in a new appreciation for all things Egypt especially mummies. Archaeologists continue to dig up Egyptian kings, queens, and advisors, wrapped in layers of shrouds, buried in ornate sarcophaguses from the deserts of Giza to the banks of the Nile. Throw in the horror film aspect of a curse on a dig site causing a mummy to rise from the dead from its tomb delighted the horror film fan in me. The one knock against the mummy in horror films was they were very slow when pursuing a victim like in Karl Freund's THE MUMMY (1932) and more so in its sequels. How could the sloth-like mummy kill its victim when all the victim had to do was run away? Oh sure, I can understand one possibly two poor souls frozen in terror and unable to flee. But not every one. Director Stephen Sommer in 1999 would come up with a simple approach in his reworking of THE MUMMY. Sommers just had his mummy run and chase. Very fast.
Sommers made another good choice in his reimagining of THE MUMMY. Rather than have old archaeologists tracking to stop the mummy like in Freund's THE MUMMY, Sommers took a page from Steven Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981). Similar to the intrepid, globe trotting Indiana Jones, Sommers introduces us in his THE MUMMY to Rick O'Connell, a down on his luck soldier of fortune who teams up with a beautiful librarian Evelyn Carnahan to battle the resurrected mummy Imhotep. The original THE MUMMY has one of the best openings of any Universal horror film (with the possible exception of 1943's FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN) as the mummy Imhotep is awakened by an impatient Egyptologist, steals a sacred scroll, and walks out of his upright sarcophagus into the desert night. The new THE MUMMY will amp up the action, romance, and terror tenfold with giant sandstorms, insidious scarab beetles, and supernatural guardians that protect Imhotep and his lover Anck Su Namun.
With a screenplay by John L. Balderston (DRACULA) based on a story idea by Richard Schayer and Nina Wilcox Putnam and directed by cinematographer turned director Karl Freund, THE MUMMY begins in 1921 at the British Museum Field Expedition in the canyons of Egypt. A team of archaeologists including Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Byron), German Dr. Muller (Edward van Sloan), and Ralph Norton (Bramwell Fletcher) have unearthed a mummy. An inscription on the sarcophagus reveals the mummy is Imhotep (Boris Karloff), High Priest of the Temple of the Sun at Karnak. Muller believes Imhotep was buried alive based on the scratch marks inside the coffin. A small wooden box was found with the mummy, containing the Scroll of Thoth. The box contains a warning there's a curse from the pharoah Amon-Ra to anyone who opens the box. While Sir Joseph and Muller debate outside on whether to open the box, young Norton opens it, begins to decipher the Scroll, and accidentally awakens the mummy who takes the Scroll and walks out, causing Norton to go mad.
We jump ahead to 1932 and a new British Museum Field Expedition, this time led by Sir Joseph's son Frank Whemple (David Manners) and Professor Pearson (Leonard Mudie). We learn Norton ended up in a straightjacket back in London and died and Sir Joseph never returned to Egypt. Frank and Pearson have had no luck finding any artifacts on their dig when the dignified, mysterious Ardeth Bay (Karloff) shows up on a donkey with a pottery shard connected to Princess Anck-es-en-Amon. Bay (who's really the resurrected mummy Imhotep) shows the two men where he thinks Princess Amon's tomb may be. Frank and Pearson move their diggers to the new area where they find Princess Amon's sarcophagus and tomb hidden for 3700 years. The Princess's mummy and treasures are brought to the Cairo Museum. Bay hovers over his lost love Princess Amon in the museum. We cut to a party where the beautiful Helen Grosvenor (Zita Johann) gazes out at the Pyramids of Giza with Dr. Muller. Bay sneaks back into the museum after hours and begin chanting incantations from the scroll to bring Princess Amon back to life. Helen is mysteriously drawn to the museum where Frank and his newly returned father Sir Joseph find her at the museum's front door. They take her back to their home for observation.
