2008 Woodie Awards
'Mummy' comes off too self-aware, comedy falls flat
Review :Sequel does previous films diservice
Steven Kilpatrick
Issue date: 8/7/08 Section: ARTS & LIFE
When I left the theater after seeing "Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor," starring Brendan Fraser and Jet Li, I wasn't sure what had just happened to me.
All I can say for sure is that Li came back from the dead and killed his career in the process.
This film is much like the other "Mummy" films. The O'Connell family has a hand in unleashing an ancient mummy hell bent on revenge. However, in a tiny twist, this time we get a brand new mummy in the form of a Chinese emperor played by Jet Li, at least when he's not being played by flimsy CGI. The story also has a pretty overbearing family element involving the predictably rebellious O'Connell son, Alex (Luke Ford). The rest is pretty standard, right down to an emperor being upset with someone touching his woman.
Oh and I saw some abominable snowmen.
The film was like an infomercial for fun, no matter how much it tries to sell you on the "and that's not all" portion of the pitch, you probably aren't buying it. Self-respect has us wondering why we're still watching infomercials at all- maybe the remote is too far away? Maybe the metaphor is too obscure?
What happened to writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar? Was this a race to undermine the credibility they built with Smallville and "Spider-Man 2"? I really hope it has something to do with an ancient curse, or at the very least earns them one.
It shouldn't be a surprise. Like the hapless O'Connell family, Gough and Millar have penned unnecessary sequels before (see Lethal Weapon 4 and Shanghai Knights). Still, the awkward scripting and dialogue in this movie defied my lowest expectations. You have to work really hard to write this badly.
The one person who maintained credibility in this whole mess was Rachel Weisz, and she did it by staying away. Instead, Evelyn O'Connell is played this time around by Maria Bello. The writers felt the need to address Weisz's absence in the movie with a joke. Like much of the film, it falls flat (such meta-fiction is rarely resonant).
All I can say for sure is that Li came back from the dead and killed his career in the process.
This film is much like the other "Mummy" films. The O'Connell family has a hand in unleashing an ancient mummy hell bent on revenge. However, in a tiny twist, this time we get a brand new mummy in the form of a Chinese emperor played by Jet Li, at least when he's not being played by flimsy CGI. The story also has a pretty overbearing family element involving the predictably rebellious O'Connell son, Alex (Luke Ford). The rest is pretty standard, right down to an emperor being upset with someone touching his woman.
Oh and I saw some abominable snowmen.
The film was like an infomercial for fun, no matter how much it tries to sell you on the "and that's not all" portion of the pitch, you probably aren't buying it. Self-respect has us wondering why we're still watching infomercials at all- maybe the remote is too far away? Maybe the metaphor is too obscure?
What happened to writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar? Was this a race to undermine the credibility they built with Smallville and "Spider-Man 2"? I really hope it has something to do with an ancient curse, or at the very least earns them one.
It shouldn't be a surprise. Like the hapless O'Connell family, Gough and Millar have penned unnecessary sequels before (see Lethal Weapon 4 and Shanghai Knights). Still, the awkward scripting and dialogue in this movie defied my lowest expectations. You have to work really hard to write this badly.
The one person who maintained credibility in this whole mess was Rachel Weisz, and she did it by staying away. Instead, Evelyn O'Connell is played this time around by Maria Bello. The writers felt the need to address Weisz's absence in the movie with a joke. Like much of the film, it falls flat (such meta-fiction is rarely resonant).
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Steven Kilpatrick
posted 8/07/08 @ 9:31 AM CST
I wanted to thank my editor for rescuing me on this one. I believe I called Jet Li a Japanese Emperor in a moment of true idiocy. Yeah, that makes sense--with the Great Wall of China there and everything. (Continued…)
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