THE MUMMY RETURNS
US, 2001, 125 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Rachel Wise, John Hanna, Freddy Boath.
Written and directed by Stephen Sommers.
There is something about ancient Egypt that has fascinated archaeologists for the last 150 years: pyramids, tombs and treasure, hieroglyphics and sacred stories, deities and rituals for life after death. And novel writers like Bram Stoker were not far behind the archaeologists. By the 30s, the moviemakers at Universal Studios and Boris Karloff were not too far behind them. And there have been any number of variations of Mummy awakening stories ever since.
1999 saw the biggest budget version with The Mummy and the biggest box-office returns. The writer-director, Stephen Sommers, concocted a new story (well not exactly new), invited his cast back and won a huger budget for special effects. The cast is just as eager as before, with the addition of Freddie Boath, as the precocious son of Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. The plot is just as complicated - as to who is rising from the dead and whose troops belong to whom. And the special effects are even more special and astounding. And everyone has gone along to see this one and there are even bigger box-office returns ... and, at last sight, there is no reason to think that the Mummy could not return again.
1. The popularity of the original? The tradition of the '30s movies? Horror, action adventure? The tradition of the serials? The sequel as successful as the original in popular appeal?
2. The Egyptian locations, the re-creation of the era BC, the '30s? The side trip to London, the British Museum, the stately mansions? The importance of the special effects - especially for the death of the mummy, the resurrection of the Scorpion King, the army of the Scorpion King, of Anubis? The fights? The flight of the dirigible and the flood? The growth of the oasis and the destruction of the oasis? The rousing musical score?
3. Audience expectations of the sequel? The same characters and cast, a repetition of the action adventures of the first?
4. The prologue: ancient Egypt, the Scorpion King and his army, the flashbacks later in the film with Evie's memories to the Pharaoh, her being a Pharaoh's daughter, the clash with his assistant, the treachery of his bride-to-be, their deaths and becoming mummies? The fulfilment of prophecies?
5. Archaeology in the '30s in Egypt: discovering the sites, entering the tombs, opening up the vaults, the graves, finding the treasures? Hieroglyphs and Egyptian literature? The promises of future battles, glories and power?
6. The O'Connors and their work, the time passing since the original? Alex and their son, their educating him and taking him on their expeditions? Going into the vault? The contrast between brain and brawn with Rick and Evie? Opening up the tombs in the various styles? Evie and her visions and knowing how to open the tomb? The box with the bracelet? Alex and his taking the bracelet and wearing it, seeing the past and knowing the directions?
7. The tomb robbers and their attack on the O'Connors, on Alex? The ghosts rising and their fears? The rival archaeological site, the manager of the British Museum, the plans for the resurrecting of the Scorpion King? The earthquake on the site? The chieftain and his watching?
8. The return to England, settling down? The desire to go back? The resurrection of the mummy, his wanting his bride-to-be from the past? Her being present at the site, with the manager of the museum? The abduction of Evie, the plans for the sacrificial ritual and the restoration of power? The thieves coming to the mansion, the attack on the family, wanting to get the bracelet?
9. The ceremony in the British Museum, the rituals, the people present, their hopes? Being thwarted? The fights in the museum, the getting of the bus? The pursuit through London with the special effects of the chase?
10. The return to Egypt, Alex abducted? His knowing where to go? The mummy and his gradual restoration to life, sucking the life out of the villains in the train? Going cross-country and looking for the site of the oasis? The bride-to-be and her wanting power, on the train and her tricking the robbers?
11. The O'Connors and John coming with them? The upper-class twit and his greed, his help with the chase, driving the bus? His holding on to his treasure? Finding the friend in the desert, the dirigible, the jokes about flying, sailing through the air, the valley, the Pharaoh going to the water with Alex, summoning up his power, drying up the waterfall and sending it through the gorges, the attack on the dirigible?
12. The build-up to the confrontation at the oasis? The traps in the jungle, the pygmy ghosts and their destroying the forces? The race to the oasis and the pyramid, the rescue of Alex (and John proving himself a good shot)? Rick and his taking his son into the pyramid before sunrise? The confrontation between the two women, Evie remembering her role in the past and her fight with her father's bride-to-be? Her being killed? Alex and his plan to read the text and see if Evie could be revived, a success - with the help of John?
13. The revival of the Scorpion King by the manager of the British Museum? The resurrection of the powers and the army? The chieftain and his forces ready to confront them? The battle? The confrontation within the pyramid? The mummy and his going to fight the Scorpion King? Rick intervening? The struggles, the mummy's bride running away and not helping him, her death with the scorpions? The fight to the death with the spear, John helping and Alex with Rick's defeating the mummy and his going into a literal Hell? The restoration of the desert: Anubis's army dissolving into dust, the oasis disappearing? The happy ending as they all sailed to safety (and a possible sequel)?
14. The stereotype characters, the echoes of the serials and Indiana Jones - but audiences nonetheless enjoying the genre and its conventions?