A museum guard finds Bay trespassing. Bay kills the guard then flees, leaving the Scroll of Thoth behind. Sir Joseph and Muller are alerted about the guard's death at the museum. When they arrive, they discover the lost Scroll and bring it back to the house. Bay shows up at the Whemple residence, looking for his Scroll. Bay hypnotizes Whemple's Nubian servant (Noble Johnson) before entering. Bay is introduced to Helen who looks like his lost love Princess Anon. Sir Joseph hides the Scroll in his bookcase. Frank takes Helen back to her home. Bay threatens Sir Joseph and Muller if they don't return his Scroll and departs. Muller tells Sir Joseph to burn the Scroll. Bay watches Sir Joseph try to burn the Scroll through his mystical pool of water. Bay causes Sir Joseph to have a heart attack. The Nubian enters the room and grabs the Scroll. Muller gives Frank an Isis amulet to protect him from Bay. Bay uses his mind power to put Helen in a trance and bids her to visit him.
Bay shows Helen his past in a pool of water. We see that Imhotep aka Bay had a forbidden love affair with one of the Pharoah's vestal virgins, the Princess Anon. The Princess dies and Imhotep secretly visits her burial site, trying to resurrect her. Imhotep is caught by the Pharoah's guards and sentenced to death. He's wrapped head to foot in bandages and buried alive for all eternity. Bay professes his love to Helen before awakening her. Helen returns home where Frank promises to protect her. Muller tells Helen to go to Bay the next time he beckons her. He and Frank will follow her and destroy Bay. Bay causes Frank to collapse. Helen returns to Bay's home where Bay dresses Helen up as Princess Anon. Bay plans on transferring Helen's soul into the body of Princess Anon. He must kill Helen to resurrect his love Anon. Muller revives Frank. They rush to save Helen before Bay can plunge a dagger into her. Helen prays to the goddess Isis. A nearby giant Isis statue emits a bolt of light that burns the Scroll of Thoth and turns Bay/Imhotep into dust and bones. Helen is saved.
The original THE MUMMY has a lot in common with Tod Browning's DRACULA (1931) which should not be surprising as both films were made by Universal and both film's screenplays were written or cowritten by John L. Balderston. Both films have a supernatural creature (vampire, mummy) who arrive at a big city (London, Cairo) and discover a beautiful woman who resembles their long dead former lover. For Dracula, it's Jonathan Harker's fiancee Mina. For Imhotep/Bay, it's Helen Grosvenor, daughter of the governor of Sudan. Both creatures have a human they control into their personal slave (Renfield for Dracula; Sir Joseph's Nubian Servant for Imhotep/Bay). Both monsters cause a person to go mad and develop a creepy laugh (Renfield again by Dracula and archaeologist Norton by Imhotep). There are objects in both films that protect the innocent from the monsters. The crucifix in DRACULA and an Isis amulet in THE MUMMY. And both DRACULA and THE MUMMY have a wimpy, romantic leading man and a resolute doctor of science to battle the supernatural evil facing them, played by the same two actors in both films.
Actors David Manners and Edward Van Sloan play similar characters in both THE MUMMY and DRACULA. Manners is the prototypical romantic lead that emerged as talkies became the norm. Matinee idol handsome, a soft voice but wishy washy when it comes to fighting mummies or vampires. He's more interested in love than battling evil. Archaeologist Frank Whemple in THE MUMMY is a more exciting role for Manners than his Jonathan Harker in DRACULA (which isn't saying much). Edward Van Sloan's Dr. Muller in THE MUMMY is a younger version of his Dr. Van Helsing performance in DRACULA. Whether it's a mummy's curse or a vampire's lack of reflection in a mirror, Van Sloan's medical men are wise in their knowledge about the monstrosities they encounter. Van Sloan even had the triple crown of appearing in James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN (1931) as Dr. Frankenstein's counterpart Dr. Waldman. The only DRACULA actor missing from THE MUMMY is Dwight Frye. Frye played the solicitor turned fly eating slave with the sinister laugh in DRACULA. Frye would have been perfect to play the Egyptian linguist Ralph Norton who goes mad when the mummy Imhotep comes to life in THE MUMMY. Instead, Bramwell Fletcher (who was married to DRACULA'S Helen Chandler in real life) got the role and the opportunity to create his own insane laughter.
