THE MUMMY - FOR TEN AND UNDER

The Mummy (Rated PG-13)

1999

125 Minutes

Widescreen: 2.35:1

As a kid, I was the biggest Indiana Jones fan. So when 1999’s similar-themed “The Mummy” hit theaters, my heart was all aflutter. The 30-second, action-packed commercials made my mouth water, but when my parents saw the dreaded PG-13 tacked onto the dusty, mummy-faced poster, I was automatically forbidden to see it.

I hadn’t thought of the movie since. Nine years later, I noticed it featured on Netflix’s Instant Play list. I figured what the heck, I’m a big boy now. Besides, when it came out, all my friends said it was “the bomb.” Having seen it now, they were semi-right. It’s cheesy, Egyptian fun, but it’s no Indy.

The plot is fairly simple. In ancient Egypt, a priest named Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) is having an affair with the Pharaoh’s girlfriend. They murder the king and Imhotep is quickly arrested while she commits suicide. The priest is buried alive (with bugs thrown all over him!) and cursed, carefully watched over by Egyptian descendents, afraid treasure hunters will break the spell and wake him up.

The film progresses to the year 1926 and Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah), together with adventurer Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) are after gold that is alledgedly in the cursed mummy tomb. Through a series of events I wouldn’t dare spoil, they inadvertently bring a very icky Imhotep back from the dead. Now he plans to take over the world…or something like that.

There are some fun set pieces in “The Mummy,” such as dust storms, creepy critters, and a very cool (and shapeshifting) piece of carrion. The romance seems to be a little iffy. Evelyn and Rick are the movie’s couple, but you basically have to assume this is true. One advantage is the heavy dose of humor, although Kevin J. O’Connor’s comic relief as Beni, gets old. REAL fast.

Other compliments would go toward the set design and the great music by Jerry Goldsmith. But there was still something missing. Perhaps there was too much FX and not enough heart. I’m reminded of “Independence Day,” another movie I didn’t see until recently. While both do their jobs of entertaining 10-year-old boys, they can’t capture the spectacular magic of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Star Wars,” or “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” movies people of all ages can enjoy.

Grade: C+