User Reviews

I do have a question, what ever happened to the slow walking lame Egyptian mummies? I mean, as silly as they are, they're still entertaining. Now we have The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, I loved The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, it was watchable, but this one was just an excuse to make some quick cash. I was actually looking forward to seeing this movie, I got the opportunity to see it today, I was excited, but unfortunately, we now have Chinese mummies that can do anything that will fit into the CGI budget. Another disappointment was the recasting of Evelyn, I know Rachel Weisz turned this script down, but she was seriously needed, Maria Bella, who is a decent actress, actually made Evie a very flat character and not as enjoyable. Then not only that, but we have Brendan and Maria who do look incredibly good for their age, they have a 20 year old son in the movie? This story was a waste of time and money.

The Emperor of China wanted to rule the entire world, but when a Chinese witch curses him and his army, he is put to sleep for thousands of years. Rick and Evie are now retired and have lost the spark in their relationship, but when they are asked to go to Shanghai to deliver a small little ball, they bump into their son who has discovered the Emperor. Rick and Evie are forced to wake the mummy by his followers. Now the whole family with Jonathan and the protector who was supposed to keep the emperor from rising, must destroy the Emperor or he will take over the entire world.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has some OK moments, I loved the beginning story and the ending battle scene is held pretty strong, it's worth the look for that, but I would say this is more of a rental. It's just a sad disappointment, considering how much better it could have been. The one liners were too cheesy and we have three headed dragons, karate kicking abdominal snow men, why not just go all the way and have leprechauns with machine guns? That's how out of control the CGI effects are. Luke Ford makes Brandon Fraiser look like Marlon Brando with his acting and the love story between him and the protector girl was useless. Like I said, wait for the rental, not the worst movie of this year, but a huge let down for sure.

5/10

In ancient China the warlord Qin Shi Huang conquered the surrounding kingdoms, learnt magical powers and was declared emperor; that wasn't enough though… he wanted immortality. To this end he summons Zi Yuan, a sorceress, who has the power to make him immortal. She casts a spell then he kills his friend and closest ally, who is also Zi Yuan's lover. It then turns out she has cursed him and his army; he burns while his army turns to terracotta.

In 1946 Alex O'Connell, the son of Rick and Evelyn, the protagonists in the original two film, is searching for Qin Shi Huang's tomb. He finds in and, after surviving a number of traps, excavates it. Its contents are then taken to Shanghai. In an apparent coincidence Rick and Evelyn have been asked to transport the 'Eye of Shangri-La' to China. They are reunited with Alex just as they all learn that they have been betrayed; General Yang, a rogue military commander, has plans to use the eye to raise the emperor from the dead so that he can rule not just China but the whole world. The Emperor is brought back to life but is still effected by the curse; if he is to be free of the curse and raise his army the Emperor must travel to Shangri-La… something that the O'Connell's, along with Lin, a beautiful Chinese woman who is charged with guarding the tomb and has the only weapon that can kill the emperor, and Rick's brother in law, Jonathan Carnahan, are determined to stop.

This the third of the Mummy movies was entertaining for the most part; I liked how the action had moved to a new location… even if it was probably motivated by a desire to make money in China. The action is almost non-stop and for the most pert it is pretty exciting. Introducing Rick's son added a sense of danger as at one point it looked as though Rick was going to die and pass the baton as series protagonist to Alex. The cast did a solid enough job although I missed Rachel Weisz, in the role of Evelyn; Maria Bello wasn't bad in the role but I think it would have been better if she had been an entirely different character. Luke Ford was a good addition as Alex and I enjoyed Isabella Leong's performance as Lin. Michelle Yeoh impressed as Lin and Jet Li was okay as the Emperor… sadly most of the time he was hidden behind CGI so felt somewhat underused. As well as action there was plenty to laugh out; some of the gags were more groan inducing than laugh out loud funny but that didn't matter. Overall this isn't a must see film but it is solid enough and while there is a lot of action it is of the type that can be enjoyed by most ages.

This movie is painful to watch.

The special effects are decent, but everything else is an absolute mess. The first half of the movie is a series of cringeworthy jokes and atrocious dialog. Once the action picks up, it doesn't get much better because of how campy and cheesy the action really is.

There is a big final battle at the end, but even that's pretty disappointing.

At one point, a Yeti throws a dude through another Yeti's arms, simulating a goal.

This movie is bad... Really bad.

I loved The Mummy. I ADORED The Mummy Returms. I... was slightly entertained by Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon emperor.

Characters return, the same humor comes back and several links are made with the prequels, but this movie just doesn't have the magic and suspense that the two previous movies had.

The story is a little far-fetched, but it works I guess. A Chinese emperor is cursed and turns into a clay warrior (terracotta I believe it's called), along with his army. In the far future (20th century) he is brought back to life using the elixir of eternal youth (how convenient...). Now it's up to our Mummy fighters from the previous movies to put a stop to him before it's too late.