The comparisons between THE MUMMY and DRACULA don't end with just the actors. German Karl Freund who was the cinematographer on DRACULA was promoted to director for THE MUMMY. Freund famously photographed films for famed German directors F.W. Murnau (THE LAST LAUGH) and Fritz Lang (METROPOLIS) during the Silent Era. Freund's direction and staging in THE MUMMY is far superior to Tod Browning's direction in DRACULA. The lighting and sets in the Cairo Museum and Imhotep/Bay's house reflect Freund's German Expressionistic background. One can only wonder if Freund had directed DRACULA instead of Browning what the results might have been. THE MUMMY is visually superior and better paced than DRACULA (which still has some impressive sets and the iconic Bela Lugosi). Freund's only other notable directorial contribution to the horror genre was MAD LOVE (1935) starring Peter Lorre. Freund finished his career as the cinematographer on the I LOVE LUCY SHOW (1951-1956) where he's credited for developing the three-camera system that TV sitcom comedies have adapted ever since.
1932 would be a turning point in Boris Karloff's young career. After having been hidden under Jack Pierce's impressive Frankenstein makeup in FRANKENSTEIN where he still managed to convey pathos and terror, Karloff got his chance to show his face (still with some special makeup) and acting ability in both Charles Brabin's THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) and THE MUMMY. Karloff is briefly hidden under Pierce's amazing mummy makeup at the beginning of THE MUMMY as the recently dug up Imhotep. When we next see him as the fez wearing Ardeth Bay (Imhotep's alter ego), Karloff looks more human if not wrinkly, exuding dignity and a sense of fragility. Afterall, he's been dead for over 3700 years. One bad fall or collision with someone and Bay could crumble to dust. Karloff would never leave horror films (his bread and butter) but he would be noticed by mainstream directors for their projects as a supporting performer including a gangster in Howard Hawks SCARFACE (also 1932) and a religious soldier in John Ford's THE LOST PATROL (1934). THE MUMMY is Karloff's best speaking horror film with Whale's THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) Karloff's best overall horror performance.
Hungarian born actress Zita Johann preferred the stage to film yet she will be forever remembered for her performance as the modern Helen Grosvenor and Imhotep's lover Princess Anck-es-en-Amon in THE MUMMY. With her expressive round eyes, Johann makes us believe her struggle as Imhotep/Bay tries to bring his 3700 year old lover back from the dead using Helen's soul. Apparently, Johann and director Freund did not get along on the set yet Johann gives the performance of her brief film career in THE MUMMY. Johann's only other significant film was Howard Hawks TIGER SHARK (1932) with a young Edward G. Robinson. Besides Karloff, the other horror film veteran in THE MUMMY is African American actor Noble Johnson who plays Sir Joseph's Nubian Servant. Johnson's horror credits include Robert Florey's MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1932) with Bela Lugosi; Ernest B. Schoedsack's THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1932); and Merian C. Cooper's KING KONG (1933). Arthur Byron brings a nice presence as Sir Joseph Whemple, the lead archaeologist that unintentionally unleashes Imhotep on the world. Byron's wife Kathryn Byron is in THE MUMMY too as Dr. Muller's wife.
Some final trivia tidbits for the original THE MUMMY. The fantastic mummy makeup for both Imhotep and Ardeth Bay was done by legendary makeup artist Jack Pierce. Pierce was Universal's head makeup man from the 30's thru the early 50s. Pierce's mastery would give us the iconic look of Karloff's Frankenstein's monster and Lon Chaney, Jr's THE WOLF MAN. THE MUMMY had a couple of scenes that were either filmed or at least staged for still photos that never made the final film. A reincarnation montage (and actress Johann was a true believer in reincarnation) that showed Princess Amon resurrected throughout the ages including the Roman period, the time of the Vikings, and the Crusades was cut from the final print. And a photo showing Karloff head to toe in mummy makeup taking the scroll from Fletcher never appears in the film either. Instead, we only see the mummy's hand touch the scroll. Screenwriter John L. Balderston used the real life discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 as the inspiration for THE MUMMY story. Balderston was a news reporter at the time and was actually in Egypt and witnessed the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb.
