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Movie Review: The Mummy-Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
- By Aubrey Ward III
- Published 08/4/2008
- Fantasy
-
Rating:
Aubrey Ward III
A gifted and talented soul that was fortunate to be shaped and molded in the fires of 80s pop culture. I now spend my free time reading comic books, playing video games, and watching all kinds of movies while impatiently waiting for She-Ra's big comeback.
View all articles by Aubrey Ward III
The O'Connells are going to China in this third chapter in The Mummy movie series. This time around the mummy is a ruthless warlord (Jet Li) who conquers all of China and crowns himself emperor. He enlists the help of a sorceress, Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh), to help him find an immortality spell. The emperor pulls an underhanded stunt on Zi Juan but the sorceress is one step ahead. Instead of giving the emperor eternal life she curses him and his entire army to an eternity encased in clay.
Fast forward to 1946 where a college age Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) has unearthed the emperor's tomb. When some misguided forces decide to revive the evil despot it's up to Alex and his parents (Brendan Fraser & Maria Bello) to put the Dragon Emperor back to rest before the world is crushed under his reign. Don't worry. I left out plenty of details and surprises. Most of this is in the trailer, anyway.
Actually, the plot is pretty much like the first and second "Mummy" movies. Some dude is cursed back in ancient times, then ressurrected. He wreaks all kinds of havoc while he walks among the living and Rick, Evie and their merry men have to put him back to sleep before the world is destroyed.
This time around instead of a lovelorn priest the cursed being is a power hungry despot. He conquered all of China but now he can conquer the entire planet. This emperor also has an edge with his ability to manipulate the elements such as water and fire.
Along with the new mummy there are some new dynamics to look forward to involving the returning characters. We learn early on that Rick and Evie O'Connell have retired from the adventuring business and are now living the stately manor life in England. And they are bored to tears. We know it won't be long before they're on the hunt for another undead menace.
Another interesting plot thread is the relationship between the O'Connells and their son. It seems the father and son bond has been strained by all the adventuring and Rick.....let's just say firing his pistols while dangling from a plane comes easier than fatherhood. Meanwhile, Alex is determined to prove that he can take care of his own business.
This behavior results in young Alex getting himslef into a lot of tricky and deadly situations. Yes, who ever imagined that family angst would would be featured in a "Mummy" movie?
Brendan Fraser returns to play Rick O'Connell and thank goodness. I honestly can't imagine anyone else in the role and I don't want to. It is the perfect vehicle for him because it allows Fraser to show his action side, his comedy skills, and his dramatic flair all in one shot. My only problem is Fraser looks too darn good to play the dad of a 18 to 20 year old. Could they not afford to put some grey streaks in his hair to portray at least a touch of age?
John Hannanh returns as Evie's brother, Jonathan. He's still the comic relief but the third time around he has little hesitation to join in on the action. Luke Ford is pretty good as the O'Connell's tomb raiding son. But didn't the character have a British accent in "Mummy Returns"? Did he lose it in college?
But the real question is about Evie's replacement, Maria Bello. Okay, I missed Rachel Weisz and at first it was hard to swallow Bello as Mrs. O'Connell. Gradually, I was able to just let go and accept Bello's portrayal of a more mature Evie. Thankfully, they kept her action skills garnered from "The Mummy Returns" instead of reverting her back to the damsel librarian in "The Mummy". If Weisz could come back I'd welcome it but if Bello is playing the part in future installments I'm fine with that, too.
My favorite upgrade has got to be Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. Both are top notch performers and represent some of the best cinematic talent Hong Kong has to offer. Li knows how to dish out the action but also delivers a delicious performance as the sinister overlord. And Miss Yeoh is graceful and lovely as always. She is an expert at portraying elegant women that have a soft veneer that hides a mighty fortitude.
Okay, that's enough I want to say because I don't want to spoil any secrets. In a nutshell, "Mummy 3" is a fun and frolicking adventure full of incredible stunts and dazzling effects. Honestly, it is more of the same but the change of scenery and the O'Connell family matters make for a worthwhile excursion.
Fast forward to 1946 where a college age Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) has unearthed the emperor's tomb. When some misguided forces decide to revive the evil despot it's up to Alex and his parents (Brendan Fraser & Maria Bello) to put the Dragon Emperor back to rest before the world is crushed under his reign. Don't worry. I left out plenty of details and surprises. Most of this is in the trailer, anyway.
Actually, the plot is pretty much like the first and second "Mummy" movies. Some dude is cursed back in ancient times, then ressurrected. He wreaks all kinds of havoc while he walks among the living and Rick, Evie and their merry men have to put him back to sleep before the world is destroyed.
This time around instead of a lovelorn priest the cursed being is a power hungry despot. He conquered all of China but now he can conquer the entire planet. This emperor also has an edge with his ability to manipulate the elements such as water and fire.
Along with the new mummy there are some new dynamics to look forward to involving the returning characters. We learn early on that Rick and Evie O'Connell have retired from the adventuring business and are now living the stately manor life in England. And they are bored to tears. We know it won't be long before they're on the hunt for another undead menace.
Another interesting plot thread is the relationship between the O'Connells and their son. It seems the father and son bond has been strained by all the adventuring and Rick.....let's just say firing his pistols while dangling from a plane comes easier than fatherhood. Meanwhile, Alex is determined to prove that he can take care of his own business.
Brendan Fraser returns to play Rick O'Connell and thank goodness. I honestly can't imagine anyone else in the role and I don't want to. It is the perfect vehicle for him because it allows Fraser to show his action side, his comedy skills, and his dramatic flair all in one shot. My only problem is Fraser looks too darn good to play the dad of a 18 to 20 year old. Could they not afford to put some grey streaks in his hair to portray at least a touch of age?
John Hannanh returns as Evie's brother, Jonathan. He's still the comic relief but the third time around he has little hesitation to join in on the action. Luke Ford is pretty good as the O'Connell's tomb raiding son. But didn't the character have a British accent in "Mummy Returns"? Did he lose it in college?
But the real question is about Evie's replacement, Maria Bello. Okay, I missed Rachel Weisz and at first it was hard to swallow Bello as Mrs. O'Connell. Gradually, I was able to just let go and accept Bello's portrayal of a more mature Evie. Thankfully, they kept her action skills garnered from "The Mummy Returns" instead of reverting her back to the damsel librarian in "The Mummy". If Weisz could come back I'd welcome it but if Bello is playing the part in future installments I'm fine with that, too.
My favorite upgrade has got to be Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. Both are top notch performers and represent some of the best cinematic talent Hong Kong has to offer. Li knows how to dish out the action but also delivers a delicious performance as the sinister overlord. And Miss Yeoh is graceful and lovely as always. She is an expert at portraying elegant women that have a soft veneer that hides a mighty fortitude.
Okay, that's enough I want to say because I don't want to spoil any secrets. In a nutshell, "Mummy 3" is a fun and frolicking adventure full of incredible stunts and dazzling effects. Honestly, it is more of the same but the change of scenery and the O'Connell family matters make for a worthwhile excursion.