Movie Guys: Should anyone get wrapped up in 'The Mummy'?

Synopsis: In 1719 B.C., in the Egyptian city of Thebes, a forbidden love between the evil high priest, Imhotep, and Anck-Su-Namun, the Pharaoh's mistress, is exposed. For his unholy acts, he is given the ultimate curse: His mummified body will remain undead for all eternity -- a torturous existence, but one that will cease should his rotting corpse ever be released. That day has come.

Jeff: I'm always reminded of a joke Bill Cosby spoke, that anyone ever caught in the clutches by The Mummy or Frankenstein's Monster deserves to be killed. Why? Because they are so slow. You could just walk briskly to out-run them both. Not too threatening. In the updated remake of Universal Studio's "The Mummy," they not only walk much faster but, thanks to computer generated effects, possess powers befitting any evil Egyptian god.

I wish you could have seen the smile plastered all over my face during "The Mummy." This is the kind of fantasy and action/adventure that I loved as a boy. Kids will relish the mystic allure of Egyptian culture and lose the reality of the real world in its fast-paced action and humor. Hey, adults will love it too.

Dave: Wait a minute, Jeff, let's get serious here. When you take away all of the dazzling special effects and the legacy behind Universal's original 1932 classic of the same name, all we have left is an attractive cast and a clunker of a script by the feature's director, Stephen Sommers.

Once the film establishes its evil nemesis Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) in an opening scene, we quickly jump a few centuries forward where we are introduced to our hero Rick O'Conner (wow, with a name like that, how could you forget it?), played by rising star Brendan Fraser. O'Conner is in battle in the hidden ruins of Hamunaptra, the city of the dead, when he is flushed out and winds up in a prison. Before his execution, he meets the beautiful Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), who is looking for the mythical Hamunaptra. She bargains for his life and soon everyone is set for an adventure from which few have ever come back alive.

Jeff: I guess what Dave is trying to convey (in his unique way) is how Sommers' approach to "The Mummy" (which isn't like the original at all, for which I'm glad), takes the "Indiana Jones" approach, with exotic locations and characters, tongue-in-cheek humor and swashbuckling action.

O'Connor and his treasure-seeking pals face the patented Mummy's curse, which unleashes loads of evil over the world. They battle flesh-eating bugs, loads of locusts, water turning to blood, and face just about every plague possible (10 of them, in fact), even the army of the undead. You'll turn away in horror as they mummify people alive, sticking sharp pokers up their noses to pull out their brains. The feel for the film is perfect.

The backdrop of Cairo -- with its majestic pyramids and the tombs with twisting, turning stone carved hallways that they uncover -- gives you an uncomfortable claustrophobic feel. There's even some friendly competition between our band of heroes and a rag-tag collection of Americans all looking for hidden treasures. In their quest, they unknowing release The Mummy -- who just so happens to possess great powers and a obsession to take over the world -- and his curse. Till then, The Mummy will hunt down those who have opened his tomb and suck their life essence dry until he takes human form. One cool ride.

Dave: You know Jeff is excited about a film when he ends every statement with a one-liner. Now then, what I'm trying to say in my unique way is that "The Mummy" is not all it is wrapped up to be. Granted, the visual sand effects are spectacular, and the walking dead looks like George A. Romero's dream-come-true, but the movie never catches a natural pace. Every turn seems forced or contrived for the sake of a cheap scare or an eye-popping effect.

Plus, much to my surprise, Fraser is a bit of a disappointment. He has the physical appearance and dashing good looks, but he is all wrong. He conveys confidence and determination like a bull in a china shop; he delivers his serious lines with the same fervor as he does his comic relief; and the sad part of it all, he has the talent to showcase himself as a leading man in any adventure.

The fault lies with filmmaker Sommers, who bored audiences and critics alike (with the exception of our very own Movie Guy, Jeff Howard) with last year's heinous "Deep Rising." Aside from the script, he relies -- like in his monstrous debut -- heavily on special effects rather than utilizing his cast. I know I've stepped on my partner's foot with this one, so I'll let him now retort.

Jeff: OK. So all of the jokes don't work. Big deal! Fraser is perfect, Dave. He's our next action hero. Kevin J. O'Connor (a "Deep Rising" alum) is fabulous as The Mummy's henchman, and Jonathan Hyde is outstanding as the Egyptologist.

Cheap scare? I put it to your own girlfriend, Dave, who was jumping out of her seat during the movie, and I was two seats away. I know what I heard and saw. The scares work, as do the visual effects by Idustrial Light and Magic. The finale of the film is a sight to behold. The suspense and humor are a perfect blend. No fault here, just superb art direction by Allan Cameron, terrific costumes by John Bloomfield and masterful direction by Sommers. "The Mummy" is great way to scare up a good time.

Viewpoint

We were just going to look. Honest. On Monday, at the stroke of midnight, the new toys from "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" went on sale, and you must believe that we went just to look and not to buy. But, somewhere along the way we caught "Star Wars Fever," a not-too-uncommon condition, we're told, that has been affecting most of the nation.

Our first stop was FAO Schwarz, the headquarters, if you will, of the new toys. We arrived at the Forum Shops at Caesars shortly before midnight to discover (not to our surprise) a large crowd -- so large that the store was distributing tickets and calling numbers for 20 lucky people to enter at a time. With our faces pressed against the glass, we could see patrons taking the escalator to the third floor where the toys were waiting. "Let us in!" we shouted. We were almost dead last getting in. Would there be any left?

It was a mob scene, resembling bread and vodka day in St. Petersburg. People were piling high around every action figure. We couldn't get near them. So, we checked out the other "Phantom Menace" toys on the floor. After playing with the new light sabers and holding up the new shirts to each other to see if they would fit, we really wanted a crack at those action figures, but it was still too mobbed, and they were going fast. (Dave wanted a Darth Maul figure, and Jeff wanted a C-3PO.) What to do? Wal-Mart, we thought.

Dashing off like a couple of superheros (with incredible style and grace), we headed to Wal-Mart on Rainbow Boulevard. "Star Wars Fever" is rampant, and this should be no different, we thought. But, oh no, friends. We entered the store and took that long walk back to the toy department and, as if a light from heaven pointed the way, we came closer and closer to our treasure. It was a beautiful sight to behold: Three racks full of "Star Wars" toys, with row upon row of action figures, untouched by consumers' hands, as if placed there just for us.

We stood there in awe for a few moments. Sure, there were a few other fans there basking in our discovery, but we shared, holding up toys and giggling like school kids. "Look at this one!" we shouted. As we said at the start, we only came to look. But, in the end, we spent more than $300. The force is with us -- always.

Name That Flick

Wow! Our mailbox was full in response to last week's trivia question: What was Sean Connery's first motion picture? Most of you guessed the Disney film "Darby O'Gill and the Little People," but that was his first U.S. role. He made a few films back home in Europe before that. It was Penelope Wells who correctly guessed his first film, "No Road Back" (1954). Way to go, Penelope!

For this week, give us call if you know the answer to this trivia question: How many sequels were there to the 1932 horror classic "The Mummy"? Wait! You have to name them all, too, (in order) when you call or e-mail. To not do so will unleash the curse of The Mummy! If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026, or e-mail us at [email protected]. Be sure to spell your name and leave your daytime phone number and if you're the first correct caller/e-mailer, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read. See you next week.

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