Spooky Season 2022: The Mummy (1999) Review

Not to be confused with the universally-hated version from 2019 starring Tom Cruise, 1999’s The Mummy is a lot better. The latter version offering an engaging, fun, and action-packed thrill ride featuring iconic performances and a terrifying villain.

Deep in the Sahara Desert in 1925, a group of archeologists stumble across an ancient tomb that they accidentally open, unleashing a 3000 year old mummy, who begins to wreak havoc and terror upon the living.

The film is a lot of fun and full of 1990s energy and classic 1990s action nostalgia. However, the film is also quite horrifying at times. Some jump scares are effective but the real horror comes from the film’s antagonist Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo). His invulnerability and the way he dispatches foes is quite haunting, adding to the overall stakes. Imhotep’s visuals and design is quite ghastly, up until he turns into his human form that is. Ultimately, a brilliant performance from Vosloo ties is all together, creating an intimidating presence that is still terrifying.

The cast is perfect with Fraser in one of his best and most beloved roles as Rick O’Connell and Weisz who gives a compelling performance as Evelyn Carnahan. Both stars have undeniable chemistry on screen, making audiences believe in their romance and connection. The characters are pretty generic and somewhat copycats of other famous explorers, librarians and comic relief characters. They do a great job of making these characters their own. The story is straightforward and on the fairly predictable side but despite that, is so much fun, culminating in a thrilling and highly-entertaining watch.

Some may not associate a film such as The Mummy with comedy but the film surprisingly provides it in spades. The humor works than to the brilliant comic timing of the cast. Fraser’s O’Connell is just as funny as he is cool and the rest of cast all get their moments to shine. Meanwhile, the film has aged beautifully with visuals that are still very impressive by today’s standards. Sure, some moments may look a little cheap. However, for the most part, the CG is still as crisp as it was back when the film was first released. Praise has to be given to the film’s production design and the practical effects which only add to the immersion factor and realism and make the film more engaging.

At the end of the day, The Mummy is an incredibly entertaining, somewhat terrifying and action-packed thrill ride deserving of its cult status. The film fires on all cylinders, delivering action, humor, horror, great visuals, and a brilliant cast, resulting in a phenomenal 1990s action classic and a fun watch for any spooky season.

*still courtesy of Universal Pictures*

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Olly Dyche

Journalist, Writer, Film Critic and Professional Nerd. You will probably find Olly at the cinema chomping down on some popcorn and taking in the glorious visuals of the latest theatrical release.