"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" Review
| Movie: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor * Official Site | In Theaters: Aug. 1, 2008 |
| Runtime: 112 minutes | Directed by: Rob Cohen |
| MPAA Rating: PG-13 for adventure action and violence | Gecko Rating: |
This is the time of summer when it’d be great to have a fun movie to tie us over into the fall. This movie isn’t it. It’s a boring sequel to the first two Mummy movies, which, admittedly, weren’t the best to begin with.
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This third installment of the Mummy franchise finds explorer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and archaeologist wife Evelyn (Maria Bello, a bland replacement for Rachel Weisz) finished with mummy-wrangling and bored to pieces. It’s 1946, and they’re living in a posh mansion in England with butlers and servants, but they’d rather be in a dusty cave somewhere looking for skeletons.
Now they have a 21-year-old son, Alex (Luke Ford), who’s taken over the Mummy reins from his parents. But they’re estranged. His parents want him in college, not out digging up relics (but hey, he comes by it honestly).
Anyway, all three end up in China, trying to stop a mystical crystal from awakening an ancient terra cotta army and its ruthless leader, the Dragon Emperor (Jet Li).
Ok, so the first two Mummy movies weren’t exactly Oscar contenders, but they had it way over this one, which lacks director Stephen Sommers and Rachel Weisz playing Evelyn. The best thing about those movies was the chemistry between Fraser and Weisz. Maria Bello just doesn’t do it for me, although I’ve loved her in other, more serious roles.
Highlights include Michelle Yeoh playing a witch who cursed the emperor centuries ago and her daughter, played by Isabella Leong. Also, the Yeti (abominable snowmen) show up to help out.
Bad acting, throw-away dialogue, annoying characters… this is the type of movie you might watch if you were surfing around at 3 a.m. It might be worth a rental if you liked the first two movies. Some of the special effects are interesting. That’s about all I can say.
NOTE TO PARENTS:
Sex/ Nudity: Mild innuendoes between a husband and wife (Rick makes a joke about inspiring Evelyn in the bedroom), a few passionate kisses.
Violence/Gore: It’s all about mummies, so there’s plenty of face-melting and crumbling bodies. Battle scenes involve near capitations, dismembered bodies, stabbing and shooting.
Profanity: “Bastard,” “ass,” “hell.”
Images: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Universal Pictures, 2008
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2 opinions for "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" Review
David Swindle
Aug 6, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Personally I was glad to see Stephen Sommers out of the director’s chair. I’ll take Rob Cohen over him any day. What did you think of all the China stuff? That was my favorite aspect — the cultural and visual elements.
Jane Boursaw
Aug 6, 2008 at 10:01 pm
David - Yeah, I loved the China stuff. A highlight of the film for me. Hard to see too much during that cheesy chase scene down the street, though. :-) The Yetis rock.
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