The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Universal Pictures)
Mummy Knows Best
Let me state right off that I am a fan of the Mummy movies. I like the adventure, comedy and romance that seem to go along with a Mummy title. So I went into The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor expecting to like it and I did. Was it a classic movie No way! But was it a fun moviegoing experience You bet!
In this second sequel Rick OConnell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evie, (Maria Bello replacing Rachel Weisz) are retired from their derring do days. They are living in a stately mansion in Britain and are trying to keep tabs on their son Alex (Luke Ford). He keeps dropping out of college and going on jaunts like those which enthralled his father.
In one such adventure Alex discovers the tomb of the dragon emperor. His father, mother and his Uncle Jonathan (John Hannah) meet up with him and are around when the Emperor (Jet Li) comes back to life after being dead for centuries.
Now the entire OConnell family has the task of keeping the Emperor and his troops from becoming immortal. They are aided in this quest by a mother daughter team (Michelle Yeoh and Isabella Leong) who have their own reasons for fighting the Emperor.
The action is constant in this movie and the comedy is still there to smooth the edges of the violence. Fraser has never been the typical hero. He comes across a little too dumb to be smart, but he is fun just the same.
Bello has a dark wig and longer teeth in an effort to make her look a little like the British Evie. It doesnt succeed but she is still energetic and throws herself into the fray. She has more chemistry with Fraser than Weisz had, but both Bello and Fraser look years too young to be the parent of Ford. That age gaffe is a little disconcerting but the movie is all comic book style anyway so what different does a little miscasting make.
Jet Li is the perfect villain as always. He has that creepy, evil sneer down to perfection. The special effects folks have given him a lot of toys to play with and he does so with enthusiasm.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.
The Mummy is lightweight entertainment, as lacking in content as cotton candy is in health value. Still every now and then it is just fun to relax and watch a mindless adventure that entertains.
I scored The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor a discovered 6 out of 10.
