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The sands will rise. The heavens will part. The power will be unleashed

1999



Mummy, The (1999)  
Directed by 
Stephen Sommers (I)    
  
Writing credits 
Stephen Sommers (I)    
  
Cast (in credits order) 
Brendan Fraser ....  Rick O'Connell  
Rachel Weisz ....  Evelyn  
John Hannah ....  Jonathan  
Arnold Vosloo ....  Imhotep  
Kevin J. O'Connor ....  Beni  
Jonathan Hyde ....  The Egyptologist  
Oded Fehr ....  Ardeth Bay  
Erick Avari ....  The Curator  
Stephen Dunham ....  Henderson  
Corey Johnson (I) ....  Daniels  
Tuc Watkins ....  Burns  
Omid Djalili ....  Warden  
Aharon Ipalé ....  Pharaoh  
Bernard Fox (I) ....  Winston  
Patricia Velazquez ....  Anck-Su-Namun  
Carl Chase ....  Hook  
Mohammed Afifi ....  Hangman  
  
Produced by 
Patricia Carr   (co-producer)  
Sean Daniel    
James Jacks    
  
Original music by 
Jerry Goldsmith    
  
Cinematography by 
Adrian Biddle    
  
Film Editing by 
Bob Ducsay    
  
Production Design by 
Allan Cameron    
  
Art Direction 
Giles Masters    
Tony Reading    
Clifford Robinson    
Peter Russell (II)    
  
Set Decoration 
Peter Howitt (I)    
  
Costume Design by 
John Bloomfield    
  
Production Management 
Jo Burn ....  unit production manager  
  
Assistant Director 
Ali Cherkaoui ....  second assistant director: Morocco  
Cliff Lanning ....  first assistant director  
Greg Michael ....  second unit director  
Adam Somner ....  second assistant director  
  
Sound Department 
John Finklea ....  music editor  
Chris Munro ....  sound mixer  
Ian Munro (III) ....  sound mixer: second unit  
  
Special Effects 
Ted Andre ....  visual effects compositor  
John Andrew Berton Jr. ....  visual effects supervisor  
Chris Corbould ....  special effects supervisor  
Greg Juby ....  technical director  
Tom Kennedy (VI) ....  visual effects producer  
  
Stunts 
Simon Crane ....  stunt co-ordinator  
  
Other crew 
Chris Barton ....  key animatronic model designer  
Judy Britten ....  shipping co-ordinator: Morocco  
Kevin Day ....  gaffer  
Gary Donague ....  best boy  
Nick Dudman ....  live-action creature effects supervisor  
Harvey Harrison ....  director of photography: second unit  
Wayne Kennedy (II) ....  digital model supervisor: ILM  
Kelly Matsumoto ....  first assistant editor  
Greg Michael ....  second unit director  
Mark Sanger ....  assistant editor  
Alistair Thompson ....  production accountant  
  


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THE MUMMY
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1999 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): * 1/2

Stephen Sommers, the writer and director of last year's universally panned DEEP RISING, is back again. This time he unleashes a cinematic plague on his audiences with THE MUMMY, a lame INDIANA JONES wannabe.

A remake in name only of the 1932 Boris Karloff classic, THE MUMMY features a host of gross and frightening special effects. The movie never figures out what it wants to be when it grows up. It is alternately: a parody, an adventure, a horror movie and an old fashioned B movie. Universal had the project in development for years before they gave it to Sommers. They should have waited for a better script and director.

Sommers's script, which is filled with logical gaps, is so confusing that you begin to wonder if the print has missing hieroglyphic subtitles. Certainly the story can be exasperatingly baffling, as if it were not intended that mere mortals should be able to follow it.

The plot has to do with a high priest who was mummified alive after being caught red-handed with the pharaoh's sweetheart. More formally addressed as Imhotep, High priest of Osiris (Arnold Vosloo), the Mummy comes back from the dead in 1923 and unleashes plagues on the world. This all happens because an Indiana Jones character called Rick O'Connell goes looking for treasure where the Mummy sleeps. Never disturb a man resting comfortably in his sarcophagus.

The only potentially promising part of the movie is the casting of Brendan Fraser as Rick. Fraser, who has delivered strong performances in every film he has made until now, isn't the least bit interesting in THE MUMMY. Miscast in an underwritten role, he never figures out what to do with his character.

Cast opposite Fraser is Rachel Weisz as librarian and Egyptologist Evelyn and SLIDING DOORS's John Hannah as her imbecilic brother Jonathan.

If any of the characters were worth caring about or possessed any depth, the story might have a chance. But the script plays like an outline that was never filled in.

A few parts of the movie do come alive with a little spark of intelligence. A drunken Evelyn tries to explain what she is doing in such a dangerous situation. "I know what you're asking," she tells Rick. "How did a country like this get in a girl like you?" The beauty of this seemingly mixed up line is that it is precisely what she means.

Another episode that demonstrates some charm shows a terrified man trying to save himself from the attacking Mummy, who looks like a creature from ALIENS with a bad set of dentures. Holding up a series of icons from a cross to a Star of David, he's willing to profess belief in whatever religion will protect him from the monster.

"We are in serious trouble," says Rick to his fellow treasure hunters. "We are in very serious trouble." And so are you if you're unlucky enough to find yourself stuck in a theater playing this movie. The picture deserves its own mummification.

THE MUMMY runs too long at 2:08. It is rated PG-13 for gross and frightening images that will scare kids prone to nightmares. For those with strong stomachs, the film would be acceptable for those 12 and up.

Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com
Web: www.InternetReviews.com


Have I Seen This Movie: Yes
And What Did I Think?: In my opinion, it wasn't too bad, but it wasn't the greatest comedy/horror type of movie. It had some great special effects like the Mummy itself, a giant insect swarm, and a horde of bugs that eat flesh. If you're looking for horror.... you'll snicker more then you'll cringe. It kind of a cross between Army Of Darkness and Raiders Of The Lost Ark. There was no Academy Award acting here, thats for sure, but Brendan Fraser wasn't too bad as the lead character. In short, its not a bad Saturday Afternoon matinee, which is exactly when I saw it.
I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

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