The acting was a little... childish. I think they tried too hard to make this movie more 'kiddy' then the prequels. The previous movies had real scares and good, frightening moments. This film however wasn't scary at all, just a bit gory at times; but it's not much and usually looks a bit cheesy.

However there is one good point: the CGI effects. There's a lot of creative eye candy in this movie. So this movie is slightly saved by the effects, but not enough to ensure a must-see status.

Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is sadly a disappointment compared to the prequels. If you are a die-hard fan of the previous movies (mainly the characters), then go watch it. Just don't expect as much as you did with the prequels.

In the end, this movie gets 6 out of 10 stars from me. Watchable, but not for more then once.

When I entered the cinema today to see The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, I felt certain that I would be getting a film that was great fun to watch, didn't worry too much about the plot and was supported by some great casting. But, very rarely for me, I was wrong, on two counts. This film had all the action, and all the laughs of its predecessors, yet it certainly had the strongest plot out of all of the trilogy. On this occasion, I was glad to be wrong. However, the casting was where it all fell apart, hence why this film has earned 7 brownie points from me, rather than the 9 it would have otherwise deserved. Firstly, Maria Bello was quite possibly the worst choice for Evelyn that could possibly have been made. I noticed more chemistry between Jonathon and that yak than between Rick and Evelyn in this movie. Secondly, Luke Ford, while a decent actor, bore no family resemblance to either Brendan or Maria. By the way, did anybody else remember that in the second movie, his hair was blond? Quite a large slip up there. There were five saving graces in the cast, however: Brendan Fraser once again pulled off Rick O'Connell, Jet Li was equally as evil as his predecessor, Michelle Yeoh was astounding as Zi Yuan and John Hannah provided plenty of comic relief with his lovably irritating Jonathan. Finally, the Yetis! These were an unexpected addition that, surprisingly, worked quite well.

To finish, go and see this movie if you want a film that gives some cheap thrills, without pretending to be anything else.

It has been a decade since the events of part II, and seven years since the release of that film. Imhotep and friends are now permanently embalmed, but a new kind of mummy is in its stead, not in Africa or the Middle East, but in China, the other "EAST". The year is 1947, and the O'Conells have retired from mummy adventures and wartime espionage. Evelyn has released two-best selling books based on her real-life adventures (named after the previous two movies), while Ricky O'Conell tries unsuccessfully to make a living out of fly-fishing. Alex (played by Australian actor Luke Ford) is now an adult and has dropped out of school to follow the footsteps of his parents by discovering the long-lost army of Han, the Dragon Emperor. With backing from his old professor, Roger Wilson, he achieves this goal, but suddenly receives an uninvited guest in the form of a mysterious woman named Lin (Isabella Leong). Meanwhile, the older O'Connells come out of retirement to send a diamond known as the Eye of Shangri-La back to China as a gesture to maintain solid British-Chinese relations. In Shanghai, they reunite with Jonathan, who owns Imhotep, a posh nightclub named after the antagonist of the previous two films. After arriving to the museum in which Alex has moved the Dragon Emperor to, Roger Wilson double-crosses them and, with the aid of General Yang and his second-in command Choi, they bring back to life the Dragon Emperor and a new Mummy returns to claim his share of glory in the modern world.

First of all, this movie is NOT as bad as the cynics might say. I've seen films that are a lot worse than this one, and the movie's 114 mins are not wasted time in any way. Let's start with the movie's strengths: First of all, the film's assets are the special effects, which are breath-taking, and so are the highly-imaginative action sequences (especially the Shanghai chase scene). The jokes, although cornier than the previous films, still make you laugh and Maria Bello makes an acceptable replacement to Rachel Weisz, who played Evelyn in the first and second Mummy movies. Jet Li's character is an adequate substitute for Imhotep and it's nice to seem fight hand-to-hand combat in the finale.

Now comes the weaknesses: the movie suffers from a number of credibility issues. First of all, Alex O'Connor seems to have aged dramatically while his parents have not, especially his father. It is awkward to see Brendan Fraser's character, who has not even aged a wink from the previous films, be the father of this young man. To me, Rick O'Connell looks more like an older brother than a father to Alex. Maria Bello is satisfying here, but Rachel Weisz had more edge. Also, I don't think this movie is trying to rehash the story of the previous films, but rather it's trying too hard to stand out from its predecessors. Lin, Alex's love interest, is an interesting newcomer to the clan, but the screenplay hinders much of that character's potential.

The movie is not a bad one, but it is not that great either. It is definitely flawed, but not to the point that makes it a pain to watch. As a summer actioner, you'll never be bored as it has enough mummies, laughs, car chases, and special effects to make your money's worth and makes it stand out from your typical big-budget flick. If you're stressed out, bored, or just want to see another movie after seeing the Dark Knight many times (such as myself) then this movie is for you, and you won't regret spending 114 minutes of our time watching it. Those searchinig for "smart" films should look elsewhere.

