The Mummy (1999)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  After many many different ideas and approaches a final concept was agreed upon and this franchise was kick started, note...I really will try not to mention 'Indiana Jones' too much. A very loose 'remake' of the classic Karloff horror film this was completely… More
  After many many different ideas and approaches a final concept was agreed upon and this franchise was kick started, note...I really will try not to mention 'Indiana Jones' too much. A very loose 'remake' of the classic Karloff horror film this was completely re-imagined and given the 'Indy' treatment with minor horror aspects. To be honest the film is actually a little scary in places with a few jump moments, bugs eating people and getting under their skin and lots of decaying mummies with good close ups, like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' the film achieves the family adventure status despite actually being close to the bone here and there. The film of course had dated now and the effects that were break through for the day now look pretty dreadful in places, the cgi on the main mummy is dire, bluescreen work is obvious, sets are obvious and the sand effects also look poor. This is of course looking at the effects now, as I said back in the day they were pretty neato, the best examples that still actually look good today are probably at the finale battle with a group of Egyptian mummy soldiers and some real time models, suits and makeup, the severed forearm crawling for the sword is a good 'Evil Dead' moment. I always did hate the way 'Imhotep' turned into a mini sand tornado for his vanishing act and kinda flew out the window, really nasty video game effects and idea there, looked dumb then...looks dumb now. The plot is cheesy and simple as are most of the performances, you can easily tell who's gonna die right from the start because most of the character actors here are the usual cannon/monster fodder in other films. I know the film is suppose to be a kind of homage to B-movies and those old daring black and white adventure matinee flicks but the cast do really give the film a rough n ready feel, its almost as if they couldn't attract anyone else. Everyone is pretty well cliched to the hilt here with your toff sounding British accents, trigger happy yanks, the horrendous Kevin J. O'Connor, the odd but well cast Vosloo who plays it deadly straight and a nice little turn for British comedian Omid Djalili in a rather stereotyped role. Its definitely one of if not the best period adventure type flicks that can hold a candle to old 'Indiana Jones', the only other few films that can challenge 'Dr Jones' in my opinion are 'The Rocketeer' which would be a flying Indy hehe and probably 'The Phantom' and 'The Shadow'. Looking back is was a good fun ride, nowadays its still fun but more like a bad video game of sorts. I think they tried too hard and went over the top with all the guns, stunts and stuck in too much slapstick, sure it was meant to be a blockbuster (and that's its problem really) but less is more right.

• Film C

  
  Im a huge fan of the mummy movies and ive always enjoyed watching them, i think ive watch the first two at least 5 or 6 times! Its just a very enjoyable light hearted amusing, but also freaky and possible a bit of a horror flick as well! Too be honest its an all in one movie that… More
  Im a huge fan of the mummy movies and ive always enjoyed watching them, i think ive watch the first two at least 5 or 6 times! Its just a very enjoyable light hearted amusing, but also freaky and possible a bit of a horror flick as well! Too be honest its an all in one movie that should be enjoyed, a great and amusing movie!

• xGary X

  
  An archaeological dig accidentally unleashes a curse onto the world in the form of an undead Egyptian priest intent on resurrecting his lover. Another film typical of the Stephen Sommers formula, The Mummy pillages popular folk lore and introduces a blend of non-stop action and tongue… More
  An archaeological dig accidentally unleashes a curse onto the world in the form of an undead Egyptian priest intent on resurrecting his lover. Another film typical of the Stephen Sommers formula, The Mummy pillages popular folk lore and introduces a blend of non-stop action and tongue in cheek humour into the mix to create a low brow crowd pleaser that's all flash and no substance. Basically, this film references the comic swashbucklers of the forties (or rather, rips off Raiders of The lost Ark, which references the comic swashbucklers of the forties) but the weak dialogue, simplistic plot and juvenile humour makes it more Scooby Doo than Indiana Jones. The plot is little more than set piece/gag/set piece/gag which means there's never a dull moment but there's little sense of pacing or tension. Brendan Fraser exhibits his usual goofy charm and Rachel Weisz is very endearing as the spunky but accident prone romantic interest, but the comic relief provided by Kevin J. O'Connor and co is more mildly irritating than funny. By far the biggest weakness however is its over-reliance on cartoonish CGI that's really beginning to show its age. In its favour it's never boring, but in the end it's nothing more than a poor man's Raiders that kids may get a kick out of if they're not too demanding.

• Albert K

  
  Brendan Fraser makes this movie get 2 1/2 stars or less. Fortunately, it was kinda entertaining.

• Brad W

  
  I was very bored with this movie, Brendan Frasier has another bad performance, and I find it stupid how the mummy becomes a human and starts trying to take over the world, I just didn't enjoy it for myself.

