THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
US, 2008, 112 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh, Luke Ford, Isabella Leong, Anthony Wong Chau- Sang, Russell Wong, Liam Cunningham, David Calder.
Directed by Rob Cohen.
Brendan Fraser swept on to the screen in 1999 as Ric O’ Connell, archaeology expert and adventurer, whose talent also lay in combating evil Egyptian Mummies who rose from the dead and threatened, well, everyone. This was Indiana Jones territory (and there hadn’t been one of those films for more than ten years) but Ric and co were more than adequate, if lower-budget, substitutes. Rachel Weisz turned out to be a vigorous adventurer as well, though John Hannah as her dippy brother, was along for the ride and getting himself into danger. It worked so well that a sequel was desirable and inevitable, The Mummy Returns as did Fraser, Weisz and Hannah. And audiences were delighted.
After quite a while, here comes another sequel and just after Indiana Jones has turned up again. I don’t know whether Steven Spielberg would be too pleased, but this third Mummy film seemed much more enjoyable than adventures in the kingdom of the crystal skull.
One of the difficulties for any sequel is that the novelty of the original has worn off. However, this time the action moves away from Egypt and Scorpion Kings to China and Dragon Emperors.
The prologue to this adventure takes us back to a ruthless ruler who wanted to be emperor and stopped at nothing to vanquish foes – and there are plenty of action effects to make this introduction to the film spectacularly exciting. But our emperor, played by Jet Li, wants immortality and summons a benign witch (Michelle Yeoh) to get the elixir of life. When she falls in love with his general, the wrath of the emperor descends and he and his computergraphic thousands of warriors do battle. But, he and his warriors are bewitched and buried and for millennia have just been waiting for someone to pour the elixir into his tomb and - the emperor mummy and the soldiers (bearing a remarkable resemblance to the Chinese terra cotta soldiers) will return. And that’s just the prologue!
It is 1946 and Ric and Evy have retired to England while their now grown-up son, Alex, is not studying but, in fact, is in China, digging up and discovering… guess what and who!
The film is definitely old-time Saturday matinee material, the adventures like those old serials with their cliffhangers at the end of each episode. Needless to say, Ric and Evy (this time Maria Bello instead of Rachel Weisz, a bit disconcerting as brunette instead of blonde) are sent to China, discover Alex and find themselves entangled with the resuscitated emperor (who has the ability to shape shift, including into a monstrous three-headed dragon) and the terra cotta forces. Fortunately, the witch is immortal (as is her charming and martial arts trained daughter), so the O’ Connells have some allies. But they also have some extra enemies in the form of a Chinese general who wants to raise the emperor, serve him and conquer all China (is this an anti-Mao sentiment!).
Intensely serious students of archaeology might have a number of quibbles over plot details and might find it hard to suspend disbelief in all the magic, but the rest of us, in holiday mood, will probably enjoy it for the tongue-in-cheek spectacular adventure that it is.
The popularity of the Mummy films? Heroics, adventures, exotic locations, special effects? History and archaeology?
How effective was this as a sequel? The continuity with the earlier films? Rick and Evy and their being older, parents, retired, bored, their son? Living in England and its style? Rick and his fishing, failing with the fly-fishing, shooting the fish? Evie and the high English life? Their son, thinking he was at school?
1. The prologue, going into the Chinese past, the landscapes, the political clashes, the troops, the palaces, the battles and the slaughter, the search for the elixir of life? The emperor, his attack on his general, on the witch? His death, his tomb?
2. The UK, 1946, the background of China, the excavations, China and its locations, the excavations, the layout of the tomb, the travel over the countryside? The musical score?
3. The special effects, the tomb, the fights within the tomb, Shanghai and the club, the clashes in the tomb, the resuscitation of the emperor, his shape shifting and becoming the dragon? The terracotta soldiers and their transformation? The readiness for battle? The thousands of troops and the battle sequences?
4. The general, in the tomb, his squad, the attack on the archaeologists? Roger Wilson and his change of heart, alliance with the general? Confrontation with Alex?
5. Alex, his age, not at school, in China, the archaeology, with Wilson, the discovery, the fall, his parents?
6. Lin and her guarding the tomb, fighting the archaeologists, becoming their ally, immortal, her relationship with her mother? Her participation in the battles? Her mother’s death?
7. Rick and Evy, their relationship with Alex, concern about him, going to Shanghai, discovering him in the club, the relationship with Jonathan? Their participation in the adventures, the fights, the elixir and bringing the jewel to China?
8. The witch and her story, as a personality, her love for the general, his death, the emperor trying to kill her? Her immortality, reappearance, love for her daughter? Prepared to give up her immortality? Her fight with the emperor, her death?
9. The daughter and her participation in the adventure, falling in love with Alex? Losing her immortality?
10. Rick and Evy and their personalities, in action, in Shanghai, with Jonathan, their help, the rescue, the flights, the fights?
11. Jonathan, his club, his friends, the fights? His participation in the adventures – and his opting out?
12. Mad Dog Maguire, the plane, the travel, the fights?
13. The atmosphere of the old-time serials? The cliff-hangers? The adventures – boys’ and girls’ own adventures?
