THE MUMMY

US, 1999, 125 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hanna, Kevin J. O'Connor, Arnold Vosloo, Jonathan Hyde.
Directed by Stephen Sommers.

Boris Karloff in the 30s, Christopher Lee in the 50s, The Mummy has been very popular on-screen. In the 1990s, a fresh new and very active, computer-graphics-designed film was made with Brendan Fraser as a tongue-in-cheek latter-day Indiana Jones. Rachel Weisz is the intrepid leading lady with John Hannah as her ninny brother. This time the mummy is Arnold Vosloo.

The film was written and directed by Stephen Sommers who had made a film about Huckleberry Finn as well as a film about pirates, Deep Rising. With the success of The Mummy, he went on to make The Mummy Returns and executive produce the action adventure, The Scorpion King with The Rock who starred in the sequel.

The film appeals to the love of investigations about Egyptology, the period setting of the 30s and the expeditions to the Middle East? What the Egyptologists discover, of course, is a blend of superstition and magic and ancient religions with the possibility of the mummy coming back to life, controlling armies, having many computer graphic insects who are mechanical and exceedingly destructive. All in all, it is put together as a rollicking action adventure which was very popular at the box-office.

1.Entertaining action adventure, horror, special effects show?

2.The cinema mummy tradition from the films of the '30s to Hammer Films: Egypt, wicked high priests, curses and spells, archaeologists, greed and treasure, danger and heroics? A '90s treatment?

3.Widescreen photography, the exotic settings, the re creation of Egypt and the past, the palace, the city, the tombs? Cairo in the '20s, Egypt, the museum, the desert, the monuments? Authentic atmosphere? Costumes and decor of the period? Cars, planes?

4.The importance of the special effects and their effectiveness?

5.The prologue, Pharaoh, his concubine, her affair with the high priest, the silhouette murder, the execution of the concubine and the priest, the devouring by the insects, being buried alive, the books, the treasure, the curse?

6.The tribe guarding the secret of the city? The librarian and his alliance with them? Their being pictured on horseback watching the valley?

7.The opening with the Foreign Legion battle, Rick and his heroism, Beni and his cowardice, Rick saved by the mystery of the city? His being imprisoned, his selling the key to Jonathan, Evie and Jonathan and their visit to the prison, his being executed - and then cut down? The reprieve for the expedition?

8.Evie and her awkwardness, crashing the bookshelves? Her skills in reading Egyptian language? The librarian? Her looking after Jonathan? The visit to Rick in prison, his kiss, saving his life?

9.The American group and the expedition, the cowboy attitudes and behaviour, the Egyptologist with them? Beni as their leader? The clash with Rick and his expedition?

10.The voyage along the Nile, the tribe watching, the fire on the boat, deaths and those who were saved? The beginnings of the expedition? The journey to the Lost City, the mirage? The two groups arriving, confrontation, dividing the work?

11.The raising of the mummy and its effect? The mummy himself, the curses and spells? The ten plagues covering Egypt and the visual effects? The mummy and his seeking humans to absorb them? The American and his pursuit, his eyes and his tongue? The other Americans? Beni and his using the prayers of various religions, being seen as a Hebrew slave, becoming the assistant of the mummy? Evie destined as the sacrifice? The search for the books for the counter-curses? The people turned into zombies? The power of the mummy?

12.Beni and his greed, always running away, the coward? His final help, wanting the gold? His being trapped?

13.Rick and the plan, Cairo and the presence of the mummy? His pursuit? Flying the plane - and the eccentric British airman, his memories of World War I, the adventure and his death? The mummy and his trying to prevent the plane coming, the visual effects of the sandstorm, the open mouth and the crying?

14.The book, the discovery of the treasure? Evie laid out as sacrifice? Jonathan and his awkwardness, reading the formula? Evie and the evil priestess beside her? The end of the prayer? The destruction of the priestess? Of the mummy? Saved? The final escape?

15.Audience identification with the characters, the events? The blend of humour, horror, adventure? Lavish matinee spectacle?