The Mummy
USA 1999
Reviewed by Kim Newman
Synopsis
Our synopses give away the plot in full, including surprise twists.
Egypt, 1290 BC. The high priest Imhotep conspires with royal mistress Anck-su-Namun to murder Pharaoh Seti. Anck-su-Namun kills herself to escape Pharaoh's guards, trusting Imhotep to raise her from the dead with sorcery. But Imhotep is buried alive in Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead.
In 1923, American Rick O'Connell discovers the now-lost Hamunaptra but he is driven off by tribesmen. Three years later, English wastrel Jonathan brings his librarian sister Evelyn an artefact from Hamunaptra he filched from O'Connell, who is imprisoned in Egypt awaiting execution. Evelyn persuades the warden to free O'Connell in exchange for a share of Hamunaptra's treasures. O'Connell's treacherous former comrade Beni guides a rival expedition to the lost city. Both sets of adventurers are attacked by warriors under the command of Ardeth Bay.
At Hamunaptra, Beni's associates open a casket thus invoking a curse, while Evelyn reads aloud from a book which revives the beetle-eaten, mummified Imhotep. Using supernatural powers, Imhotep pursues the adventurers to Cairo, overcoming his skeletal state by killing and absorbing assorted adventurers. Imhotep makes Beni his servant and captures Evelyn, intending to sacrifice her to revive Anck-su-Namun. O'Connell and Jonathan join forces with Bay, whose people have been guarding against Imhotep's return for millennia. At Hamunaptra, Jonathan reads from a book of counter-spells and the sacrifice is interrupted. Imhotep is destroyed and Beni trapped inside the sinking city. O'Connell and Evelyn pledge their love.
Review
Made shortly after Universal Pictures had transformed Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931) into franchises, Karl Freund's The Mummy (1933) combined Frankenstein's star (Boris Karloff) with a rewrite of Dracula's plot, all dressed up with cursed Egyptologists and reincarnated lost loves informed by newspaper legends of 'the curse of Tutankhamun'. In The Mummy Karloff is briefly glimpsed as the bandaged relic Imhotep but he spends most of his time as a parchment-faced sorcerer named Ardeth Bey. The Mummy's Hand (1940), and three lookalike sequels, stirred footage from the original into the brew, but split the Karloff roles between the bandaged, stumbling killer Kharis (Tom Tyler, later Lon Chaney Jr) and a succession of be-fezed evil high priests. When Universal licensed remake rights to Hammer, Terence Fisher's The Mummy (1959) mixed together elements from all five Universal films. Hammer made unrelated but imitative follow-ups, and The Mummy's homages consist of such unofficial remakes as La momia azteca (1957), the porno film Mummy Dearest (1990) and The Mummy Lives (1993).
Universal has been developing a new Mummy for over a decade, with Clive Barker and John Sayles among others attempting scripts. This action-picture retread juggles all the elements, while copping bits of business from almost all previous bandagers. A prologue tongue-cutting is cribbed exactly from Fisher and a sequence with a short-sighted victim menaced by a blurry monster comes from the most despised of all mummy movies, Hammer's negligible The Mummy's Shroud (1966).
Director Stephen Sommers (Deep Rising) doesn't skimp on ingredients, but over-eggs the pudding. The high concept was to do The Mummy as a Raiders of the Lost Ark-style period adventure. So we have a grinning Brendan Fraser and a fetchingly distressed Rachel Weisz facing a non-stop series of perils: marauding tribesmen, creepy crawlies, living sandstorms, rivers of blood, brainwashed Cairo hordes, a cadre of zombie warriors who take us briefly into Ray Harryhausen territory, and a self-burying city lifted from Howard Hawks' Land of the Pharaohs (1955). A side effect of this business is that the plot darts all over North Africa rather casually (making Hamunaptra one of the more accessible lost cities), deploying vast disasters - the plagues of Egypt are tossed in with an amazing disregard for logic, history, and the discrete myth bodies of Egypt and the Israelites - that threaten the end of the world.
With all this going on, there's sadly little time for the atmosphere, mystery and romance that make the Freund movie such an enduring gem. Karloff's Imhotep is a tragic but frightening figure yearning for his lost love; but Arnold Vosloo's smirking sorcerer here is first seen in an ancient version of a Double Indemnity-style triangle, and spends his post-resurrection time striding about and ripping body parts off his victims while indulging in CGI mouth-opening and plague-unleashing stunts. Even Anck-su-Namun is a nasty piece of work, coming back to life for a one-on-one slugfest with Evelyn in the amazingly crowded finish.
