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Mummy Returns: Collector's Edition, The
Universal // PG-13 // October 2, 2001
List Price: $26.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Obviously, there had to be a sequel to one of 1999's biggest pictures. Yet, director Stephen Sommers demanded that the budget of the film be bigger - more action, more effects, more locations. More anything? More everything! Yet, that's not always the best choice, as shown by this mildly entertaining, though rather overloaded sequel that reunites the first film's main characters. The opening introduces us to the Scorpion King (wrestler The Rock, who brings a solid presence to a character that doesn't have much to do in the movie), the leader of a powerful army that makes a deal with a powerful spirit to rise up once again after the battles begin to go less and less well. The only problem for the King is that once things are wrapped up, he's banished by the same spirit that brought him back.
Jump ahead to current day Egypt, where Rick (Brendan Fraser, again proving to be a fun action hero) and his now-wife Evelyn (Rachel Weisz, suprisingly different here and really one of the film's best elements) are digging around for buried treasure with their son, Alex (apparently, Sommers felt the need to add a tyke, although he's given little to do). Lead by a suddenly re-animated Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velazquez), a band of Egyptians bring Im-Ho-Tep (Arnold Vosloo), the Mummy from the original picture, back to life. It turns out that Alex has the Scorpion King's braclet, which everyone's after. This leads to several lengthy and costly chase sequences towards a final battle with an awakened Scorpion King, who is none too pleased to have been knocked out of his nap.
There's quite a few differences this time around. The first picture did have a good deal of CGI-effects, but there also seemed to be a fine helping of more practical effects, giving the film a rather "Indiana Jones"-ish flavor. The other "Jones"-ish element of the original was the screenplay, which was full of some hilarious one-liners, well-delivered by Fraser and cast. In "Returns", on the other hand, the film mainly focuses on the effects to the point where the the characters become somewhat of a second thought. It also seemed to take the humor level down a bit, although John Hannah's Jonathan character did get a few great lines again this time.
The other problem is that the film's special effects are...well, not all that special. There's a boatload of effects and it's very strange to see the varied levels of quality. Some of the CGI is actually quite impressive, while some of it looks noticably phony. I've heard that Industrial Light and Magic was working on several pictures at the same time as "The Mummy Returns", maybe this was the reason for the inconsistency.
It's obvious that Sommers does know at least moderately well how to handle this kind of action-heavy material. The director even made his first feature, the "Titanic"-meets-"Aliens" picture "Deep Rising", a briskly moving piece of visual thrills that was otherwise largely empty. He works on that purely visual again here, keeping "Mummy" moving so quickly that some may find it exhausting as it moves from action piece to action piece.
Personally, I felt what really saved the film is that some of the action sequences, such as a double-decker bus fight and a swordfight between the two leading actresses, were so well-staged. These moments were almost breathlessly paced and exciting. Some of the CGI-heavy sequences, on the other hand, such as a chase with a wall of water that echoed the sand face of the original, were stangely less interesting.
Overall, I felt "The Mummy Returns" was a fun flick and really, that's all that's really expected from it. Yet, I still remain one of the few that seem to find the character-driven first picture at least somewhat more enjoyable. As the majority of the actors have returned, so have the technical crew. Leslie Shatz returns as the film's sound designer and makes for a more agressive audio experience this time around; Adrian Biddle's golden-hued cinematography again makes the picture look gorgeous and Sommers's usual editor Bob Duscay moves things along at a incredibly rapid clip.
Overall, bigger may not be entirely better in this cinematic case, but "The Mummy Returns" still manages to entertain.
The DVD
VIDEO: The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen edition can't escape from a few minor flaws, but otherwise presents image quality that is up to expectations for a major title from a major studio. Sharpness and detail are generally quite solid; there were a few minor dark sequences that looked slightly undefined, but this was not much of a complaint as the majority of the picture looked well-defined and crisp.
As one might expect (or at least, should expect) from a new picture, the print is free of flaws. I noticed no scratches, no marks and not even some of those pesky speckles that occasionally appear. On the other hand, I did spot a few trace instances of pixelation and a little bit of visible edge enhancement on a couple of occasions. None of these flaws really took away much from the viewing experience. Colors largely appeared solid, although they did look a bit heavy at times. Not without a few minor problems, but overall, this is a very nice transfer from Universal.
