HallowScream - The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

      Hey guys, Chuck here. And, as we approach the end of yet another HallowScream, I think that it's time to also wrap up the trilogy of Mummy films with Brendan Fraser with 2008's The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which also stars Maria Bello, John Hannah, Luke Ford, Michelle Yeoh, Liam Cunningham, Russell Wong, Isabella Leong, and Jet Li. 

      So, shifting out of the Egyptian mythology of the first two films, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor introduces us to the legend of a Chinese warlord named Qin Shi Huang, who united the country's kingdoms, forging them into a single empire, and thus becoming the Dragon Emperor. Unfortunately, the Emperor sought the secret to immortality, and he sends his lieutenant, General Ming, to find the sorceress Zi Yuan, who holds the secret of Shangri-La. Unfortunately, Zi Yuan and General Ming fall in love, and the Emperor has General Ming killed. And, just as the Emperor achieves immortality, he and his troops are transformed into the Terracotta Army. 

      We then jump to the year 1946, where Rick O'Connell is struggling to adjust to domestic life, and is particularly having issues with catching fish without resorting to blasting at the fish with his guns. Evy, meanwhile, has become a bestselling author, writing fictitious retellings of the previous two adventures, with the books being called The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. Now, something that is obvious right off the bat is a change in actress for Evy, as Rachel Weisz passed on returning, and was recast with Maria Bello. And, while I don't dislike Maria Bello in this movie, she's no Rachel Weisz. 

      Meanwhile, we see that the O'Connell's son Alex is now a young man, and is studying archaeology with a professor named Roger Wilson, and during an expedition, Professor Wilson and Alex locate the tomb containing the Emperor and his Terracotta Army, and after surviving an attack by a mysterious warrior, they return the Emperor's sarcophagus to Shanghai. At the same time, the British government sends Rick and Evy to China to retrieve a relic known as the Eye of Shangri-La. 

       And, as it turns out, Jonathan has a nightclub in Shanghai, and of course he has been keeping an eye on Alex. And, wouldn't you have it, Rick and Evy go to the club to see Jonathan, and Rick bails Alex out of a bar fight with Rick's old friend Mad Dog Maguire. And, it turns out that Professor Wilson is working for a general named Yang, along with a colonel named Choi, who both believe that the Dragon Emperor can unite and lead China out of the chaos left after World War II.and the Chinese Civil War. And, as it turns out, the Eye of Shangri-La contains some of the mystical water from Shangri-La, which is used to bring the Emperor back to life. The Emperor teams up with General Yang and kills Professor Wilson. 

      The mystery warrior, it's revealed, is a woman named Lin, and she possesses a dagger that is the only thing that can kill the Emperor. But, it's a race to get to the Himalayas, where the path to Shangri-La can be revealed. And, to get there, Rick calls upon the piloting skills of Mad Dog, who flies them in his cargo plane. To fend off the Emperor and General Yang's forces, Lin summons a pack of Yeti, but Rick is wounded. The others are able to get him to Shangri-La, where Zi Yuan heals him. And, it turns out that Lin is Zi Yuan's daughter, and both are immortal thanks to the water of Shangri-La. 

        Unfortunately, the Emperor soon arrives, soaks in the waters, which restores his proper human appearance, turns into a three-headed dragon, steals the dagger that can kill him, and flies off to reawaken the Terracotta Army, which makes an attack on the Great Wall. At the cost of her and Lin's immortality, Zi Yuan uses the Oracle Bones to summon an undead army to clash with the Terracotta Army, with General Ming leading this undead army. Zi Yuan confronts him and reclaims the dagger, but is killed in the process, handing the dagger to Rick and Alex. At the same time, Evy and Lin confront Yang and Choi, leading to both men getting caught in some gears and crushed to death. And, finally, Rick and Alex stab the Emperor with the dagger, killing him and wiping out the Terracotta Army. Ming and his undead army celebrate and fade away into the afterlife. 

       The movie ends with the O'Connells back in Shanghai, Alex and Lin starting a relationship, and Jonathan heading off to Peru. 

       So, yeah The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was a significant downgrade from the previous two movies in the series. Don't get me wrong, I was still entertained by it, and I found Brendan Fraser as Rick to be badass, and I felt that Luke Ford as Alex had a similarly ruggedly handsome charm as Brendan Fraser as Rick. But, unfortunately, while I applaud the move from Egypt,.as it had been done twice, I think it was a mistake to choose Chinese mythology for the basis for a Mummy movie. While Jet Li as the Dragon Emperor was intimidating, to be sure, it's kinda odd that the filmmakers would choose Chinese mythology, which historically didn't mummify their dead, over a Mesoamerican one like the Mayans or the Aztecs, both cultures of which were the only other ones who historically were known for the mummification of their dead. And, there have been rumblings that both Brendan Fraser and Stephen Sommers want to return to the series, and we'll have to see. But, it's not happening soon, as we're getting another Mummy reboot next year from New Line Cinema and Blumhouse. 

       Alright guys, this is Chuck signing off, and we'll be wrapping up this year's HallowScream with The Rocky Horror Picture Show.