Tale of the Mummy
2.5/4
Starring: Jason Scott Lee, Louise Lombard, Sean Pertwee, Jack Davenport, Michael Lerner, Shelly Duvall, Christopher Lee
Rated R for Violence and Gore, and for Some Language
There are two ways to look at this movie. As a straight horror movie, it's the definition of mediocrity. As a cheesefest filled with unintentional laughs, it approaches the level of "guilty pleasure." The acting is decent, but the special effects are embarrassingly bad. So bad, in fact, that they produce laughter rather than chills.
A group of archaeologists, led by Sir Richard Turkel (Lee), has unearthed a long forgotten tomb under the sands of Egypt. But just as they open the tomb, a mysterious force turns them all to stone. Fifty years later, Turkel's granddaughter, Samantha (Lombard), follows his footsteps and unearths a mummy (whose burial has absolutely zero connection to anything that happened in Ancient Egypt, but that's par for the course). Back in England, the mummy's wrappings get free and go on a killing spree all over London. Chasing after it are two detectives, Riley (Lee) and Bartone (Davenport). But the main suspect, a colleague of Samantha's named Bradley Cortese (Pertwee) proclaims that the mummy they unearthed could bring about the apocalypse.
The biggest problem with the film is that it only occasionally makes sense. The European version of the film was 20 minutes longer, but Miramax shaved it off once it got across the Atlantic (this begs to mind why Miramax, the bastion of independent and foreign film quality, would spend money on a movie like this...). In general terms, the plot is simple enough to follow, but there's still a lot of room for confusion. And there is one scene of painfully obvious dubbing.
The acting is solid. Louise Lombard was a late replacement (the previous actress had to drop out after she was bitten by a dog with rabies), but she makes the role her own. She gives a solid performance, and sounds a lot like Angelina Jolie. Sean Pertwee, always an interesting actor, is good as the token friend who has gone off the deep end. And it's always nice to see Jack Davenport, who was good in "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but is more famous for playing Commander Norrington in the first "Pirates of the Carribean" trilogy. The weak link is Jason Scott Lee, who does an excellent imitation of a cement block.
The main thing worth noting about the film is the special effects. I know, I know, this was made 15 years ago. But you know what, "The Matrix" came out a year later, and even though it had a fraction of the Wachowski's budget, that's no excuse. The live action effects are good, but the CGI is just awful. They look like something from an old Macintosh from when this film was made.
Under the circumstances, director Russell Mulcahy does about as good of a job as can be expected. The opening scene is the best, and it radiates the same atmosphere of those old pulp horror films. What scenes are intact are okay, and he manages to generate a fair amount of tension. But between the action scenes it's a little lame, and the decision to excise 20 minutes of film is a huge mistake.
Considering what it had behind it, I suppose "Tale of the Mummy" is as good as one could hope for.
Starring: Jason Scott Lee, Louise Lombard, Sean Pertwee, Jack Davenport, Michael Lerner, Shelly Duvall, Christopher Lee
Rated R for Violence and Gore, and for Some Language
There are two ways to look at this movie. As a straight horror movie, it's the definition of mediocrity. As a cheesefest filled with unintentional laughs, it approaches the level of "guilty pleasure." The acting is decent, but the special effects are embarrassingly bad. So bad, in fact, that they produce laughter rather than chills.
A group of archaeologists, led by Sir Richard Turkel (Lee), has unearthed a long forgotten tomb under the sands of Egypt. But just as they open the tomb, a mysterious force turns them all to stone. Fifty years later, Turkel's granddaughter, Samantha (Lombard), follows his footsteps and unearths a mummy (whose burial has absolutely zero connection to anything that happened in Ancient Egypt, but that's par for the course). Back in England, the mummy's wrappings get free and go on a killing spree all over London. Chasing after it are two detectives, Riley (Lee) and Bartone (Davenport). But the main suspect, a colleague of Samantha's named Bradley Cortese (Pertwee) proclaims that the mummy they unearthed could bring about the apocalypse.
The biggest problem with the film is that it only occasionally makes sense. The European version of the film was 20 minutes longer, but Miramax shaved it off once it got across the Atlantic (this begs to mind why Miramax, the bastion of independent and foreign film quality, would spend money on a movie like this...). In general terms, the plot is simple enough to follow, but there's still a lot of room for confusion. And there is one scene of painfully obvious dubbing.
The acting is solid. Louise Lombard was a late replacement (the previous actress had to drop out after she was bitten by a dog with rabies), but she makes the role her own. She gives a solid performance, and sounds a lot like Angelina Jolie. Sean Pertwee, always an interesting actor, is good as the token friend who has gone off the deep end. And it's always nice to see Jack Davenport, who was good in "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but is more famous for playing Commander Norrington in the first "Pirates of the Carribean" trilogy. The weak link is Jason Scott Lee, who does an excellent imitation of a cement block.
The main thing worth noting about the film is the special effects. I know, I know, this was made 15 years ago. But you know what, "The Matrix" came out a year later, and even though it had a fraction of the Wachowski's budget, that's no excuse. The live action effects are good, but the CGI is just awful. They look like something from an old Macintosh from when this film was made.
Under the circumstances, director Russell Mulcahy does about as good of a job as can be expected. The opening scene is the best, and it radiates the same atmosphere of those old pulp horror films. What scenes are intact are okay, and he manages to generate a fair amount of tension. But between the action scenes it's a little lame, and the decision to excise 20 minutes of film is a huge mistake.
Considering what it had behind it, I suppose "Tale of the Mummy" is as good as one could hope for.
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