| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Release: | August 1, 2008 |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure and Sequel |
| MPAA Rating: | PG-13 for adventure action and violence. |
| Overall Grade: | B- |
| Story: | B- |
| Acting | B- |
| Direction: | B- |
| Visuals: | B |
Missing Weisz, and other things as well
I did enjoy this movie, although I found it a bit disappointing compared to the expectations I had upon entering the cinema.
To call a cursed emperor a mummy just to fit this story in the franchise is stretching things to start with. Makes one wonder what exactly qualifies as a mummy. The Evie of the first movie would probably nitpick on that detail.
Which brings me to comment on Bello's portrayal of Evie as compared to Weisz'. Bello's Evie is a warm, earth woman character - which is not bad, really. It's just far from the prim and proper Evie with a wild streak that I've become fond of in the first two movies.
Also, Bello's Evie is such a supporting wife that the character is in danger of becoming a supporting role rather than the major character that had a head of its own and used to have petty fights and arguments with Rick.
I miss Weisz, but I guess Bello and Fraser also look good together as husband and wife, and Bello and Ford could pass as mother and son. Funny though that Fraser still ends up looking like Ford's much older brother instead of his father.
The story spent too much time presenting to the audience how Rick and Evie are adjusting to early retirement. The movie therefore becomes boring in some places.
The story of the emperor is a familiar one as it is based on the myth surrounding a historical character, the same way the characters of the first 2 movies were loosely based on ancient Egyptian notables. If you had watched "The Myth" and "Forbidden Kingdom" movies, as well as the National Geographic feature on China's first emperor, then you'd easily identify this "mummy's" tale as just a variation of those.
This movie's story has some big holes, like: was it necessary that the mummy be brought to life by Rick and Evie?; if the presumably pregnant Zijuan reached Shangri-La right after escaping from the cursed emperor, but Li is now a young adult - when exactly did they become immortal? is Shangri-La and the temple guarding its location such deserted places that only Zijuan is guarding the first one and only yetis could be found in the latter? if the O'Connells have been living in England ever since the 2nd movie, why is Alex speaking very much like an American? if Rick and Evie are still sweet with each other, why would Alex accuse his parents that they haven't been a family for a long time? who encased the emperor in a terracotta figure and buried him and his army if Zijuan cursed everyone of them? if Lin had been guarding the tomb for years, how could she not know about the decoy?
As for the mummy presented by this movie... I don't find him as menacing as the Eqyptian one despite his supposed control over the elements. The main fight scene also lacked the fear element as they placed some comedy there. Although the comedy would make anyone laugh, it also made the scene awkward ... the movie was already making a parody of itself. I keep thinking how awesome the fight scene could have been if they managed to instill dread instead at the spectacle of the undead fighting each other - tirelessly, as they feel no fatigue or pain.
What I liked about the earlier movies, especially the first one, is that despite the comedy, the movie still managed to sneak in some "frights" that made it deserving of its title. This movie is afraid to frighten its audience.
The special effects were good, but not much improved from the first 2. When the emperor breathed fire, it looked like they used a hose to do it; the CG skeletons were more funny than frightening ... which is sad, really. The skeletons' impact in the movie is just as bad as that of the Scorpion king in the 2nd one ... I can't help but think that the elements do not blend well into the movie. The terracotta army was cool though. How I wish I've seen a battle scene between the ancient Chinese armies that is similar to that in Hero or the Myth.
Li wasn't allowed to act much ... and although he hasn't exactly appeared in best actor worthy roles, I know he could do more based on what I've seen him do in Hero, The One, and Forbidden Kingdom (where I realized he could do comedy). They didn't even fully utilize his martial arts skills.
To this film's credit, the bad guys' motive for resurrecting the "mummy" sounds much better than the Nazi army's reason for hunting the crystal skull in the Indy 4 movie... and a cursed power hungry Chinese emperor's much better than a South American ET unable to go home because it literally lost its head.
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