SOUND: Although I'm probably the only one to hold this opinion, I've never been that thrilled with the original film's sound experience. That film's overall audio is rich and dynamic, but it really never provided heavy surround effects; the surrounds seemed to spend most of their time re-inforcing Jerry Goldsmith's score. For the sequel though, sound designer Leslie Shatz (who also worked on the original) has obviously been given the green light to take things further. The same wonderfully dynamic and powerful sound quality returns on the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack for "Returns" and more effects are sent to the rears for an audio experience that's more engaging and entertaining.
Surround use comes into play equally well for the strong, bold score (this time around by Alan Silvestri) and agressive sound effects. The action sequences have a greater level of surround use for effects and really engage the viewer more effectively as the action sequences extend further out into the room. Audio quality was exceptional, as the score really came through thunderously, while still sharing the listening space well with the effects and dialogue, both of which sounded clear and crisp, as well. There is no DTS soundtrack included, unfortunately.
MENUS:: As expected, Universal has gone all-out with the menus, creating a very enjoyable animated main menu that twists and turns through an Egyptian tomb. Great animated transitions lead from the main to sub menus as items open up from walls and other such fun tricks.
EXTRAS:: Well, although the features that are listed below make up a fairly solid package, one has to worry somewhat about Universal's recent reputation of turning quite a few already "special" editions into new "Ultimate" ones. Although I suppose I don't mind a great deal if it improves at least mildly upon the already released product, it would be nice to know in advance if another edition is coming out. This picture seems like a likely candidate for the "Ultimate" line (maybe when "Scorpion King" is released in 1st Quarter 2002?), as well. Still, all the repackaging that's going on lately is a bit tiresome in general.
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Stephen Sommers and editor Bob Duscay. The two have known each other for a long time and both of their commentaries (for the first picture and this one) their friendship is certainly apparent in the same way that the track for similar long-time associates Christopher McQuarrie and Bryan Singer for "The Usual Suspects" showed. Duscay and Sommers again blend some easy-going humor about the picture with some interesting technical tidbits. That, and the two seem to be largely irritated with Roger Ebert, whose negative review of the picture is the subject of discussion at several points throughout the track. A fun track, though, and worth a listen.
The Scorpion King: Actor/wrestler "The Rock" provides an introduction to the early trailer for the upcoming "Mummy" prequel that revolves around his character. Unfortunately, this also plays before the movie begins, which wasn't necessary. The trailer itself is presented in widescreen and 5.1 audio. Either the footage looks a little on the rough, early side or the movie looks rather drab. Personally, with director Chuck Russell at the helm, I'll venture the guess that this is simply early footage.
Spotlight On Location: This is the return of Universal's promotional featurettes, which seem to have been absent from some of their other recent titles. These features tend to vary in quality - most are purely promotional and not all that interesting, while others are mildly informative and slightly entertaining. This one falls in-between; some of the behind-the-scenes footage is interesting, but most of the interviews are congratulatory and predictable - everyone did the sequel because they loved working with everyone, etc. Maybe good for one viewing.
Visual/Special Effects Formation: What good is a big-budget effects film on DVD without some sort of effects breakdown? Here, we're shown the elements from four scenes (Imhotep Returns, Pygmy Mummies Attack, Annubis Warriors Rising and Scorpion King Revealed). Personally, I wasn't that amazed by all of the visual effects in the picture, but I still found watching these featurettes, introduced by visual effects supervisor John Berton. The sequences are shown in five stages, from basic concepts to the final product. Strangely, this is not a multi-angle feature, which is odd since it would have made a perfect use of the angle feature.
Outtakes: 5 minutes of occasionally very funny on-set bloopers.
Music Video: Live's "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" video.
Trailers/Ads: The film's theatrical trailer (Dolby Digital 5.1), an ad for the "Mummy: Chamber Of Doom" ride at Universal studios (which looked more silly than scary) and a video game ad.
Egyptology 201: A section that provides additional information on Egyptian history, broken up into several sections.
Also: A message from actor Oded Fehr about the Kids Cancer Connection; production notes; cast/crew bios; DVD-ROM features including additional text information and bios as well as interactive games and other features.
Final Thoughts: "The Mummy Returns" was a bit more of a computer-generated assault than the first picture and the lack of focus on characters or plot did take away from the film somewhat. Still, there were enough well-staged action sequences and fun moments to make the film worth checking out. Universal's DVD does provide a fantastic presentation in terms of audio and video, but the supplemental features were a little too heavily promotional. Still, it's certainly worth a look (at least as a rental) for those seeking some mindless fun. For those who are already fans of the picture, they will likely be pleased with Universal's effort and seek out a purchase.