The Mummy is a mostly entertaining series of theme-park rides, but sorely misses out on magic, with its cardboard villains, fundamentally unlikable heroes, and endless irritating comic bits. It also offers offensive Egyptian stereotypes - the locals are all smelly, venal, lecherous, cowardly, boil-ridden, murderous or ugly here - which were unacceptable in the dignified 1933 movie. At least it manages to be an equal-opportunitities offender by characterising all Brits as stuffy, pompous and bumbling and all Yanks as violent, avaricious and philistine.
Credits
- Producers
- James Jacks
- Sean Daniel
- Screenplay
- Stephen Sommers
- Screen Story
- Stephen Sommers
- Lloyd Fonvielle
- Kevin Jarre
- Director of Photography
- Adrian Biddle
- Editor
- Bob Ducsay
- Kelly Matsumoto
- Production Designer
- Allan Cameron
- Music
- Jerry Goldsmith
- ©Universal Studios
- Production Companies
- Universal Pictures presents an Alphaville production
- Executive Producer
- Kevin Jarre
- Co-producer
- Patricia Carr
- Associate Producer
- Megan Moran
- Production Supervisor
- Morocco Crew:
- Abdelkrim Abouobayd
- Production Co-ordinators
- Patsy De Lord
- Morocco Crew:
- Hind Hanif
- Production Managers
- Morocco:
- Neil Ravan
- Morocco Crew:
- Abdelhafed Balafrej
- Unit Production Manager
- Jo Burn
- UK Unit Manager
- Peter Heslop
- 2nd Unit Manager
- Morocco Crew:
- Rachid Bouzida
- Location Co-ordinator
- Siobhan Lyons
- Location Managers
- Morocco:
- Terry Blyther
- Gilles Castera
- Gilles Charvin
- UK:
- Gilly Case
- Morocco Crew:
- Driss Gaidi
- Post-production Supervisor
- Doreen A. Dixon
- 2nd Unit Director
- Greg Michael
- Assistant Directors
- Cliff Lanning
- Adam Somner
- Jamie Christopher
- Jim Threapleton
- 2nd Unit:
- Peter Bennett
- Richard Styles
- Sophie Sorensen
- Gary Talbot
- Morocco Crew:
- Ahmed Hatimi
- Script Supervisors
- Sylvie Chesneau
- 2nd Unit:
- Anna Worley
- Natasha Coombs
- Casting
- John Hubbard
- Ros Hubbard
- US:
- Amy Taksen Somers
- 2nd Unit Director of Photography
- Harvey Harrison
- Camera Operators
- David Worley
- Robin Vidgeon
- 2nd Unit:
- Peter Taylor
- David Budd
- Visual Effects
- Supervisor:
- John Andrew Berton Jr
- Producer:
- Jennifer Bell
- Visual FX
- Production Co-ordinator:
- Lucy Killick
- Post-production Co-ordinator:
- Gabrielle Friekin
- Vista Vision Camera Operators:
- Steven Hall
- Andy Newall
- Matchmovers:
- Alex Head
- Simon Dunsdon
- Visual Effects
- Industrial Light &Magic
- Character Design Supervisor:
- Jeff Mann
- Animation Supervisor:
- Daniel Jeannette
- Visual Effects Producer:
- Tom Kennedy
- Computer Graphics Supervisors:
- Ben Snow
- Michael Bauer
- Scott Frankel
- CG Animation Supervisor:
- Dennis Turner
- Digital Model Supervisor:
- James Doherty
- Digital Colour Timing Supervisor:
- Kenneth Smith
- Visual Effects Art Director:
- Alex Laurant
- Associate Visual Effects Producer:
- Sandra Scott
- Lead Sequence Animator:
- Jenn Emberly
- Animators:
- Rudi Bloss
- Alain Costa
- Lesley Headrick
- Greg Kyle
- David Latour
- Julija Learie
- Aubry Mintz
- Mark Powers
- Dave Sidley
- Sharonne Solk
- Glenn Sylvester
- Si Tran
- CG Sequence Supervisors:
- Ed Kramer
- David Horsley
- Michael Dean Ludlam
- Lead Compositor:
- Marshall Krasser
- Computer Graphic Artists:
- Joakim Arnesson
- Todd Boyce
- Patrick Brennan
- Don Butler
- Amelia Chenoweth
- Kathleen Davidson
- David Deuber
- Gonzalo Escudero
- Raúl Essig
- Indira Guerrieri
- Jim Hagedorn
- Jongwoo Heo
- David Hisanaga
- Greg Juby
- Samson Kao
- Louis Katz
- Greg Killmaster
- Erik Krumrey
- Toan-Vinh Le
- Janice Lew
- Keith McCabe
