Action The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

[Mojo]

Wow, some harsh words from Rolling Stone...

I saw the movie, and actually sort of liked it. It's a popcorn film, sure, but it's definitely miles better than Mummy Returns. The CGI action was quite good, the Yetis were awesome, and there were enough twists and turns and action scenes and set pieces to hold your attention.

Would I say it's the best movie of the summer? No, of course not. But it might just crack my top ten.

(Which is to say that a lot of movies this summer have disappointed...)

 

[Tom]

Mummy 3 was a dissappointment for me. But only slightly. The Yeti were cool but Yeti are not supposed to be friendly.
It felt like a Mummy movie but the karma was off, it felt 'forced'

 

[Mojo]

Mummy 3 was a dissappointment for me. But only slightly. The Yeti were cool but Yeti are not supposed to be friendly.
It felt like a Mummy movie but the karma was off, it felt 'forced'

How would you compare it to The Mummy Returns?

 

[Kevin]

Harsh indeed.

- Seeing as how the original movie was set in 1923 then Rick O' Connell having "a college-age son" in 1946 does not exactly seem out of place.

- Movies sequels & TV series often replace actors. Anybody remember the rotating "Beckie" character from the Roseanne TV series?


Have people become jaded to the point where a movie can not be just an enjoyable 'popcorn movie' any more?

 

[Mojo]

Actually, it was a bit jarring being forced to accept Brandon Frasier being old enough to be the father of a 20-something year-old guy. The least they could have done was add a few more wrinkled in there.

And actually, the switch between Rachel Weisz and Maria Bello was handled in a very cute manner...

Spoiler: Maria Bello's face is behind a book her character is authored. Someone asks her, "Is it true? Are you really the inspiration for *insert character name from book here*?" And she smiles and says, "No... it's like we're completely" --the book drops down to reveal Bello's face -- "seperate people."

Mild Spoiler

 

[Tom]

How would you compare it to The Mummy Returns?

Less than

 

[Mojo]

Bah, that's just foolishness, Skwirly. The Mummy Returns was awful in virtually every way, capped off by that gawd-awful Scorpion King incarnation, which has to rank in the Bottom 5 CGI Effects Ever.

(Hmm... that's worthy of it's own thread, now that I think about it...)

The Mummy: TOTDE had a lot to recommend it -- lots of fun set pieces (switching to Asia gave them a fresh canvas to paint on), some good action sequences (the chase through the streets of Shanghai, the Yeti battle, the war at the end), and decent performances by the cast and crew. (Helped greatly by the absence of a certain 9-year old kid...)

 

[Tom]

When I think mummies I think ancient Egypt not China.

I didn't say it was bad, I just liked the carma of the first two better.

I don't really care whether you agree with me or not.

 

[Kevin]

Bah, that's just foolishness, Skwirly. The Mummy Returns was awful in virtually every way, capped off by that gawd-awful Scorpion King incarnation, which has to rank in the Bottom 5 CGI Effects Ever.

Let's not forget that The Scorpion King has spawned a sequel even!

When I think mummies I think ancient Egypt not China.

Very true. Even though some types of mummification have been encountered across the globe it is still strange to think of a movie named "The Mummy" and not having it Egyptian based.

I guess The Mummy IV will be taking place in the United States or Britain somewhere and involve a museum. That way they can keep the franchise alive and still tie it in to a mummy. By the time we see The Mummy V it will be direct-to-DVD and based in a locale like The Mall of America.

 

[Tom]

LOL, Kevin!

 

[Mojo]

When I think mummies I think ancient Egypt not China.

Sure, and I think calling the Dragon Emperor a "mummy" is a bit of a misnomer in this case -- he's really been petrified, and he's not truly undead. But you could see where the O'Connells would have made that assumption, based on their history.

I didn't say it was bad, I just liked the carma of the first two better.

You keep using the word carma (karma?) in a very unique way. What do you mean when you use this term?

I don't really care whether you agree with me or not.

Uh... last time I checked, this was an Internet forum. Right? So you'll post things that I don't agree with, and I'll post things that you don't agree with, and that's all good. But in the end, of course neither one of us will really care whether the other person agrees or not -- we're not out to proselytize, or to convert anyone to our opinions.

This is just discussion and debate.

 

[Tom]

Bah, that's just foolishness, Skwirly.

Bah

First you dismissed me

that's just foolishness

Then you ridiculed me

Skwirly

then you minimized me

Karma (carma)
The actors in the first two movies 'felt' right. There was an instant familiar feeling when they interacted.
In this installment I felt as if they were distanced and reserved in their portrayals. There were no warm fuzzys about any of them. Perhaps I just miss Rachel Weisz.
I also liked Arnold Vosloo

 

[Kevin]

You keep using the word carma (karma?) in a very unique way. What do you mean when you use this term?