Wikipedia

The Mummy Returns

The Mummy Returnsis a 2001 Americanfantasyaction-adventure film[2]written and directed byStephen Sommers.It is the sequel to the 1999 filmThe Mummy,and the second film inThe Mummyfilm seriesstarringBrendan FraserasRick O'Connell.

The Mummy Returns
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStephen Sommers
Written byStephen Sommers
Based on
Characters
by
Produced bySean Daniel
James Jacks
Starring
CinematographyAdrian Biddle
Edited byBob Ducsay
Kelly Matsumoto
Music byAlan Silvestri
Production
companies
Universal Pictures
Alphaville Films
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • May 4, 2001(2001-05-04)
Running time
129 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$98 million[1]
Box office$435 million[1]

Fraser,Rachel Weisz,John Hannah,Arnold Vosloo,Oded Fehr,andPatricia Velásquezreprise their roles from the previous film, starring alongsideFreddie Boath,Alun Armstrong,Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,andDwayne Johnsonin his film acting debut. Most of the crew from the first film also return, though composerJerry Goldsmithwas replaced byAlan Silvestri.[3][4]

The film was released on May 4, 2001 byUniversal Pictures.Like its predecessor,The Mummy Returnswas a commercial success, grossing $435 million worldwide, becomingthe seventh-highest-grossing film of 2001and the highest-grossing film of the film series. The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was followed by a 2002prequelfilmThe Scorpion King,aspin-offthat is set 5,000 years prior and whoseeponymouscharacter, played by Johnson was introduced in this film. A sequel starring Fraser and Hannah,The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,was released in 2008.

Plot

edit

In 3067 B.C., a warrior known as theScorpion Kingleads an army to conquer the world. However, they are eventually defeated and he is exiled to the desert of Ahm Shere. Dying, the King vows to giveAnubishis soul in return for the power to defeat his enemies. Anubis accepts, conjuring anoasisand goldenpyramid,and giving the King an army ofjackal-likewarriors to conquerEgypt.However, once his task is finished, Anubis claims his soul, and the army is returned to theUnderworld.

In 1939 A.D., nine years after the defeat ofImhotep,[a]Rick O'Connelland his wife,Evelyn,explore ancient ruins with their son,Alex,finding the Bracelet of Anubis. InLondon,Alex plays with the bracelet, which locks onto his wrist, showing him visions that lead to Ahm Shere. Evelyn is kidnapped by a cult who resurrectImhotepwith theBook of the Dead,wishing to use his power to defeat the King; this would give them command of Anubis's army.

The cult, led bymuseumcuratorBaltus Hafez,includes enforcerLock-NahandMeela Nais,thephysical reincarnationof Imhotep's loveAnck-su-namun.Rick and Alex set out to rescue Evelyn with the help of her brotherJonathan,who had gotten his hands on a goldenscepter,and theMedjaiArdeth Bay,who has returned to help them.

Rick frees Evelyn before she is sacrificed and they fight against Imhotep. Meanwhile, Alex is kidnapped and forced to lead the cult with the bracelet. The O'Connells pursue them with Rick's associateIzzy.En route, Alex secretly leaves clues for his parents, who follow in Izzy'sdirigible.

Imhotep uses theBookto restore Anck-su-namun's soul into Meela's body. By doing so, he unwittingly allows Evelyn to unlock the memories of herprevious lifeas Princess Nefertiri, the bracelet's keeper.

At the edge of the Oasis, Imhotep realizes that they are being pursued and uses his powers to attack the dirigible. The dirigible eventually crashes into the oasis's jungle, and Izzy chooses to stay behind to repair it. The O'Connells, Ardeth, Alex, and the cult are eventually attacked bypygmymummies. Rick retrieves Alex while Ardeth kills Lock-Nah.

They escape from the pygmies, who kill all of the cult members except for Hafez, Imhotep, and Anck-su-namun. Rick and Alex race to the pyramid before the sun light reaches it, saving Alex's life and allowing the bracelet to release his hand. Anck-su-namun, Imhotep, and Hafez then arrive and kill Evelyn before entering the pyramid.

