As a big fan of “The Mummy” films that came before it, I was excited to hear Universal Studios decided to make a third film. The film, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”, promised to take the franchise in a new direction. I wasn’t sure if it would work but I was more than willing to give it a shot.
First thing I should point out is that I like that the film was willing to take a risk with a new setting. Sadly, I don’t think it really worked this time around, but I applaud the effort regardless. Rob Cohen took over directing duties of the franchise from Stephen Sommers and did the best he could do with the script he had to work with. Cohen is known for his action films and the action sequences were top notch.
What hurt the film the most was the cast. Brendan Fraser, a highlight of the franchise, seems bored and disinterested this time around. Maria Bello takes over the role of Evelyn from Rachel Weisz after Weisz passed on the sequel. Not only does Bello not look remotely like Weisz, but she also doesn’t act like her. Weisz portrayed Evelyn with a shy resolve, Bello instead portrays the character with a confidence not fitting the character. Everytime Bello was on screen, it took me out of the movie. On the plus side, Jet Li was a great addition to the Mummy cast as the antagonist of the film. Also, it was nice to see John Hannah back in the franchise.
Lastly, the film went over the top a few too many times for my taste. Case in point, the yeti scene. In a movie where I have to suspend my disbelief in regards to an undead army, throwing a yeti into the mix probably wasn’t the best idea.
“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” isn’t a terrible film as a whole but the cast seems to be sleepwalking through a tiresome script. There are still good stories to tell in this franchise, this just isn’t one of them.
Grade: C
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