Third time not a charm for latest "Mummy" film
2:24 p.m. Monday, August 4, 2008
In this third installment of the "Mummy" franchise, Brendan Fraser reprises his role as Rick O'Connell who has retired with his wife, Evelyn (Maria Bello), to England in 1946. Together they live a calm, quiet life, although with an element of boredom because no matter what they attempt to do in their new lives nothing matches their previous adventures.
Things begin to change when their tranquil existence is uprooted after they are summoned by the U.S. government to travel to China to help their son, Alex (Luke Ford), who is having a difficult time after he discovers the mummified remains of an evil, ancient dragon emperor played by Jet Li. Once awakened, the emperor makes plans to use his army of thousands to fulfill his aspirations of world domination.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
Showtimes and more for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor »
I'm a big fan of the previous two "Mummy" films; they were fun, well-made adventures carried mostly by the charisma of the star Fraser. I like Fraser and wish he would make more films because his charm and likability often rise above mediocre material as seen in the recently released "Journey to the Center of the Earth." I sat through this third film and was mildly entertained, but it is evident that this franchise has run its course.
As for the rest of the cast, the talented Bello replaces Rachel Weisz. While I like her previous work, Bello's performance falls flat with one of the worst British accents ever. She is flat and uninspired, which surprised me because she has been so strong in past films. John Hannah returns as Rick O'Connell's brother-in-law, and he is given little to do despite his standout performance in the first two movies. Li does well with the material he is given. There are a couple of chase scenes that are well-staged; his brief sword fight with fellow martial arts icons Michelle Yeoh is one of the highlights of the film. I wish these two would have had more screen time.
This is the weakest script of all three movies. While the previous two would not have won awards for the writing, the movies were a blast. It's too bad this third movie forgot what made the first two films so successful. There is little to wrap your arms around and love with this go-round.
I hope Universal is convinced that this series well is dry. I wanted this movie to be good; and while it’s not a total disaster, it is one of the more disappointing films of the summer.
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