- Bob Powell
- Bruce Powell
- Marc J. Scott
- Matthew Wallin
- R.D. Wegener
- Matte Painters:
- Ivo Horvat
- Richard Rische
- Mark Sullivan
- Visual Effects Co-ordinators:
- Margaret B. Lynch
- Peter Nicolai
- Concept Artists:
- Kirk Henderson
- Michael Jantze
- Erik Rigling
- Creature Sculptors:
- Richard Miller
- Daniel Wagner
- Digital Modellers:
- Edward Taylor IV
- Omz Velasco
- Lead Viewpaint Artist:
- Catherine Craig
- Viewpaint Artists:
- Donna Beard
- Derek Gillingham
- Terry Molatore
- Lead Creature Developer:
- Richard Grandy
- 3D Camera Matchmove Supervisors:
- Terry Chostner
- Selwyn Eddy III
- Location Matchmove Artist:
- Marla Selhorn
- 3D Matchmove Artists:
- Wendy Hendrickson-Ellis
- Randy Jonsson
- Jodie Maier
- Jeff Saltzman
- Lead Digital Paint Artist:
- Joanne Hafner
- Digital Paint/Roto Artists:
- Regan McGee
- Sandy Ritts
- Amy Shepard
- Motion Capture Supervisors:
- Jeff Light
- Seth Rosenthal
- Motion Capture Engineers:
- Doug Griffin
- Mike Sanders
- Visual Effects Editor:
- Tim Eaton
- Film Scanning Supervisor:
- Joshua Pines
- Film Scanning Operators:
- Randy Bean
- George Gambetta
- Digital Plate Restoration:
- Michele Spina
- Maria Goodale
- Software Research/Development:
- John Anderson
- Cary Phillips
- Nicolas Popravka
- Steve Sullivan
- Thebes/Hamunaptra Collapse Sequences
- Industrial Light & Magic
- Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Scott Farrar
- Visual Effects Director of Photography:
- Pat Sweeney
- Pyro Technician:
- Geoff Heron
- Model Supervisor:
- Barbara Affonso
- Modelmakers:
- Carol Bauman
- Tom Proost
- Kim Smith
- Wendy Morton
- Plate Co-ordinator:
- Diane Franey
- The Mummy Designers
- The ILM Character Design Group
- Mark Moore
- Alex Laurant
- Derek Thompson
- Benton Jew
- Brian O'Connell
- Miles Teves
- Carlos Huante
- Additional Visual Effects
- Cinesite
- Visual Effects Supervisor:
- Kevin Lingenfelser
- Visual Effects Producer:
- Ariana Lingenfelser
- Art Director:
- Lubo Hristov
- CG Supervisor:
- Richard Kidd
- CG Animators:
- John Hewitt
- John B. Wallace III
- James Peterson
- Scott Ballard
- CG Motion Tracker:
- Vicky Kwan
- Digital Compositors:
- Patrick Tubach
- Ted Andre
- David Lingenfelser
- Rotoscope Artist:
- Serena Naramore
- Digital Artist:
- Joe Dubs
- Visual Effects Editor:
- Kevin C. Clark
- Avid Editor:
- Jonathan Alvord
- Digital Data Supervisor:
- Tony Sgueglia
- 3D T.A. Supervisor:
- Vincent Lavares
- Digital Imaging Operator:
- Kristopher Gregg
- Miniatures
- Vision Crew
- Special Effects Supervisor
- Chris Corbould
- Live Action Creature Effects Supervisor
- Nick Dudman
- Special Effects
- Supervisors:
- Stephen Hamilton
- Andy Williams
- Senior Technicians:
- David Eltham
- Nick Finlayson
- David Knowles
- Paul Knowles
- Peter Notley
- Roy Quinn
- Andy Smith
- Brian Warner
- Technicians:
- Richard Brown
- Paul Clancy
- Michael Fox
- Darrell Guyon
- Steve Knowles
- Shaun Rutter
- Animatronic Designers:
- David Keen
- Ian Lowe
- Ian Mitchell
- Tom Murtagh
- Wire Supervisor:
- David Williams
- Technician/Wind Operator:
- Graham Brooker
- Administrator:
- Lynne Corbould
- Wire Effects Supervisor
- Robert Schofield
- Modellers
- Matthew Neave
- Joel Rodgers
- Julien Short
- Emma Hanson
- Live Action Mummy Design
- Gary Pollard
- Mummy Fabrication Supervisor
- Shirley Cooper
- Animatronic Model Design
- Chris Barton
- Key Animatronics Model Designers
- Mark Coulier
- Michelle Taylor
- Animatronic Model Designers
- Jonathan Abbas-Klahr
- Astrig Akseralian
- Maria Boggi
- John Coppinger
- Naomi Critcher
- Malcolm Evans
- Louise Elsey
- Tamzine Hanks
