Studio: Uni Dist Corp. (mca) Release Date: 12/16/2008 Run time: 112 minutes Rating: Pg13
The third film in the The Mummy series freshens the franchise up by setting the action in China. There, the discovery of an ancient emperor's elaborate tomb proves a feather in the cap of Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford), a young archaeologist and son of Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and his wife Evelyn (Maria Bello, taking over the role from Rachel Weisz). Unfortunately, a curse that turned the emperor (Jet Li) and his army into terra cotta warriors buried for centuries is lifted, and the old guy prepares for world domination by seeking immortality at Shangri La. The O'Connells barely stay a step ahead of him (climbing through the Himalaya mountains with apparent ease), but the action inevitably leads to a showdown between two armies of mummies in a Chinese desert. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has a lot to offer: a supporting cast that includes the elegant Michelle Yeoh, Russell Wong, and Liam Cunningham, the unexpected appearance of several Yeti, and a climactic battle sequence that is nightmarishly weird but compelling. On the downside, the charm so desperately sought in romantic relationships, as well as comic turns by John Hannah (as Evelyn's rascal brother), is not only absent but often annoying. Rarely have witty asides in the thick of battle been more unwelcome in a movie. Rob Cohen's direction is largely crisp if sometimes curious (a fight between Fraser and Jet Li keeps varying in speed for some reason), but his vision of Shangri La, in the Hollywood tradition, is certainly attractive. --Tom Keoghbr> Stills from The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Click for larger image)
Rachel Weisz was smart to stay away from this movie. The leads give unconvincing, wooden performances, and Bello and Fraser have zero chemistry. The actor who portrayed the son gave a terribly one-note performance (the type that usually befits straight-to-DVD movies). John Hannah's Jonathan is still warm and funny, but that doesn't make up for the fact that the movie is just plain underwhelming. The only relationship that seemed genuine was the one between Michelle Yeoh and Isabella Leong, which, I'll... more info
orrendo:
Gesù, non è possibile dare zero quindi mi tocca mettere una stella ma un film così brutto non l'ho mai visto! e pensare che è pure preso in considerazione per gli oscar nella sezione effetti speciali! spero sia uno scherzo altrimenti si sono bevuti tutti il cervello..............
Unworthy release trying to leech off the franchise:
For those of you who have read my reviews (for which I am grateful, by the way), you will undoubtedly have noticed the trend for these that has emerged over the time since I began writing them. Initially, they consisted of two or more paragraphs which gave a general description of the film/s plot, followed by some commentary of the film's production aspects such as acting, writing, directing, etc. Over time, the reviews grew longer and had more baroque lead-in & transitional paragraphs, accompanied by... more info
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Widescreen):
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (Widescreen) is the third movie in the series and it is painfully bad. The plot is a joke. Bredan Fraser phones in a lame performance and the replacement actress for his wife try as she might the chemistry is just not there. The first two movies were full of fun, wit and good adventure. This move is nothing short of a travesty. Pointless violence, a plot written by Dr Nick Riviera from the Simpsons or maybe even Homer himself, shoddy acting. I was so disapointed... more info
