Movie Review: "The Mummy" (1999)

This is going to be my first film review here on The Wanderer's Corner. What better than a movie I know like the back of my hand?  The movie I am going to be reviewing, happened to be a huge part of my childhood. It has shaped a lot of my film tastes, and I have a bit of a weak spot for this film to be honest. Regardless, I plan on keeping this a fair review, but I also should prefix this review with a note. This is my opinion, and regardless of what I say here, I hope you will see the movie to form your own opinion. So without further ado, let's dive into the 1999 adventure film The Mummy!

The first major factor to look at here is the movie's art design. When I say art design, I am talking about the overall look to the film. This is everything from sets to costumes in the film, and I must say, I really love this movie’s look. The set design we see throughout the film is fantastic. The design of the final showdown being inside an ancient tomb is one of the most distinct sets. You really get a distinct feeling of how old everything is while also feeling the epicness and grandeur of an ancient Egyptian tomb.

The costuming for the movie is also extremely fantastic. Every character has a distinct look to them that gives you an idea of who they are. Even though they may be simple designs, they fit the characters perfectly. The costume worn by one of our protagonists Rick fits this idea wonderfully. His clothes are simple and functional, but also have the rugged look of a pulp hero. The art for this film really does seem to have a the fondness for the old Universal movie monster films that the mummy draws from. It keeps the pulp adventure of those films, while also having a style to it that makes it feel distinct from the originals.Seriously major congratulations to the art team.

One of the most important part of this film, of any film for that matter, are the characters. It is extremely important for a film to have likable and relatable characters. The Mummy absolutely has just that. Staying with the established mummy villain, originally

portrayed by Boris Karloff in 1932, is Imhotep played by Arnold Vosloo. Vosloo does an absolutely fantastic job playing a sympathetic villain; mind you, we're left with no doubt he is the bad guy. Heck, in one of his first scenes he and his lover brutally murder the pharaoh who she was mistress to. However, despite all that, you still feel why Imhotep is doing what he's doing, it's out of love. Love is a motivation that isn’t explored often in terms of villains.

This is a shining example of love being a twisted motivation for a villain to do villainous things. Vosloo also brings a level of power and grace to the character in a way, where Boris Karloff often came off as clunky in this movement. For main hero of the story, we have Brendan Fraser playing Rick O'Connell the sort of rough and tumble action hero of a character. He plays the reluctant hero at start; yet, the moment everything hits the fan he's in it and he isn't giving up, which is actually a very endearing quality. Brendan Fraser, is also charming and funny in this role which feels really natural. Honestly is what had me really rooting for the good guys. Rachel Weisz takes on the role of Evelyn in the film, an extremely intelligent egyptologist who wishes gain respect of her intellectual peers by the discovery of Hamunaptra. Evelyn is an extremely likable character funny, intelligent, and adventurous. She has the audience in her court for the whole film. I also love the fact that she is the one who makes it possible for there to be a good outcome in the film. It is Evelyn who is able to open up Imhotep's weak spot and really come in clutch in act three. I could go on and on about the characters in this film as it is one of the films strongest point, but honestly you need to see for yourself to really understand how great they are.

Next up we have story which is obviously the most crucial part to consider when talking about any movie. Is the story captivating? Does it hold everybody's attention? Does it make you feel any sort of way? These are all things that could be talked about when looking at film and honestly The Mummy does extremely well in this department. The story for the most part follows the same steps as the old mummy films. It follows an ancient undead who wishes to bring back the love of his life and he is willing to break the world to get her back. It's the whole idea of forbidden love from ancient past that has dire consequences in the present. It also shows bad things done for something typically conceived as good doesn't excuse the bad actions. However, it also does maintain that love is not a bad thing as we see a romance between Rick and

Evelyn develop throughout the film. It actively shows that the way Imhotep's going about all this is wrong, and that what he is doing does make him the bad guy, no question. The film itself is an exciting adventure. This film is a summer blockbuster, a total popcorn movie, but also has a very interesting message in this sense. Honestly, I would have been happy if it was just a summer blockbuster but I'm over the moon because it went the extra mile and didn't take half-measures with the story. The creators of this film wanted to have a message and they did! For that it has my seal of approval.
If you're looking for a fun action film, this is one for you. If you're looking for a Indiana Jones style film that feels like some of the old Universal classics, this is absolutely for you. I saw this film at a young age, but unlike many other films I saw when I was younger, It held up. Looking back on this film it does stand the test of time. I give 1999’s The Mummy a solid 9/10 and my personal note of a must watch. If you enjoyed this movie review feel free to let me know what you think in the comments. Stay tuned to The Wanderer’s Corner new posts come on Saturdays!