Inside the pyramid, Imhotep loses his powers and is forced to face the King as a mortal. Hafez uses the bracelet to conjure Anubis's army, which appears in the desert outside of the Oasis. Rick finds Imhotep summoning the King and attacks him. The King, now an enormousscorpionmonster, interrupts the fight. Imhotep tricks him into attacking Rick. Outside, Ardeth and the Medjai battle Anubis's resurrected army. While Rick and the King fight, Hafez is caught in the melee and dies.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Alex steal theBookfrom Anck-su-namun and use it to resurrect Evelyn. Rick discovershieroglyphsexplaining that Jonathan's scepter is the mystic Spear ofOsiris,the only weapon capable of killing the King. Meanwhile, Evie fights with Anck-su-namun. Aided by Jonathan, Rick gets the spear and uses it to slay the King, sending him and the army of Anubis back into the Underworld.

As the oasis begins to implode and the pyramid crumbles, Rick and Imhotep cling to the ledge of a pit that leads to the underworld. Rick implores Evelyn to escape, but she risks her life to pull him to safety. Seeing this, Imhotep pleads for Anck-su-namun to do the same, but she abandons him. Heartbroken, Imhotep lets go and plummets into the underworld. While fleeing, Anck-su-namun inadvertently falls into a pit of scorpions and dies.

Izzy then arrives with the repaired dirigible and rescues the O'Connells just before the oasis and the pyramid are destroyed—though not before Jonathan swipes a diamond. They depart into the sunset, with Ardeth saluting them before riding off.

Cast

edit
Main article:List ofThe Mummy(film series) characters

Production

edit

Development

edit

Following the success ofThe Mummy(1999),Universal Picturesquickly moved forward with plans for a sequel. Writer-directorStephen Sommerswas approached by Universal after the film's opening weekend, and within a day, he began developing ideas forThe Mummy Returns.[5]Sommers had already been contemplating a sequel during the production of the original film, aiming to expand the story with a larger scale, enhanced special effects, and fresh adventures for the familiar characters. He wanted to create a new adventure without repeating the same formula, aiming to "outdo" his previous work.[5]

Sommers chose to setThe Mummy Returnsin 1933, nine years after the events of the first film. This allowed the characters to evolve, with Rick and Evelyn now married and living comfortably in London.[5]They have a son, Alex, who embodies the best traits of both parents. The story intertwines multiple timelines, exploring the ancient past of the Scorpion King, Imhotep, and the O'Connells' present-day life. Sommers also sought to delve deeper into the fascination with ancient Egypt that was central to the original film.[5]

Casting

edit

Sommers was eager to reunite the original cast, includingBrendan Fraser,Rachel Weisz,andJohn Hannah,for the sequel. The returning actors were enthusiastic about the script, which combined elements of horror, visual effects, comedy, and romance.[5]Weisz and Patricia Velasquez trained extensively in ancient Japanese martial arts to portray more physically demanding roles.Freddie Boathaccepted the role of the O’Connell’s son Alex after he turned down the part forHarry Potter.[6]New to the cast wasDwayne "The Rock" Johnson,who played the Scorpion King. Although Johnson was new to acting, Sommers felt his natural charisma was well-suited for the role of a fearsome warrior who made a pact with the godAnubis.Johnson embraced the physical demands of the role, which involved extensive makeup and hours of preparation.[5]

Filming

edit

Principal photographybegan in the deserts ofMorocco,with additionalsecond-unitwork filmed inJordan,including locations like the gorges atPetra.In Morocco, filming took place inErfoud,which had also been used forThe Mummy,andOuarzazate.[5]The production then moved toShepperton StudiosinEngland,where sets for ancient pyramids and temples were constructed. Filming also took place in various locations aroundLondon,including theBritish MuseumandTower Bridge.Despite challenges posed by the weather, the crew adapted quickly.[7]

Visual effects

edit

The visual effects team, led byJohn BertonatIndustrial Light & Magic(ILM), aimed to surpass the effects of the first film. Advances incomputer-generated imagery(CGI) allowed for more intricate and realistic creatures, such as Imhotep. The filmmakers focused on creating a seamless integration between the live-action sequences and CGI, utilizing detailedcamera trackingandmotion-capturetechnology.[5]

Berton highlighted the challenge of animating creatures with organic realism and developing characters like Imhotep, whose interactions with other characters were more detailed than in the original film.Arnold Vosloo,who reprised his role as Imhotep, faced the challenge of acting alongside these digital elements, often reacting to creatures and environments that were only added in post-production.[5]

Despite advancements in CGI, the Scorpion King's appearance was widely criticized for its awkward facial features anduncanny valleyeffect.[8][9]The visual effects team faced challenges due to limited reference material of Dwayne Johnson, as hisWWEcommitments prevented detailed facial scans.[10]As a result, the digital representation of Johnson lacked accuracy, standing out as one of the film's most criticized visual effects, despite improvements in other characters like Imhotep.[8][11]

