It would be pretty easy to critique “The Mummy Returns” as shallow, meaningless and devoid of value - it is. But it is also escapist fun that does not take itself too seriously.
Released this week, the new DVD highlights just that, showing the shameless self-promotion and fun that the movies are full of. The key extra features can be summed up as “Egypt for idiots” and early ads for the upcoming summer flick “The Scorpion King,” starring everyone’s favorite WWF star, The Rock.
But these are far from crucial. In fact, those of us who enjoy the DVD format for the extras (i.e. deleted scenes, production notes, commentary) as much as the movie are probably not going to be the ones who get the most out of this film, as the extras are about as weak as it gets.
But the film is just as much fun as the first, and listening to the commentary on top of it just adds to the whole thing. For those who prefer DVD for the sharp picture and booming sound, this is one that will probably find its way to many collections.
For those who have stayed away from this series, it features Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell, a man who helped save the world from the evil mummy Imhotep (played by Arnold Vosloo). In this movie, the mummy has been resurrected to take on The Scorpion King (The Rock). So Rick and his band of friends and adventurers must make their way to Egypt as well to save the world one more time.
That’s about as deep as it gets - the rest is fun characters, goofy lines and adventurer clichés. Nothing too demanding at all - but with enough bells and whistles to keep the eyes happy.
The commentary provides even more insight, and may even prove to some of the non believers that writer/director Stephen Sommers may see your point. He just doesn’t care. He didn’t set out to reinvent the wheel or break down barriers. His energy is focussed on making the most fun and entertaining movie he could, and it would be safe to say he succeeded in most cases.
During the commentary Sommers points out all the useful coincidences that the movie is packed full of (“Oh no! Bad guys - lucky for us we keep a giant rack of swords in our house!” Or, conveniently using Asian weapons for a featured fight, although they were nowhere near Egypt in the era). He also alludes to some deleted scenes that would have been nice to include, rather than the bloopers reel that the outtakes footage instead consists of.
But again, the remainder of the extras are rather bland. The standard “making-of” featurette is full of back-slapping and self-congratulations for making another movie, and the interview with The Rock, in which he answers questions so lame you can tell they’re definitely not giving even a professional wrestler enough credit. Most of these extras are horribly unnecessary and will not warrant much of a look. But again, that’s far from the point of this movie or DVD.
The trailer for The Rock’s upcoming movie looks promising however and, with any luck, will probably provide more of the same as the two previous “Mummy” movies. It’ll probably be a good time had by all, packed with enough fun special effects and humor to make the escape worth the time.
