The Mummy series - Page 2

hahahahahaha I forgot about that, that was hilarious

One of the reasons the first one works so well when it shouldn't is because of the supporting cast. If there's one thing Sommers is great at, it's getting tons of character actors together, giving them all these fun archetype roles and letting them go wild.

I think the finished POTC trilogy and the wait till next year for Indy 4 is making some people jones for some swashbuckling treasure-hunting adventure. Maybe that's why there's been some "hive-mind" yearning.

EDIT: Besides National Treasure: Book of Secrets (12/07), Indy 4 (5/08), and Mummy 3 (8/08) what else do we have in the swashbuckling Adventure genre coming up?

Damn, I totally forgot about that scene at the end of Mummy Returns. It's hard to top that for a good, hearty bad movie laugh.

Case in point: John Hannah.

I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THAT SHOT! You got me grinning like an idiot while I'm by myself. That's pretty hard to do. I gotta watch this movie again.

I enjoyed both of these movies pretty equally. I really enjoyed Alan Silvestri's score for the 2nd one (where has he been lately?).

Man, I forgot the ridiculous awesomeness The Mummy Returns contained.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2C13PE-B3s

I think they all fall short but you gotta love that ant biting scene in "Scorpion King". That movie really embraced what it was.

The end title music for Returns is fantastic. It's one of those cases where an okay movie hauls off with a great piece of closing music that makes you feel like you've seen a better movie than you actually did.

This will all end in tears.

I agree with Peter Jackson's assessment that his original treatment of King Kong got ripped off for The Mummy, which may explain why it's good.

Also, Dickson, are you saying the moppet in Mummy Returns is better than Short Round?

Yeah, he mentions that on the Extended DVD... when he initially pitched KK to Universal (before LOTR). The 1st undeveloped script is available on that set (thru computer). I haven't read it yet, but now I think I will to see for myself.

The "ultimate" (or whatever its called) DVD version of the first Mummy is worth picking up if only for the great commentary by Fraser. He spends most of the running time doing quasi-MST3K type stuff.

I've always loved the first film - I think it's nearly a perfect popcorn film. It never lets up, is always entertaining, and is great fun for repeat viewings. Agreed that the supporting cast really helps - and despite being a complete ripoff of Indiana Jones, I like Fraser's McConnell. The DVD is also pretty good; great BTS on designing the Mummy, and the commentary is a lot of fun.

Mummy Returns has some nicely done set pieces - well, maybe two - but it's really a piece of shit. The resurrection scene and subsequent chase are, IMNSHO, extremely well done and huge fun to watch. Very pulp-y. And the Anbuis warriors are pretty cool. The kid is actually OK (better than Short Round, I'd say). But the "plot" itself sucks, and the whole reincarnation/rebirth thing is just stupid. The end sucks harder than the galactic core, and the Scorpion King looks like something from the Quake 2 cut scenes outtakes.

Despite trying twice, I've never made it past the first five minutes of the Scorpion King. Not only is it unfathomably bad, as pointed out above it's a barbarian film with no gore and no female nudity. What's the fucking point?

And just because I can: Kelly Hu is damn fine.

Always dug The Mummy. It pretty much succeeds in everything it was going for, and Frasier still has left-over goodwill from me for his performance (a good chunk of which was immediately squandered with Monkeybone).

Mummy Returns... I've always thought of that one as a really shitty movie with some sequences I really like. It's been awhile, but I remember digging the hell out of the double-decker bus fight. That fight linked above is also pretty great. Also... pygmy mummies (It's equally fantastic/stupid that they are introduced in a scene that basically rips off the raptors in the grass from Lost World).

Sure, it doesn't make too much sense that Weisz has become a badass sword-twirler. So the fuck what? It's awesome/hot.

I never got any enjoyment from The Scorpion King on any level. It is a shitty movie.

What? No love for Deep Rising in here?

I enjoyed the first film back when it came out (being rather younger at the time), but although some moments of it still work, it's cooled on me.
The second is pretty terrible.

Has anyone else even seen the 1959 Christopher Lee remake? It's not a good film by any means, but it does seem to get forgotten about.

Agreed. Aronofsky is a bastard.