Music

edit
The Mummy Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack albumby
Alan Silvestri
ReleasedMay 1, 2001
Length1:13:26
LabelDecca Records
The Mummy chronology
The Mummy
(1999) 		The Mummy Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2001) 		Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
(2008)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic
Empire
Filmtracks
Tracksounds

The Mummy Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrackwas released on May 1, 2001 byDecca Records.[4]

The score was composed and conducted byAlan Silvestri,[12]who did not reuse any of Goldsmith's themes from the first film.[3]It was performed by theSinfonia of Londonand orchestrated byWilliam Ross.[4]

The soundtrack contains Silvestri's as well as a version of the song "Forever May Not Be Long Enough"by the rock bandLive,which slightly differs from the song's album version.

A 2-CD expansion was released byIntrada Recordsin 2018.[13]

Reception

edit

Box office

edit

The Mummy Returnsearned $23.4 million on its first day of release, then made $26.8 million the day after. This made it the highest Friday and Saturday grosses, surpassing bothToy Story 2andThe Lost World: Jurassic Parkrespectively.[14]Later that year, those records were simultaneously given toPlanet of the ApesandHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.[15][16]During its opening weekend, the film made $68.1 million, making it the second-highest opening weekend of all time, only behindThe Lost World: Jurassic Park.[17]Moreover, it surpassedHannibalto have the highest opening weekend for a 2001 film, joiningMonsters, Inc.,Rush Hour 2andPlanet of the Apesto become one of the only four films of that year to make $60 million in their first three days of release.[18]The film also became one of four consecutive Universal films of the year to cross the $40 million in an opening weekend, with the others beingAmerican Pie 2,The Fast and the FuriousandJurassic Park III.[19]Upon opening, the film reached the top of the box office, beating outDriven.[20]For its second weekend, it collected a total of $33.7 million, outgrossingA Knight's Talein the process.[21]The Mummy Returnswould remain in the number one spot at the box office for a total of two weeks untilShrektook it.[22]

The film grossed $202 million in the United States and Canada box offices and $233 million internationally, grossing over $435 million worldwide, making it theseventh-highest-grossing film of 2001.[1]

Critical response

edit

The Mummy Returnsreceived mixed reviews from critics. OnRotten Tomatoesholds a 46% rating based on 141 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's consensus states: "InThe Mummy Returns,the special effects are impressive, but the characters seem secondary to the computer-generated imagery. "[23]OnMetacriticit has an average rating of 48 out of 100 based on 31 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[24]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[25][better source needed]

Roger Ebert,who awarded the first film three stars, gave the second film only two, saying that "The mistake ofThe Mummy Returnsis to abandon the characters, and to use the plot only as a clothesline for special effects and action sequences. "[26]James Berardinelliof ReelViews gave the film two and a half stars (out of four), calling it "hollow, lightweight entertainment—not unpleasant, but far from the summer's definitive action/adventure flick.[27]

Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Timesgave the film a positive review, praising its "constant plot turns, cheeky sensibility and omnipresent action sequences."[28]Todd McCarthy ofVarietypraised "the nonstop action of the final hour", saying that it "bursts with visual goodies."[29]Rene Rodriguez ofThe Miami Heraldsaid, "Twelve-year-olds weaned onNintendomay not mind, but anyone who remembers the tactile thrill of an alarmingly real boulder rolling down onIndiana JonesinRaiders of the Lost Arkwill be left cold. "[30]

Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journalgave the film a negative review, saying that it "has all of the clank but none of the swank of the previous version."[31]Charles Taylor ofSalon.comwas also not impressed, callingThe Mummy Returns"everything the firstMummywas fun for not being. "[32]

Accolades

edit
Award Subject Nominee Result Ref.
Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Nominated [33]
Best Makeup Aileen Seaton,Nick Dudmanand Jane Walker Nominated
Best Special Effects John Andrew Berton, Jr.,Daniel Jeannette,Neil Corbould and Thomas Rosseter Nominated
Best Young Actor Freddie Boath Nominated
Young Artist Awards Nominated [34]
Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Movie Actor Brendan Fraser Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice Action Movie Actor Nominated [35]
Choice Movie Villain The Rock Won
Choice Action Movie Nominated
Golden Trailer Awards Best Title Sequence Nominated
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing - Effects & Foley Leslie Shatz,Malcolm Fife, Ann Scibelli, Jon Olive and Jonathan Klein Nominated
Empire Awards Best British Actress Rachel Weisz Nominated [36]
Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Worst Supporting Actor The Rock Won