• Tyler K

  
  I don't understand why critics just have to hate on this movie. It's not entirely original, but come on, the first movie was all the back in the 1920's, it wasn't that good, either. This movie is NOT a call of duty style movie, where the fact is in just effects,… More
  I don't understand why critics just have to hate on this movie. It's not entirely original, but come on, the first movie was all the back in the 1920's, it wasn't that good, either. This movie is NOT a call of duty style movie, where the fact is in just effects, not story. The story is big (At least for the first 2, I really wasn't a fan of the third installment of The Mummy series), so big it had to be made into a 2 hour long movie, and needed 3 other movies to back it up... no, maybe just 2. But those 2 movies are 2 hours long (in fact, the next movie up is longer than the first)! You can write a book with this story! What is there to hate? The effects are just like your average Indiana Jones movie, and this movie has some small jokes (Just like an Indiana Jones movie), but this movie is not heading towards a comedy. Lord, everyone is just talking about the small stuff when there is a huge load of other stuff. If you didn't like it, don't just say random little stuff, that's like saying that you wanted a frying pan without the pan! On the other side, this, the second movie, not the third movie, are great. Listen to me, I've seen this movie at least 5 times.

• Matt G

  
  I don't like this movie. It bores me and I don't know what people like about it. I guess it's because I have a hatred for Brendan Frasier... wow.

• moon r

  
  All the story ideas come from Universal's 1932 original version, but the style all comes from their follow-up sequel ... turned up to, say, eleven. Rousingly over-the-top and still so entertaining.

• Jeff "

  
  What I love about The Mummy and its sequel, is that it takes the formula of Indiana Jones and reinvents it in a totally new, original way. Combining elements of Horror, action, and comedy; The Mummy is a fun action adventure film that thrills you, makes you laugh and delivers a good… More
  What I love about The Mummy and its sequel, is that it takes the formula of Indiana Jones and reinvents it in a totally new, original way. Combining elements of Horror, action, and comedy; The Mummy is a fun action adventure film that thrills you, makes you laugh and delivers a good story with solid action. Also the film has terrific visuals and special effects that helps create something truly memorable on screen. Sure on a historical standpoint the film ia not accurate whatsoever, but it gets away with iy because the film just delivers a fun viewing experience. Brendan Fraser is surprisingly good as Rick O'Connell and is one of his best performance along with his performance in Crash. The Mummy is action packed and is never boring. The film has incredible pacing and the story unwinds fairly quickly. One thing that works well for the film is it's use of comedy to ease the tension a bit. The film has some pretty good comic moments and it makes this film a lot more fun to watch. Stephen Sommers knows how to create a terrific action film that mixes other genres very well. The Mummy is simply an amusing film to watch with a fairly good cast at hand here. The story is very interesting and filled with action that makes this a memorable film to watch. The Mummy may be flawed, but it's certainly enjoyable. The film is meant to be a pure popcorn film, and it most certainly does that.

• Michael E

  
  one of my all time favorite action movies ever made with great effects

• Conner R

  
  I think The Mummy will always have a warm place in my childhood. I don't think it's possible to watch it and not have an amazing time. The story is so cool and the characters are so unbelievably charismatic. Brenden Fraser presents himself as such a powerful human being that… More
  I think The Mummy will always have a warm place in my childhood. I don't think it's possible to watch it and not have an amazing time. The story is so cool and the characters are so unbelievably charismatic. Brenden Fraser presents himself as such a powerful human being that walks around like a blockade of pure testosterone. The sets in this movie really tend to stand out for some reason, I think it's the attention to detail and complete love for the mythology. As a action/horror, it's unmatched. There is nothing more fun than popping in the dvd and just making your day a bit brighter with this extravaganza that takes you back to a better time.

• Richard C

  
  B

• Dead A

  
  This was funny. Liked the idea of the story.

