When it comes to great story telling very few films can top the Mummy sequels, and number three ranks with the best. “The Mummy” is an exciting, action packed movie that keeps your eyes riveted to the screen, once you get past the opening sequence.
Because you know the Mummy movies are full of action you want the story to move on to the ‘good part.’ You don’t care that explorer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) is trying his hand at being retired, or that his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello) is now an author who writes diligently about their past experiences in fighting Mummy’s and their evil legions; get to the good part.
In the very beginning we’re teased by a magnificent love story. The Mummy series is always about love, lust, greed and power. And in this sequence the love of one man and woman topple a world power. We meet the evil and very powerful Chinese Emperor played by none other than Jet Li, who is doomed by a sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to be forever entombed for his evil deeds, and killing her true love. But she doesn’t stop with the Emperor; she dooms his entire army, including the horses.
Once the Emperor and the army are released from his spell he only cares about one thing, world domination, to let evil reign. And it takes only one act of bravery to make him and his men immortal and unstoppable. It’s up to the O’Connell team to stop them, and they too have to call on the dead and witchcraft for help.
Fast action combined with the supernatural is a great recipe for adventure. And now that the O’Connell kid has grown up we can add Alex (Luke Ford) to the mix. And once again our comic relief is Evelyn’s big brother, Jonathan (John Hannah). He’s back, and his love for diamonds and other riches has not diminished.
“The Mummy” is a family movie. Father and son are at odds because the son believes the father cared more about “dead things” than him. The son, following in his father’s footsteps drops out of school to follow his beloved professor to the orient in search of the Chinese Emperor’s tomb. The O’Connell’s must deliver a priceless object to Shanghai where her brother now resides and is the owner of a famous nightclub. They all meet under one roof and the action begins.
Transformations are cool. And in this sequel ‘here’s mud in your eyes’ comes to life. It’s all fascinating as they come up with new and innovative ways to change a bad guy into a lump of clay.
But you want to get to the fight sequences because you know that Jet Li can battle and usually on the side of right, this time he’s on the side of evil and you’re ready for him to take on the do-gooders. And the movie does not disappoint. The fight sequences are like well choreographed dances, you have to keep your eyes on the screen to make sure you don’t miss a move because sometimes the elaborate costumes get in the way.
We’re introduced to new characters, the Abominable Snowmen, or Yeti’s. These new creatures hit the scene with a loud roar, big teeth and big, furry bodies. Ferocious and mean they entered kicking butt. The audience delighted in how they handled the bad guys; clearly you don’t mess with the Yeti. But as tough as they were they were protective and gentle to the good guys.
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” doesn’t disappoint. The action is fierce and it’s constant. In theaters Friday.