Home media

edit

The Mummy Returnsdebuted onVHSandDVDon October 2, 2001.[37][38]It became the fastest-selling DVD ever in theUnited States,selling 2 million copies after its first week of release, while also surpassingGladiator.[39]The film would briefly hold this record for two weeks until it was taken byStar Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menacewhen it sold 2.2 million copies during its first week.[40]There are two separate versions of this DVD release either in widescreen or fullscreen formats.[41]

The film was subsequently released on the high-definitionBlu-rayformat in July 2008,[42]and onUHD Blu-rayin 2017.[43]

Video games

edit

Two video games based on the movie were released. The first was released on theGame Boy Color,developed by GameBrains, and was released within the film's theatrical release.[44]The other is for thePlayStation 2,developed byBlitz Gamesand was released in October 2001, to coincide with the film's home media release.[45][46]Both titles were published byUniversal Interactive.[47]

Subsequent works

edit

Spin-off

edit
Main article:The Scorpion King

A spin-off/prequel film centering onDwayne Johnson's character, theScorpion King,was released on April 19, 2002. It focuses on the King's origins, as he rises to power before the events ofThe Mummy Returns' prologue. The film received mixed reviews but was only a moderate commercial success.[48][49]It spawnedThe Scorpion Kingfilm series,withdirect-to-videosequels and with different actors playing the title role.

Sequel

edit
Main article:The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

A sequel toThe Mummy Returnswas released on August 1, 2008. Brendan Fraser and John Hannah both reprised their roles, while Rachel Weisz was replaced byMaria Belloas Evelyn, andLuke Fordplayed the now-adult Alex O'Connell. The film received generally negative reviews,[50]and was the lowest-grossing film of the trilogy.[51]

Notes

edit
  1. ^As depicted inThe Mummy(1999).