Obviously, there had to be a sequel to one of 1999's biggest pictures. Yet, director Stephen Sommers demanded that the budget of the film be bigger - more action, more effects, more locations. More anything? More everything! Yet, that's not always the best choice, as shown by this mildly entertaining, though rather overloaded sequel that reunites the first film's main characters. The opening introduces us to the Scorpion King (wrestler The Rock, who brings a solid presence to a character that doesn't have much to do in the movie), the leader of a powerful army that makes a deal with a powerful spirit to rise up once again after the battles begin to go less and less well. The only problem for the King is that once things are wrapped up, he's banished by the same spirit that brought him back.
Jump ahead to current day Egypt, where Rick (Brendan Fraser, again proving to be a fun action hero) and his now-wife Evelyn (Rachel Weisz, suprisingly different here and really one of the film's best elements) are digging around for buried treasure with their son, Alex (apparently, Sommers felt the need to add a tyke, although he's given little to do). Lead by a suddenly re-animated Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velazquez), a band of Egyptians bring Im-Ho-Tep (Arnold Vosloo), the Mummy from the original picture, back to life. It turns out that Alex has the Scorpion King's braclet, which everyone's after. This leads to several lengthy and costly chase sequences towards a final battle with an awakened Scorpion King, who is none too pleased to have been knocked out of his nap.
There's quite a few differences this time around. The first picture did have a good deal of CGI-effects, but there also seemed to be a fine helping of more practical effects, giving the film a rather "Indiana Jones"-ish flavor. The other "Jones"-ish element of the original was the screenplay, which was full of some hilarious one-liners, well-delivered by Fraser and cast. In "Returns", on the other hand, the film mainly focuses on the effects to the point where the the characters become somewhat of a second thought. It also seemed to take the humor level down a bit, although John Hannah's Jonathan character did get a few great lines again this time.
The other problem is that the film's special effects are...well, not all that special. There's a boatload of effects and it's very strange to see the varied levels of quality. Some of the CGI is actually quite impressive, while some of it looks noticably phony. I've heard that Industrial Light and Magic was working on several pictures at the same time as "The Mummy Returns", maybe this was the reason for the inconsistency.
It's obvious that Sommers does know at least moderately well how to handle this kind of action-heavy material. The director even made his first feature, the "Titanic"-meets-"Aliens" picture "Deep Rising", a briskly moving piece of visual thrills that was otherwise largely empty. He works on that purely visual again here, keeping "Mummy" moving so quickly that some may find it exhausting as it moves from action piece to action piece.
Personally, I felt what really saved the film is that some of the action sequences, such as a double-decker bus fight and a swordfight between the two leading actresses, were so well-staged. These moments were almost breathlessly paced and exciting. Some of the CGI-heavy sequences, on the other hand, such as a chase with a wall of water that echoed the sand face of the original, were stangely less interesting.
Overall, I felt "The Mummy Returns" was a fun flick and really, that's all that's really expected from it. Yet, I still remain one of the few that seem to find the character-driven first picture at least somewhat more enjoyable. As the majority of the actors have returned, so have the technical crew. Leslie Shatz returns as the film's sound designer and makes for a more agressive audio experience this time around; Adrian Biddle's golden-hued cinematography again makes the picture look gorgeous and Sommers's usual editor Bob Duscay moves things along at a incredibly rapid clip.
Overall, bigger may not be entirely better in this cinematic case, but "The Mummy Returns" still manages to entertain.
The DVD
VIDEO: The 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen edition can't escape from a few minor flaws, but otherwise presents image quality that is up to expectations for a major title from a major studio. Sharpness and detail are generally quite solid; there were a few minor dark sequences that looked slightly undefined, but this was not much of a complaint as the majority of the picture looked well-defined and crisp.
As one might expect (or at least, should expect) from a new picture, the print is free of flaws. I noticed no scratches, no marks and not even some of those pesky speckles that occasionally appear. On the other hand, I did spot a few trace instances of pixelation and a little bit of visible edge enhancement on a couple of occasions. None of these flaws really took away much from the viewing experience. Colors largely appeared solid, although they did look a bit heavy at times. Not without a few minor problems, but overall, this is a very nice transfer from Universal.