• Cassandra M

  
  "The Mummy" is an adventurous yarn in the vein of "Indiana Jones." It's a lot of fun, very charming, and never tries to be more than what it is. What is it? An entertaining summer flick which is not only worth seeing, but perhaps even owning. It's one of… More
  "The Mummy" is an adventurous yarn in the vein of "Indiana Jones." It's a lot of fun, very charming, and never tries to be more than what it is. What is it? An entertaining summer flick which is not only worth seeing, but perhaps even owning. It's one of those fun movies you can return to over and over again and never grow tired of doing so. It's hardly a remake of the Universal classic of the same name. It's merely a new way to tell the story with the same basic idea - a murderous mummy is brought back from the dead. This time we have a hero and heroine who must stop him before he takes over the world, or something along the line of world domination. The hero is Rick (Brendan Fraser), a thief thriving off the very basics out in Egypt circa 1930. Arrested and to be hanged, he is saved by the heroine (Rachel Weisz), who believes he may hold the key to helping them find an ancient Egyptian kingdom buried under the sand, if I recall correctly. Little does she know what lurks beneath the sand near that old kingdom is none other than the remains of a man who was caught cheating on the king's wife years ago and mummified. Now, after unearthing the remains of the kingdom, the expedition led by our heroes come upon an ancient "Book of the Dead," which, when read from, brings the ancient mummy back to life. Now he is out to kill, regenerate and bring back his old lover - pretty neat, huh? I own "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy," a great movie spoofing the classic film. "The Mummy" Isn't exactly a spoof but it's very tongue-in-cheek. It knows it isn't an Oscar-winner, it knows it stands nothing against the older film, and so it goes for pulp thrills. I actually believe that this film is a bit classy in execution - compared to many other entertainments floating around nowadays it stands as one of the only films to return to the roots of the pure adventure films like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) so successfully did. Brendan Fraser is a perfect choice for the lead star. Calm, but with ironic and sarcastic humor; cool, but a strong lead. I wondered what it would have been like if they had casted an actor in his role who would have taken it all more seriously. I bet the results would have been disastrous. Fraser knows that this is all good fun, and he's having a good time playing his role with comedy. Every once and a while you can catch a wink at the screen that lets us know that he knows what he's doing. 2001 brought a sequel to "The Mummy" named, of all things, "The Mummy Returns." I found it just as fun as this film though some critics begged to differ. Summer 2002 brought yet another "Mummy" film, this one a prequel called "The Scorpion King" - it was a following of a co-star of the first sequel. The Mummy was not in it at all. It was a horrible film that wasn't near as fun as this one. So I recommend you see "The Mummy" as soon as humanly possible. After that, see "The Mummy Returns." Either way, you simply can't go wrong.

• Anthony L

  
  A great adventure film and jolly good fun!

• Jason O

  
  Something legendary, though not good in a way, happened 3000 years ago in Egypt. A man who was deeply in love with a woman was made into a mummy. Three thousand years later, a group of expeditioners, led by Brendan Fraser, are hungry for the gold and riches of a place that can… More
  Something legendary, though not good in a way, happened 3000 years ago in Egypt. A man who was deeply in love with a woman was made into a mummy. Three thousand years later, a group of expeditioners, led by Brendan Fraser, are hungry for the gold and riches of a place that can supposedly be found. But not all the people are hungry for the worthiness of becoming rich. Also joining the expedition is Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), who is a very intelligent scholar when it comes to reading and understanding various languages. There are also other travelers who want to find this legendary place, but that's not the 'good people's' main enemy. They don't know it yet, but a certain mummy didn't quite decay enough and now it's not even human, and not even a dead human at that! I don't know about them, but if it was me, I would probably pass on waking it up after a 3000 year sleep! "The Mummy" in my opinion, is a spectacular movie. I haven't ever saw the original 1932 version, so I can't really compare it to that one, but when compared to the other great movies of last millenium....er...1999, "The Mummy" is right there at the top. It has great acting, a better than interesting story, and SPECTACULAR special effects. Whether it's the wars that break out upon the different sides or the mummy himself, the special effects are something to keep an eye on. But don't get me wrong, this isn't a movie that is good just because of its special effects....everything else about it is just as great! NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2001. Saw this in the theater and loved every minute of it.

• Leigh R

  
  It was alright. Probably wouldn't watch again.

• Alice S

  
  Meh. <i>The Mummy</i> wastes no time in killing all the Arab extras. What's more is that the "good" imperialized Arab gets to live in the end. Great rhetoric there. Rachel Weisz is quirky and delightful. That's about it.

• Thomas B

  
  meh

• Mike S

  
  There's something about Egyptian mythology that I've always loved and found incredibly fascinating. This movie has extracted the best of its myths and legends and turned it into a highly entertaining adventure full of action, humor and good fun. And like with so many other… More
  There's something about Egyptian mythology that I've always loved and found incredibly fascinating. This movie has extracted the best of its myths and legends and turned it into a highly entertaining adventure full of action, humor and good fun. And like with so many other franchises, this first film is undoubtedly the best in the series, even if the second movie is very enjoyable also. As for the third and latest film, well, it was a real stinker to say the least. But that's what happens when you move the mummy out of Egypt, rob us of the lovely Rachel Weisz and replace the director with the guy who made such "masterpieces" as <i>xXx</i> and <i>Stealth</i>. Anyway, after a decade since its release, I'm glad to say that the original still rocks.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings