I didn’t originally intend to review this movie. Movie reviews are not my strong point and because I loved this flick so much I didn’t think I could be unbiased. But the amount of youngsters I saw attending the viewing of this movie has spurred me into action. First things first.

Synopsis

Brandon Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprise their roles as Rick and Evelyn ten years into the future. They now have an adventure-seeking son, played by Freddie Boath, and both seem to have remained devote adventure seekers. Ardeth Bay returns as the desert protector of Imhotep’s secret and John Hannah as Evelyn’s brother. Also reprising their original roles of Imhotop and Anck-Su-Namun are Arnold Vosloo and Patricia Velasquez.

A chain of events leads our Scooby crew to come, once again, up close and personal with the ever-decaying Imhotep. Just to add a new twist the writers decided to throw in an additional bad guy who goes by the name of the Scorpion King, played by The Rock.

A group of treasure hunters raise Imhotep from the dead (yet again) and, figuring he’ll need a playmate, next go to work on reanimating the Scorpion King. Imhotep has an agenda of his own. He plans to trick the Scorpion King, who seems to have the intelligence of a golf ball (won’t be tough), into presiding over his army and thereby enabling him to take over the world. In an action-packed trip around the world, Rick and the gang must save his kidnapped son, defeat the bad guys and ensure the survival of the human race.

Sounds simple enough, right? Maybe.

Kudos

The action is intense and highly entertaining. The special effects are incredible. I’ll even go as far as saying this Mummy is a tad better then the original. The graphics are awe-inspiring and the two hours it takes to complete the story fly by and leave you wishing for another ten minutes.

I just LOVE the reference to after life in this movie. I don’t want to give the actual characters away but the director does a wonderful job of switching back and forth between ancient times and 1933. Sure it’s predictable but oh how fun to wait for the outcome!

Fraser and Weisz work very well together. We get more of a chance to know them this time around and see their romance shine. This Mummy lacks what the first one couldn’t deliver…emotion. It’s twice the action, twice the special effects and has thrown in some human feeling to boot. What adult could ask for anything more? The key word here is adult.

Shame On You Ratings System

Here’s my chief complaint with this movie and I’m not just ranting here, I am advising parents everywhere. This movie should be rated R!

About one eighth of the movie viewers were under the age of 13. Another eighth were between the age of 13 and 17. I, like most movie watchers, have become dulled to most forms of violence in film. Hey, if it makes an action movie more heart pounding and helps to deliver a point…bring it on. BUT, when a movie this violent gains a PG-13 rating I have to cringe. The scenes where the mummy is taking form (and taking others’ form) and where the beetles are devouring their prey are quite graphic and ten times more shocking then the first Mummy movie. There is also a scene were pygmies are going on a rampage in the jungle. Tearing up everything in site, it doesn’t make for an emotionally stable picture. The director/writer cleverly created them with a sense of humor but this still does not disguise some of the appalling acts they perform.

I personally like that feeling of being grossed out (there’s that desensitized feeling again) but the two preteens sitting behind me with their mother almost dissolved into tears. While they cheered and pumped their fists at most of the violent scenes (typical boys) their whimpering during just two of the above mentioned scenes ripped at my heart. As a parent, I would have immediately walked my child out and asked for my money back. They were obviously not ready to view this kind of violence. Yes I know, it was the mother’s fault, right? Wrong. It was our rating system swaying her judgment in the first place.

This movie is not for preteens. I highly recommend that parents keep an R rating in mind. Unless your teen is mature beyond their years and has also become desensitized (which is sad in itself) to this kind of violence I do not recommend this film. That’s not to take away from my 5 star rating, because the movie itself is wonderful. I’m not “dogging” the writer/director. I’m disgusted with the person who gave it a PG-13 rating.

Final Thoughts

Run, don’t walk to see The Mummy Returns. It’s a wonderfully entertaining movie. Just make sure you don’t take your children with you.




Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age