After THE MUMMY (which was a relatively successful at the box office), there wasn't a rush to make MUMMY sequels like Universal did with the FRANKENSTEIN franchise. It wasn't until the early 1940s and audiences needing a diversion from World War II that Universal resurrected the mummy back from the dead in a spate of mummy movies including THE MUMMY'S HAND (1940), THE MUMMY'S TOMB (1942), THE MUMMY'S GHOST (1944) and the final and weakest of the five films THE MUMMY'S CURSE (also 1944). These films introduced a new mummy named Kharis who rises from his tomb to find his own long-lost love, Egyptian Princess Ananka. The production value for Universal's mummy revival would go downward with each film and the timeline jumped all over the place making the plots confusing to follow at times. There would be another break from mummies until the late 1950s when Britain's Hammer Films began remaking all the horror classics in Technicolor which included Terence Fischer's THE MUMMY (1959) starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
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| Colorized movie lobby poster of a scene that does not appear in THE MUMMY (1932). |
The public's fascination with mummies jump started again in the 1970s with the arrival of King Tutankhamun and his treasures touring the United States (I saw the artifacts including Tut's incredible gold death mask in Seattle with my grandmother and sister). In the 1980s, television history shows highlighted new mummy discoveries not only in Egypt but also Peru and China). It wasn't only mummies that were grabbing the spotlight. With the success of the Indiana Jones films like INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989), the public became fascinated with the archaeologists and tomb raiders that were crossing the globe to unearth new and incredible discoveries in jungles, deserts, and even underwater. Director Stephen Sommers would come up with the perfect vehicle to merge treasure hunters with the supernatural. Sommers would resurrect THE MUMMY and he would go to the studio that started off the mummy craze. Universal Studios.
The new THE MUMMY is a loving homage to the original that expounds on the plot of the original while deviating from its source material with a host of young characters, a sense of humor that is woefully missing from the 1932 film, and adding exciting action sequences and horror frights that modern audiences today expect. Director Sommers chooses to show Imhotep's backstory right at the beginning of THE MUMMY rather than Freund's film that reveals it in the middle of his version. Sommers had one huge advantage that Freund did not. CGI (Computer Generated Images) technology that allows Sommers to push the limits of his imagination with some breathtaking visual effects.
Written and directed by Stephen Sommers based on a screen story by Sommers, Lloyd Fonvielle, and Kevin Jarre, this new THE MUMMY begins in the ancient city of Thebes in 1290 BC as the Pharoah Seti the First (Aharon Ipale) returns to his palace. Seti catches Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), his High Priest and Keeper of the Dead, cavorting with Seti's mistress Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velasquez). Seti is stabbed to death by both Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun. Imhotep is whisked away by his priests. Anck-Su-Namun kills herself in front of Seti's guards rather than be separated from Imhotep. Imhotep swears to resurrect her from the dead. Imhotep and his priests steal Anck-Su-Namun's body and take her to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead. Imhotep uses the Book of the Dead to try to raise his lover back to life. Seti's guards burst in and stop the ceremony. Imhotep's priests are killed. Imhotep has his tongue cut out, he's wrapped in bandages head to foot, and buried alive for eternity with a horde of flesh eating scarab beetles.
We jump forward to 1923. American soldier of fortune Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his semi-friend Hungarian Beni Gabor (Kevin J. O'Connor) fight with French Legionnaires against an army of Arabs at Hamunaptra. Rick and Beni retreat into the ruins about to be killed when Imhotep's spirit scares the marauders away. Rick wanders into the desert, watched from the cliffs by the Medjai, a secret group of mercenaries that protect Hamunaptra and keep Imhotep buried led by Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr). Flash forward three years later to 1926 at the Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt. Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), a librarian at the museum catches her scoundrel of a brother Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah) goofing around in a mummy case. Jonathan shows her a puzzle box he says he unearthed in Thebes. Evelyn discovers a map of the city of Hamunaptra inside. Jonathan confesses he stole the map from a man now incarcerated in a Cairo prison. Evelyn and Jonathan visit the prison. The man they want to see turns out to be Rick. The Warden (Omid Djalili) is about to hang Rick. Evelyn makes a deal with the Warden, saving Rick's life so he can take them to Hamunaptra.
