The Mummy

Directed by Stephen Sommers, The Mummy follows adventurer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) as he reluctantly agrees to accompany a British librarian (Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn Carnahan) on a perilous journey into an ancient city in search of untold treasures – with complications ensuing after the expedition inadvertantly awakens a centuries-old mummy (Arnold Vosloo’s Imhotep) bent on total annihilation. There’s little doubt that The Mummy is at its best in its fast-paced and relatively exciting first half, as writer/director Sommers does a solid job of establishing the various characters and placing them in a series of increasingly dangerous scenarios – with the affable atmosphere undoubtedly heightened by the charismatic work of leads Fraser and Weisz. (The former is especially captivating as a rough-and-tumble heroic figure, and it’s clear, too, that the film benefits from the efforts of a solid supporting cast that includes Kevin J. O’Connor, John Hannah, and Jonathan Hyde.) And although Sommers does a nice job of peppering the proceedings with exciting action-based set-pieces, The Mummy, saddled with a palpably overlong running time, ultimately segues into a hit-and-miss, special-effects-heavy second half that grows more and more exhausting as the narrative unfolds – which consequently paves the way for a padded-out climax that isn’t quite able to make the enthralling impact Sommers has undoubtedly intended. Still, The Mummy generally comes off as an unabashedly old-fashioned adventure picture that contains few lulls and boasts tremendously appealing star turns from both Fraser and Weisz.

**1/2 out of ****