SOUND: Although I'm probably the only one to hold this opinion, I've never been that thrilled with the original film's sound experience. That film's overall audio is rich and dynamic, but it really never provided heavy surround effects; the surrounds seemed to spend most of their time re-inforcing Jerry Goldsmith's score. For the sequel though, sound designer Leslie Shatz (who also worked on the original) has obviously been given the green light to take things further. The same wonderfully dynamic and powerful sound quality returns on the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack for "Returns" and more effects are sent to the rears for an audio experience that's more engaging and entertaining.
Surround use comes into play equally well for the strong, bold score (this time around by Alan Silvestri) and agressive sound effects. The action sequences have a greater level of surround use for effects and really engage the viewer more effectively as the action sequences extend further out into the room. Audio quality was exceptional, as the score really came through thunderously, while still sharing the listening space well with the effects and dialogue, both of which sounded clear and crisp, as well. There is no DTS soundtrack included, unfortunately.
MENUS:: As expected, Universal has gone all-out with the menus, creating a very enjoyable animated main menu that twists and turns through an Egyptian tomb. Great animated transitions lead from the main to sub menus as items open up from walls and other such fun tricks.
EXTRAS:: Well, although the features that are listed below make up a fairly solid package, one has to worry somewhat about Universal's recent reputation of turning quite a few already "special" editions into new "Ultimate" ones. Although I suppose I don't mind a great deal if it improves at least mildly upon the already released product, it would be nice to know in advance if another edition is coming out. This picture seems like a likely candidate for the "Ultimate" line (maybe when "Scorpion King" is released in 1st Quarter 2002?), as well. Still, all the repackaging that's going on lately is a bit tiresome in general.
Commentary: This is a commentary from director Stephen Sommers and editor Bob Duscay. The two have known each other for a long time and both of their commentaries (for the first picture and this one) their friendship is certainly apparent in the same way that the track for similar long-time associates Christopher McQuarrie and Bryan Singer for "The Usual Suspects" showed. Duscay and Sommers again blend some easy-going humor about the picture with some interesting technical tidbits. That, and the two seem to be largely irritated with Roger Ebert, whose negative review of the picture is the subject of discussion at several points throughout the track. A fun track, though, and worth a listen.
The Scorpion King: Actor/wrestler "The Rock" provides an introduction to the early trailer for the upcoming "Mummy" prequel that revolves around his character. Unfortunately, this also plays before the movie begins, which wasn't necessary. The trailer itself is presented in widescreen and 5.1 audio. Either the footage looks a little on the rough, early side or the movie looks rather drab. Personally, with director Chuck Russell at the helm, I'll venture the guess that this is simply early footage.
Spotlight On Location: This is the return of Universal's promotional featurettes, which seem to have been absent from some of their other recent titles. These features tend to vary in quality - most are purely promotional and not all that interesting, while others are mildly informative and slightly entertaining. This one falls in-between; some of the behind-the-scenes footage is interesting, but most of the interviews are congratulatory and predictable - everyone did the sequel because they loved working with everyone, etc. Maybe good for one viewing.
Visual/Special Effects Formation: What good is a big-budget effects film on DVD without some sort of effects breakdown? Here, we're shown the elements from four scenes (Imhotep Returns, Pygmy Mummies Attack, Annubis Warriors Rising and Scorpion King Revealed). Personally, I wasn't that amazed by all of the visual effects in the picture, but I still found watching these featurettes, introduced by visual effects supervisor John Berton. The sequences are shown in five stages, from basic concepts to the final product. Strangely, this is not a multi-angle feature, which is odd since it would have made a perfect use of the angle feature.
Outtakes: 5 minutes of occasionally very funny on-set bloopers.
Music Video: Live's "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" video.
Trailers/Ads: The film's theatrical trailer (Dolby Digital 5.1), an ad for the "Mummy: Chamber Of Doom" ride at Universal studios (which looked more silly than scary) and a video game ad.
Egyptology 201: A section that provides additional information on Egyptian history, broken up into several sections.
Also: A message from actor Oded Fehr about the Kids Cancer Connection; production notes; cast/crew bios; DVD-ROM features including additional text information and bios as well as interactive games and other features.
Final Thoughts: "The Mummy Returns" was a bit more of a computer-generated assault than the first picture and the lack of focus on characters or plot did take away from the film somewhat. Still, there were enough well-staged action sequences and fun moments to make the film worth checking out. Universal's DVD does provide a fantastic presentation in terms of audio and video, but the supplemental features were a little too heavily promotional. Still, it's certainly worth a look (at least as a rental) for those seeking some mindless fun. For those who are already fans of the picture, they will likely be pleased with Universal's effort and seek out a purchase.
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