Rick, Evelyn, Jonathan, and the Warden (he wants in on the expedition) arrive at Giza Port to catch a ship on the Nile. They encounter a trio of Americans treasure hunters also looking for Hamunaptra: Henderson (Stephen Dunham), Daniels (Corey Johnson), and Burns (Tuc Watkins). The Americans have their own Egyptologist (Jonathan Hyde) and are guided by Rick's former friend now nemesis Beni. After everyone gets to know each other on board, the ship is attacked by the Medjai looking for the map and key. A gunfight ensues and the boat catches on fire. Both parties jump ship and hire camels for the rest of the journey. They wait in the middle of the desert for the sunrise to reveal Hamunaptra in all its ruined glory. The groups split up at the site. It's the clumsy Jonathan who accidentally stumbles across Imhotep's coffin with a gooey mummy inside. Bay and his Medjai ride in and give the explorers one day to leave. The Americans discover the Book of the Dead and canopic jars with Anck Su Namun's internal organs. But Evelyn has the key to unlock it. Evelyn "borrows" the Book, opens it with the key, and reads from the Book awakening Imhotep from the dead. Imhotep sees Evelyn and thinks she's Anck Su Namun reincarnated. Bay and the Medjai return and declare that Imhotep must be destroyed. Imhotep turns Beni to his side and they flee to Cairo, pursued by Rick, Evelyn, Bay, and the rest of the group.
They regroup at Fort Brydon in Cairo. Rick wants to leave. Evelyn's committed to stopping Imhotep since she's the one who awakened him. Imhotep begins to go after the Americans who stole his beloved's canopic jars and her internal organs. With each jar he retrieves, Imhotep sucks the life literally from each American, returning to his human form. Imhotep plans on using Evelyn's soul to bring back Anck Su Namun's body to life. Evelyn realizes they need to find the Book of Amun-Ra or "Gold Book" to stop Imhotep. At the Museum of Antiquities, Evelyn deciphers that the Gold Book is inside the Statue of Horus back at Hamunaptra. An angry mob controlled by Imhotep separates Rick and Jonathan from Evelyn. Evelyn gives herself up to Imhotep who takes her back to Hamunaptra. Rick hires an old former RAF pilot Winston Havelock (Bernard Fox) to fly him, Jonathan, and Bay to Hamunaptra where they race against time to stop Imhotep from killing Evelyn to resurrect his lover Anck Su Namun.
As previously mentioned, Freund's THE MUMMY'S best set piece is its opening sequence as Imhotep the mummy comes to life. Sommers THE MUMMY has multiple set pieces, both big and small, that distinguish it from the original. From our first encounter with Rick fighting with the French Foreign Legion to the gun fight with the Medjai on the boat on the Nile to Rick, Jonathan, and Evelyn battling Imhotep's supernatural revived mummy priests underground at Hamunaptra, Sommers makes sure that his THE MUMMY is going to be an action adventure film in the vein of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.
The new THE MUMMY had the good luck that CGI special effects were just beginning to reach a new level during its making. When Imhotep brings different versions of the plague upon our heroes back in Cairo, the swarm of locusts and army of scarab beetles looking frighteningly real. A biplane flight back to Hamunaptra turns into a perilous journey when Imhotep transforms a sandstorm into his gaping, giant head, trying to swallow the plane with Rick on it. The finale with Beni accidentally tripping a booby trapped Hamunaptra, causing the ancient city to sink back into the desert is the final example of script transformed beautifully and realistically into an impressive visual climax.
Director Sommers may have made a big budget THE MUMMY but he reveres the original and respectfully pays homage to it. Sommers film is set in the 1920s, just like Freund's THE MUMMY and the real life discovery of King Tut. Imhotep's backstory and his tragic love for Anck Su Namun is pretty much the same in both films only Sommers opens his film with the Imhotep's treachery while Freund's film waits until the middle to show it. In both MUMMY films the lovers are caught by the pharoah and Imhotep is banished to an agonizing burial alive but not before swearing to return and resurrect his lover. The modern MUMMY shows the two lovers briefly kiss before they're caught. In the original, Imhotep is caught after Anck has died, trying to bring her back from the dead. Lastly, Ardeth Bay was Imhotep's alias after escaping his dusty casket in the first THE MUMMY. In the new version, Ardeth Bay is the leader of the Medjai who protect Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead.
