Movie Review - 'The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor'
Friday, August 1, 2008 at 12:03AM The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon EmperorStarring Brendan Fraser, Maria Bello, and Jet Li
Directed by Rob Cohen
Rated PG-13
This summer has seen its fair share of smart movies loaded with action. When that change occurred,
when summer movies left the pure popcorn appeal behind for something more
substantive, is hard to pinpoint, but this is not a marketplace that could
be dominated by the paper-thin likes of Armageddon and Godzilla
anymore. Now we have dark comic book heroes and intelligent Pixar movies
sprouting like weeds. Of course, there are still dumb movies out there, but
they don't carry as much clout as they once did.
If you're feeling nostalgic for stupidity, however, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is for you. This is a big, dumb summer movie, and when you look at the type of material around it in theaters this year, it really stands out, like the six-foot-tall fifth grader who already needs to shave. Yes, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has been held back a year or two.
Of course, why should the franchise change its course now? The first Mummy, released at a time when we enjoyed mindless fluff, was exactly that - a silly concept with some good effects and a bit of the ol' blockbuster magic. It's not a great film, but it was a perfectly fine diversion, surprising, even. The second movie was moronic and the visual effects were lousy. Also, things like this usually aren't as fun for us the second time. That's just our nature.
So it would be difficult to give a third Mummy movie the gravitas of Gotham City out of the clear blue. Instead, adventurers Rick and Evelyn O'Connell (Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello, taking over for Rachel Weisz) travel to China where their now fully-grown son (Luke Ford) has unearthed one of the great archaeological finds ever: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Legend has it that the Emperor (Jet Li) was cursed by a wizard (Michelle Yeoh) for his bloodlust, and he and his entire army was transformed into statues. Like everything else, there's a loophole: The Emperor can be awakened through a series of convoluted steps, and if he is, he'll show the world no mercy.
So by the time he is awakened, we're pretty hungry for some action. After all, if anyone appears more uncomfortable by Maria Bello's presence and her flimsy accent than Bello herself, it's Brendan Fraser, who comes off like a guy going on his first date years after a divorce left him shattered. He never has the connection with his leading lady that he did in the first two movies, and that makes watching their scenes just as uncomfortable for us.
The action and visual effects, the entrees in a movie of this type, are just OK. Some effects look a lot better than others, and anytime a movie needs to call on a pack of Yeti to bail out the heroes...well, I don't really need to finish that thought, do I? Jet Li makes an effective villain, and I could've used more of him and his vendetta against Michelle Yeoh. In truth, this movie would have worked much better as a Scorpion King-style spinoff, without Brendan Fraser or Maria Bello in it at all.
But then, of course, it might not be the trip down memory lane in good ol' Dumbville this movie clearly is. Unfortunately for The Mummy series, a lot of us have moved out of Dumbville, leaving no forwarding address.
Reader Comments (4)
Dragon Emperor doesn't exactly beg for a sequel (neither did The Mummy Returns, for that matter), but it'd be fun to watch the filmmakers try to outdo this dizzy spectacle in the arena of sheer ridiculousness.I m watching The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor review Here http://www.80millionmoviesfree.com
You know - sometimes it's good to go to a movie that doesn't make a socially relevant statement and is just for gratuitous fun. I didn't have high expectations for the third Mummy and enjoyed it immensely. The only drawback was the lack of Rachel Weisz in the role of Evie. She added the zest to the first two mummies that this one lacked and provided a more believable romantic foil for Brendan than Ms. Bello does. Yes, the movie was predictable and yes, the yeti were a little over the top, but overall, it provided a brief reprieve from reality and social relevance. Having seen the Mummy 3, I can now appreciate the dark commentary provided by the other summer blockbuster; The Dark Knight
That's an interesting perspective, Mike. I just felt like a movie with that kind of money shouldn't have a lot of problems, which this did in everything for casting the female lead to some of the balls-out ridiculous action. The first Mummy is twice the movie this is.
Sounds like Tomb of the Dragon Emperor met everyone's expectations... generally Brendan Frasier tries too hard to act, so you can tell he's acting