Since we saw Mummy III and Hellboy II as a drive-in double bill we're doing sort of a twofer - reviewing both movies simultaneously and posting under both titles - because we discovered that we were actually watching the same movie twice. It was a fascinating way to see these films; giving us the opportunity to directly compare and contrast them and analyze why one succeeded and the other failed.

Synopsis: Ancient Relic must be returned to Undead Villain so that Villain might be reanimated in order to summon his Demon Army and destroy the World. Hero's task is to thwart this process. In the course of attempting to prevent Armageddon, Hero is nearly killed but is saved at the last minute by Love. Hero's power is not great enough to stop Villain, so secondary characters must make the Ultimate Sacrifice in order to dispatch Villain and Save the World. The End. If it all sounds familiar it's because it's also the plot of nearly every superhero or fantasy movie made over the last umpteen years. Note to Hollywood: It's time to come up with a new plot line, OK? Please?

We were expecting to enjoy Mummy III. First, there was Brendan Fraser and most of the cast of the previous Mummy films. Then there was the rich potential of the setting - the Terra Cotta Warriors, the mystery and lore of China...even a trip to Shangri-La and Yetis. The table was set for a feast of mystery, wonder and enchantment. How could they not produce an entertaining film out of all this?

One word: Writing. We're always amazed when megabuck films apparently cap the writing budget at a buck ninety-seven. Early on, didn't anyone involved in this say, "Hey, the script we're working from really stinks!"? The rich mythology available to them was utterly wasted by the writers. Shangri-La was a cheesy set that served only as a platform for one of the progressive plot elements. The Yeti, though well done, performed their little shtick and left the scene. One appearance by the shape-shifting villain as a three-headed dragon and so much for the fascinating potential of Chinese dragon lore. The hero's skeletal army could have offered another little tribute to Ray Harryhausen (as was done so well in the first Mummy), but no, why bother? And the dialogue was uniformly clumsy, blunt and contributed nothing to either character development or plot movement.

The writers in Mummy III were obviously in video game mode. Video games need progressive plot tasks. So the Relic is returned to the Villain. But wait - now the Villain must carry a jewel to the mountains that will reveal the location of Shangri-La. But wait - now the Villain must enter the waters of Shangri-La to be fully restored. But wait - now the Villain must return to his tomb and summon his Terra Cotta Army. But wait - now the Army must make it over the Great Wall in order to achieve immortality. And so it goes. Played out like the levels of a video game, and with even less explanation of the rationale than you'd get in a video game. These are game levels rather than story elements, and since the audience's need to be informed isn't fulfilled, it winds up not understanding - and consequently not caring about - what's going on.

In Hellboy II director/writer del Toro had the more difficult task. Without a wealth of Chinese mythology to squander, he had to invent his own...but he does it so very well (to see what we mean, watch Pan's Labyrinth - please!). Del Toro is an imaginative story teller and myth maker and proves it in Hellboy II. He also appreciates something the writers of Mummy III don't - the wonder of small magic. The single moment in Mummy III that made my wife "Ooooh!" was the transformation of the egg-thing that awakened the emperor. Beautifully done - but the only thing of its kind in the movie. Everything else was bigger than life, overblown. In contrast, del Toro is full of small magic. From tooth fairies to troll markets to wheels within wheels, he understands that an audience can be just as enchanted by the small wonder as by the huge spectacle. It's the difference between stage and close-up magic. Make an airliner disappear and I will only wonder about the mechanics of how you did it. Make a coin float in mid-air before my eyes and I will be mystified.

A hallmark of both the Mummy and the Hellboy franchises is the effective use of humor. Mummy fell flat at every attempt. thanks to inept writing. Hellboy pulled it off very well - two love stricken, clueless guys getting plastered to Barry Manilow's "Can't Smile Without You" was delightful. We also have to mention del Toro's mastery of lighting, set design and mood. His movies are consistently visually evocative, which makes a good movie even better.

The movies shared one flaw with several other recent movies: climactic action scenes that go into visual and auditory overload, causing the eyes to glaze over and reducing the ability to comprehend what's going on. When we lose the ability to take in what you're showing us this is a bad thing. Please don't toss everything at us at once just because you can - let us absorb your work so we can fully appreciate it. Had the intense action not drenched us a few times in Hellboy II it would have another star.

In summary, both movies had capable casts and premises with wonderful potential. Mummy III failed, sadly, to capitalize while Hellboy II succeeded very well. The difference was the quality of the writing and the talent of the directing. We only wish the Mummy III crew could take a mulligan, sit down and take a few lessons from del Toro and try again. It's a shame that can't happen.