THE MUMMY'S cast were relatively new faces who make the most of their big budget film opportunity in an action adventure/horror film. Brendan Fraser had displayed a good combination of physicality and humor in Sam Weisman's GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE (1997) which made him the perfect choice to play soldier/swashbuckler Rick O'Connell in THE MUMMY fighting Arab marauders or mummies brought back from the dead. Fraser's exuberance would carry over to two MUMMY sequels. I had never seen English actress Rachel Weisz before THE MUMMY. Weisz's Evelyn Carnahan is a clumsy yet brainy heroine in the vein of Katherine Hepburn in Howard Hawk's BRINGING UP BABY (1933). Evelyn might get Rick and her in a jam from time to time but she uses her brains and knowledge of Egyptian language and hieroglyphics to rescue them from these predicaments. Weisz parlayed THE MUMMY success into more dramatic roles including Fernando Meirelles THE CONSTANT GARDNER (2005) with Ralph Fiennes where she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
John Hannah (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL) brings a nice dose of humor to THE MUMMY as Evelyn's roguish brother Jonathan. Kevin J. O'Connor who plays the shifty Beni is a favorite of director Sommers, appearing in both the director's horror debut DEEP RISING (1998) with Treat Williams and the big budget monster palooza VAN HELSING (2004) as Igor, co-starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Beckinsale. South African actor Arnold Vosloo (HARD TARGET) exudes compassion along with horror as the tormented lover Imhotep. We forget that both MUMMY movies are about a forbidden love between Imhotep and an Egyptian princess. All Imhotep wants it to reunite with his long dead love. Finally, Israeli actor Oded Fehr (RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION) adds authenticity and Omar Sharif good looks as Ardeth Bay, protector of the lost city of Hamunaptra and Imhotep's final resting place.
For a film that cost $80 million dollars to make, THE MUMMY made $450 million worldwide (Karloff and Freund must have flipped in their graves). Sommers followed up his hit with the great horror film sequel title THE MUMMY RETURNS (2001) moving the action from Egypt to London and reuniting with most of the original cast including Fraser, Weisz, Hannah, Vosloo, Fehr, and Velasquez not to mention introducing Dwayne Johnson aka the Rock in a cameo as the Scorpion King. THE MUMMY RETURNS was a better than average sequel that succumbed to the pitfalls that numerous big budget action and sci-films were discovering: too much CGI effects. Sommers overindulged in CGI, making some of THE MUMMY RETURNS action sequences unbelievable (Sommers had this issue again with VAN HELSING).
There would be one more MUMMY film with Fraser as Rick O'Connell, Rob Cohen's THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR (2008) set in China. This MUMMY movie was the weakest of the three and cursed with one of the issues that the old MUMMY sequels had. Uneven timelines. In TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR, Rick and Evelyn's son Alex who was around eight years old in THE MUMMY RETURNS is now in his early 20s. TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR takes place in 1946 yet Rick has barely aged. Rachel Weisz did not return for this sequel so Maria Bello (with black hair and a fake British accent) stepped in to play Evelyn Carnahan. THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR is entertaining but fails to live up to the freshness and excitement of the first two films.
Recently, Universal Studios had the plan to bring back all the Universal horror film icons in a series of films to be known as Dark Universe. Scripts and actors were already set for remakes of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, and THE INVISIBLE MAN. The first film out of the gate was Alex Kurtzman's THE MUMMY (2017) starring mega star Tom Cruise. Mummies had been so popular 18 years earlier, the public had to be craving for more, right? This THE MUMMY was cursed at the box office (even with Tom Cruise in the film) and Universal got cold feet and dropped the idea of having a Dark Universe in the vein of the successful Marvel Universe and its huge collection of superheroes.
Will that blip keep a good mummy down in the future? Author Anne Rice wrote a good horror love story novel in 1989 called The Mummy set in 1914 that focuses on the discovery of the pharaoh Ramses II mummy and subsequent coming to life in London that's just waiting to be made. Mummies have captured the public's imagination both in real life and on the big screen for nearly one hundred years. The proof is evident from the success of the first THE MUMMY with Boris Karloff and its sequels a decade later to Hammer films THE MUMMY remakes in the late 50s and early 60s and culminating in the tremendous success of Stephen Sommers THE MUMMY and THE MUMMY RETURNS as we entered the 21st century. The answer is you can't keep a good mummy movie down, no matter how tightly the bandages are wrapped and how deep the sarcophagus is buried.
