HallowScream - The Mummy (1999)

      Hey guys, Chuck here, and we've discussed the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, and the Wolf Man. But, today for HallowScream, we're taking a look at the most memorable of Universal's iconic monsters: the Mummy. And, while I believe that the original classic version of The Mummy with Boris Karloff is an all-time great, that's not the one I'll be looking at. No, I'm taking a look at the 1999 version of The Mummy, 

       The movie opens in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Pharaoh Seti I, and we see the Pharaoh's priest, Imhotep, and the Pharaoh's mistress, Anck su Namun, in a forbidden love affair, and the two kill the Pharaoh. Unfortunately, the Pharaoh's guards, the Medjai, arrive, and Anck su Namun forces Imhotep away, and kills herself. Why? Because Imhotep was the only one who could bring Anck su Namun back from the dead. And, to do this, Imhotep and his priests steal Anck su Namun's corpse and take her to the city of Hamunaptra, where he uses the Book of the Dead to bring Anck su Namun back from the dead. However, the ritual is interrupted by the Medjai, and her soul is returned to the land of the dead. And, while Imhotep's priests are mummified alive, Imhotep himself is subjected to an evil curse and buried with flesh eating scarabs. 

      Years later in 1926, we see a skirmish involving the French Foreign Legion, which includes American adventurer Rick O'Connell and the cowardly Beni Gabor, in the ruins of Hamunaptra. However, after the skirmish, forces on both sides are driven away by the curse of the city. Some time later, we meet librarian and Egyptologist Evelyn Carnahan, also known as Evy, whose brother Jonathan found a relic of Ancient Egypt, which includes the map to Hamunaptra. However, Dr. Terence Bey, the curator of the Cairo museum, attempts to convince the siblings that none who've sought the treasure of Hamunaptra has ever returned alive. 

      Evy and Jonathan then head to a nearby prison, where Rick is being held. It turns out that Jonathan stole the box with the map from Rick, who has been to Hamunaptra. Evy bargains with warden Gad Hassan to release Rick, and the four head by boat to begin the journey to Hamunaptra, where Evy hopes to find the golden Book of Amun-Ra. Also on the boat are American treasure hunters Henderson, Daniels, and Burns, along with Dr. Chamberlain, who are also going to Hamunaptra, with Beni guiding them there. Unfortunately, the boat is attacked by the Medjai, led by Ardeth Bay, and are forced to evacuate and reach the shore. And, it's here where we get the iconic exchange of "Hey, O'Connell! Looks to me like I'VE got all the horses!" "He, Beni! Looks to me like YOU'RE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER!" 

      Anyway, Rick is able to negotiate a set of four camels to ride the rest of the way to Hamunaptra. And, of course the two competing groups meet at a point outside of the city, and witness the city emerge with the rising sun. And, the race is on to see who reaches Hamunaptra first, with Evy being the first to make it. Both teams venture through the city, finding all manner of treasure, as well as the Statue of Aubis, and both the sarcophagus containing the remains of Imhotep, and a cursed chest containing the Book of the Dead. 

     Unfortunately, the Medjai arrive again and attack, warning both teams to "leave this place or die." Unfortunately, Evy gets too curious for her own good, read from the Book of the Dead, and brings back the mummified corpse of Imhotep, who slowly regenerates by going after the ones who opened the chest containing the Book, and unleashes the Plagues of Egypt. And, after surviving their first encounter with Imhotep, the expedition returns to Cairo, but Beni leads Imhotep back with them, and Imhotep continues taking out those that opened the cursed chest. 

     Meeting with Dr. Terence Bey, who is joined by Ardeth, a few discoveries are made. One, Imhotep will be unstoppable once fully regenerated, but can be driven off by cats until then, as cats are guardians of the underworld. Second, while initial translations suggested that the Book of Amun-Ra was under the Statue of Aubis, it was actually beneath the Statue of Horus. Third, and this is the most important one, Imhotep's plan is still to resurrect Anck su Namun, and he plans to use Evy as a human sacrifice to resurrect his deceased love. 

       Unfortunately, Imhotep is fully regenerated, and he and Beni take Evy into the desert back to Hamunaptra. To get there quickly, Rick hires the services of his pilot friend, Captain Winston Havelock, and is able to get a plane ride into the desert for himself, Jonathan, and Ardeth. Unfortunately, Imhotep uses his power to create a wall of sand, with a massive face in the sand wall, to devour and kill our heroes. As a distraction, Evy kisses Imhotep, causing him to lose focus and the sand wall to vanish. The plane still crashes, and Winston dies in the crash. 

        So, Imhotep resurrects his priests as mummies, along with a squad of mummy soldiers, while preparing the ritual to resurrect Anck su Namun. Beni, meanwhile, starts filling saddle bags with treasure to take back and get rich. Rick, Jonathan, and Ardeth, meanwhile, locate the Statue of Horus, and collect the Book of Amun-Ra, using it to control Imhotep's forces, ordering them to kill the mummy of Anck su Namun, and finally using the book to make Imhotep mortal, and thus killing him. Beni accidentally placed a loaded saddle bag onto a dummy switch, which causes the entire city of Hamunaptra to fall apart. Rick, Evy, and Jonathan escape, but Beni is left trapped in the crumbling city. Outside, Ardeth thanks Rick, Evy, and Johnathan for what they've done and rides off, Rick and Evy share a passionate kiss, and the two of them, along with Johnathan, ride off into the sunset with the treasure that Beni already got out earlier. 

      The Mummy, despite bearing very little resemblance to the original classic, is very much an entertaining modern reimagining of a Universal classic. Clearly taking more cues from adventure franchises like Indiana Jones, the work that director Stephen Sommers did with the film was a ton of fun. The performances by Brendan Fraser as Rick, Rachel Weisz as Evy, John Hannah as Jonathan, Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay, and Arnold Vosloo as Imhotep were all second to none, and other performances by the likes of Erick Avari, Patricia Velásquez, Jonathan Hyde, Corey Johnson, Kevin J. O'Connor, Omid Djalili, and Bernard Fox were also really good. 

      The visual effects used in this movie were, at the time, state of the art. The CGI used on the resurrected Imhotep, as well as the the various phases of his regeneration, was very exceptional for the time, and still holds up in certain parts. Other parts, however, do look at bit dated. Also, the set and costume designs look absolutely fantastic. 

     Overall, I have a ton of fun this version of The Mummy, and it's easily a fun watch both around Halloween and throughout the year. Definitely recommend this one. 

      Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and HallowScream continues next with another '90s classic: The Addams Family.