- Shaune Harrison
- Kate Hill
- Terry Jones
- Paul Spateri
- Howard Swindell
- Steve Wright
- Foam Supervisor
- Andy Lee
- Foam Technician
- Keith Wilson
- Supervising Mold Maker
- Raymond Tricker
- Mouldmakers
- Stuart Bray
- Kenneth Clarke
- Modelmaker
- Brian Best
- Art Directors
- Tony Reading
- Giles Masters
- Clifford Robinson
- Peter Russell
- Morocco Crew:
- Ahmed Abounouom
- Set Decorator
- Peter Howitt
- Draughtspeople
- Andy Nicholson
- Alex Cameron
- Scenic Artist
- James Gemmill
- Storyboard Artist
- Stephen Forrest-Smith
- Supervising Sculptor
- Roy Rodgers
- Sculptors
- Tessa Harrison
- Toby Short
- Richard Smith
- Costume Designer
- John Bloomfield
- WardrobeSupervisor
- David Murphy
- Make-up
- Key Artist:
- Aileen Seaton
- Artists:
- Jane Buxton
- Jane Walker
- Body Painter
- Sarah J. Berry
- 2nd Unit Hair & Make-up
- Sallie-Anne Evans
- Mummy Make-up Artists
- Sarita Allison
- Joanne Manning
- Mummy Movement Co-ordinator
- Michael McGinn
- Key Hairdresser
- Tricia Cameron
- Main and End Titles Design
- Imaginary Forces
- Opticals
- Pacific Title/Mirage
- Choir
- The Ambrosian Singers
- Orchestration
- Alexander Courage
- Supervising Music Editor
- Ken Hall
- Music Editors
- Darrell Hall
- Temp:
- John Finklea
- Music Recording
- Mike Ross Trevor
- Music Programming
- Nick Vidar
- Music Engineers
- Steve Orchard
- Peter Mills
- Music Mixer
- Bruce Botnick
- Soundtrack
- "'Al Nahla Al 'Ali (The Tall Palm Tree)" by Metqal Qenawi Metqal, Yunis Al Hilali, performed by The Musicians of the Nile; "'Al Bahr Al Gharam Wasah (Love Is As Vast As a River)" by Mohamed Murad, Yunis Al Hilali, performed by The Musicians of the Nile; "Revive La Ilusión" by German Pedro Ibañez, performed by Septeto Habañero
- Sound Design
- Leslie Shatz
- Sound Mixers
- Chris Munro
- 2nd Unit:
- Ian Munro
- David Crozier
- Re-recording Mixers
- Leslie Shatz
- Chris Carpenter
- Rick Kline
- Dubbing Recordists
- Tim Webb
- Bill Meadows
- Dialogue Editor
- Michael Magill
- Sound Effects Editor
- Richard Burton
- ADR
- Recordists:
- Mark Lassbery
- Terry Isted
- Scott Schmidt
- Mixers:
- John Bateman
- Ted Swanscott
- David Horner
- Supervising Editor:
- Patrick Dodd
- Foley
- Artists:
- John B. Roesch
- Hilda Hodges
- David Fein
- Michael Broomberg
- Recordist:
- Carolyn Tapp
- Mixer:
- Mary Jo Lang
- Editor:
- Jonathan Klein
- Egyptology Consultant
- Dr Stuart Smith
- Bi-Plane Technical Adviser
- Tony Bianchi
- Stunt Co-ordinator
- Simon Crane
- Swordmaster
- Nicholas Powell
- Armourers
- Simon Atherton
- Derek Atherton
- Horsemaster
- Greg Powell
- Horse Trainers
- Morocco:
- Pedro García García
- Luis Gutiérez Santos
- Eugenio Alonso Yenes
- Chariots:
- Lex Ruddiman
- Bi-Plane Pilot
- Jonathan Whaley
- Cast
- Brendan Fraser
- Rick O'Connell
- Rachel Weisz
- Evelyn
- John Hannah
- Jonathan
- Arnold Vosloo
- Imhotep
- Kevin J. O'Connor
- Beni
- Jonathan Hyde
- the Egyptologist
- Oded Fehr
- Ardeth Bay
- Omid Djalili
- warden
- Erick Avari
- the curator
- Aharon Ipalé
- Pharaoh Seti
- Patricia Velasquez
- Anck-su-Namun
- Carl Chase
- Hook
- Stephen Dunham
- Henderson
- Corey Johnson
- Daniels
- Tuc Watkins
- Burns
- Bernard Fox
- Winston Havelock
- Mohammed Afifi
- hangman
- Abderrahim El Aadili
- camel trader
- Blixa Bargeld
- Spirit Voices
- Jake Arnott
- Mason Ball
- Isabel Brook
- Peter Chequer
- Porl Smith
- James Traheme Burton
- Ian Warner
- Tom Struthers
- Mummy performers
- Certificate
- tbc
- Distributor
- United International Pictures (UK) Ltd
- tbc feet
- tbc minutes
- Digital DTS sound/SDDS/Dolby digital
- Colour by
- DeLuxe
- Anamorphic [Panavision]