La Momie

If you take away the over-the-top digital effects, this film doesn’t have much to offer. Yes, Sommers knows how to give the impression that his films are epic. His work is filled with beautiful views of sandstorms, Egyptian cities in their heyday, or in a kind of eye-catching splendour of their ruins (the set of the crumbling Egyptian mansion must have been terribly expensive), and the dungeons full of treasures are also eye-catching. But the film has otherwise aged terribly, unlike its predecessors, because much of its charm is based on digital attractions, and those no longer impress anyone in the face of today's technology. The Mummy in its early stages is downright digitally awful (but not in the good creepy sense of the word), and Arnold Vosloo overacts like a pig until he becomes a caricature of himself. The only thing that survives unscathed to this day is Jerry Goldsmith's music; it's beautiful, even after repeated listens. It's also quite nice that the film doesn't take itself too seriously and is surprisingly funny in places, like when the offending skeleton heads are blown off like in a baseball game, or when Rachel Weisz demolishes an entire library in a domino effect – that’s the first scene I always remember when I think of Sommer’s The Mummy. (27/09/2021)

When the tricks fade, not even a pile of ashes will be left of The Mummy. Unlike Indiana Jones, this film lacks the essentials that every truly high-quality adventure film has to have – a hero. The local guy is an inflated pretty boy with no charisma. A pretty face doesn't make a good character... Three years ago, the impression was top notch thanks to the technical aspect, now The Mummy seems to me to be decently below average... Compared to Dr. Jones, this Egyptian hunk is driving all over the place... (30/01/2004)

An relaxing popcorn adventure ride with a flavor of Hollywoodized Egyptian mythology. Decent special effects, good production design and a charismatic hero are the main pluses. The somewhat infantile style of humor is the biggest negative. This is not a new Indy by any stretch of the imagination, just as it is not a remake of the original Universal Mummy; but the truth is that Fraser's escapades manage to fill the gap that was left by them. Although only partially. (24/01/2007)

A fantastic adventurous tangle of many supporting characters, a charismatic villain, a characteristically courageous protagonist, and a beautiful and clumsy girl in distress. I could watch this heartfelt affair from morning to evening, Jerry Goldsmith's music and Sommers' enthusiastic direction helped create an unforgettable ride. (21/04/2007)

Stephen Sommers is very good at this kind of films. This one has a reasonable mix of action, humor, and tension, which unfortunately is sometimes overly disjointed and mainly quite boring. The onslaught of visual effects and action scenes is truly impressive, and Jerry Goldsmith's music is beautifully atmospheric. But The Mummy is ultimately a one-time affair, as I have no desire to watch it again. The Egyptian mythology is distorted and the main villain, Arnold Vosloo, is quite an annoying caricature. However, the chemistry between the actors is excellent. Both Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz are great and interact excellently on screen. Pity about the deficiencies in the direction and especially the scriptwriting, as visually the film is practically perfect. (18/06/2006)

No film has come as close to my beloved Indy as the first The Mummy. Well deserved full rating! PS: Even at seventy, Jerry Goldsmith never lost his breath and flair. Brilliant! (22/08/2009)

I can unashamedly call The Mummy one of the seminal films of my childhood, and I'll try to capture its magic as simply as possible: a fearless and likeable hero in Brendan Fraser, a really cool and scary bad guy played by Arnold Vosloo, plus a lot of great one-liners and tons of catchy and dynamic action – or how little it takes to make kids happy. (13/07/2011)

I loved The Mummy when I was younger and at least once a year I found time to watch Stephen Sommers' genre mash-up, which doesn't lack adventure action, romance, or even a hint of horror. As I've gotten older, I've found that sometimes a film works for me, while other times not so much. Compared to the director's previous Deep Rising, The Mummy definitely offers better characters (as well as cast): Rachel Weisz is truly charming as the intellectual librarian yearning for secrets hidden under the Egyptian sand, John Hannah plays the role of the goofy brother (the thief) superbly, and Arnold Vosloo as the bloodthirsty Imhotep also won me over. In the case of Brendan Fraser, it's like with the film, sometimes he suits me, sometimes he doesn't. I mustn't forget to mention Bernard Fox's small but really funny role as the drunken pilot Winston. I originally gave The Mummy four stars, then reduced it to three, but the fact is that I like coming back to the film and enjoy it (despite the weaker CGI in places). (30/05/2019)

When it came to going to the cinema and especially to television, it absolutely hooked me and I was obsessed with it, but after some time has passed, the magic has faded a bit. However, I still enjoy it and I always like to be reminded of it, just not as often. Those characters are simply great, especially Rick and Eva, the others not so much. Except for the mummy, it's still divine. (04/04/2015)