References

edit
  1. ^abc"The Mummy Returns (2001)".The Numbers.RetrievedJune 20,2020.
  2. ^"The Mummy Returns".British Board of Film Classification.
  3. ^ab"Filmtracks: The Mummy Returns (Alan Silvestri)".www.filmtracks.com.RetrievedAugust 25,2024.
  4. ^abcSilvestri, Alan."The Mummy Returns (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)".Discogs.
  5. ^abcdefghi"The Mummy Returns: Production Notes".Cinema.com.RetrievedDecember 21,2024.
  6. ^"Freddie Boath Happily Rejected $9.58B Franchise Role of a Lifetime to Play Brendan Fraser's Son in The Mummy Returns - FandomWire".fandomwire.com.April 24, 2023.RetrievedAugust 5,2023.
  7. ^"Filming Locations for The Mummy Returns (2001), in Morocco, Jordan and the UK".The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations.RetrievedDecember 21,2024.
  8. ^abWard, Cassidy (September 28, 2023)."Understanding the Uncanny Valley with The Mummy Returns".Syfy.RetrievedDecember 21,2024.
  9. ^Lund, Anthony (July 17, 2022)."The Mummy Returns VFX Supervisor Reveals Why The Scorpion King's CGI Was So Bad".MovieWeb.RetrievedDecember 21,2024.
  10. ^Pierce-Bohen, Kayleena (June 4, 2023)."Why The Mummy's 1999 VFX Look So Much Better Than The Sequels'".ScreenRant.RetrievedDecember 21,2024.
  11. ^Farley, Lloyd (November 4, 2023)."'The Mummy Returns' Real Nightmare Was the Scorpion King CGI ".Collider.RetrievedDecember 21,2024.
  12. ^Silvestri, The Film Music of Alan."The Mummy Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack:..."The Film Music of Alan Silvestri.RetrievedAugust 25,2024.
  13. ^"THE MUMMY RETURNS (2CD)".
  14. ^Susman, Gary (May 9, 2001)."Mummy Returnsrakes in $70.1 million ".Entertainment Weekly.Archivedfrom the original on November 28, 2020.RetrievedMay 8,2022.
  15. ^"'Planet of the Apes' easily wins US box office ".United Press International.July 29, 2001.Archivedfrom the original on February 22, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 22,2022.
  16. ^Linder, Brian (November 20, 2001)."Weekend Box Office: Potter Smashes Records".IGN.RetrievedApril 17,2022.
  17. ^"The Mummy Returns is a monster; opens on $70.1m".
  18. ^"'Monsters' scares up win at box office ".United Press International.November 4, 2001.Archivedfrom the original on February 11, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 11,2022.
  19. ^"Box Office: Audiences Eat Up American Pie 2".ABC News.
  20. ^"Box Office: Mummy Scares Up Record Haul".ABC News.
  21. ^"'Mummy' still rules box office ".The Berkshire Eagle.May 16, 2001. p. 32.Archivedfrom the original on November 14, 2022.RetrievedNovember 14,2022– viaNewspapers.com.
  22. ^"Shrek shakes up US box office".BBC. May 21, 2001.RetrievedMay 10,2022.
  23. ^"The Mummy Returns".Rotten Tomatoes.RetrievedJanuary 25,2025.
  24. ^"The Mummy Returns".Metacritic.
  25. ^"CinemaScore".cinemascore.com.
  26. ^Roger Ebert."Review".Chicago Sun-Times.[dead link‍]
  27. ^James Berardinelli."Review".ReelViews.[dead link‍]
  28. ^Kenneth Turan."Review".Los Angeles Times.[dead link‍]
  29. ^Todd McCarthy(May 3, 2001)."The Mummy Returns".Variety.
  30. ^Rodriguez, Rene (May 4, 2001)."'The Mummy' unravels in sequel ".The Miami Herald.p. 68.Archivedfrom the original on November 6, 2024.RetrievedNovember 6,2024– viaNewspapers.com.
  31. ^Morgenstern, Joe(May 4, 2001)."Road Movie 'Eureka' Is A Journey of Discovery, But the Trip Isn't Quick".Wall Street Journal.
  32. ^Charles Taylor (May 4, 2001)."Review".Salon.com.
  33. ^"Nominees for 28th Annual Saturn Awards".United Press International.March 14, 2002.Archivedfrom the original on October 2, 2017.RetrievedAugust 9,2018.
  34. ^"Twenty-Third Annual Young Artist Awards 2002".Young Artist Awards.Archived fromthe originalon April 4, 2016.
  35. ^Hollywood.com Staff (August 12, 2001)."2001 Teen Choice Awards".Hollywood.com.Archivedfrom the original on October 25, 2023.RetrievedOctober 25,2023.
  36. ^Willow Green (January 25, 2002)."Empire Awards: Nominations Announced".Empire.Archivedfrom the original on July 19, 2017.RetrievedJuly 1,2021.
  37. ^"Universal Studios Home Video Launches the VHS/DVD Release Of 'The Mummy Returns' Amidst Ancient Sand Dunes at Santa Monica Beach".PR Newswire.Cision.October 3, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon November 2, 2001.RetrievedJune 14,2019– viaYahoo.com.
  38. ^Rivero, Enrique (June 18, 2001)."Universal's Mighty 'Mummy Returns' Unwraps at Retail Oct. 2".hive4media.com.Archivedfrom the original on July 1, 2001.RetrievedSeptember 1,2019.
  39. ^Groves, Don; Clay, Jennifer (October 9, 2001)."Big day for DVD debuts".Variety.RetrievedSeptember 30,2023.
  40. ^"'Menace' sales set DVD record ".October 29, 2001.
  41. ^Nunziata, Nick (September 19, 2001)."Mummy Returns, The".IGN.RetrievedOctober 28,2024.
  42. ^"The Mummy Returns Blu-ray Release Date July 22, 2008"– via www.blu-ray.com.
  43. ^"The Mummy Returns".September 12, 2017 – via Amazon.
  44. ^"The Mummy Returns".April 20, 2001.
  45. ^"Universal Interactive - News".
  46. ^"The Mummy Returns".September 19, 2001.
  47. ^"Off the Record".August 5, 2000.
  48. ^"The Scorpion King".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.Archivedfrom the original on September 21, 2020.RetrievedApril 20,2020.
  49. ^"The Scorpion King".Box Office Mojo.Archivedfrom the original on December 16, 2009.RetrievedJanuary 4,2010.
  50. ^"The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)".Rotten Tomatoes.Accessed November 22, 2021.
  51. ^"Mummy Franchise Box Office History – The Numbers".www.the-numbers.com.
edit
Wikiquote has quotations related toThe Mummy Returns.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Mummy_Returns&oldid=1274507389"