But instead he goes for the easy score, playing to the crowd with such scenes as the duels between Weisz -- in ancient and modern incarnations -- fighting the unconvincingly sinister Velazquez -- who also manages more than one incarnation -- which is a PC gamer's fantasy of sanitized eroticism and violence.
Another fault to pick with this film, and there is absolutely no shortage, is the poor timing, with Sommers failing to make the most of some of his most impressive scenes. Though one cannot but marvel at the graphics of Anubis' army, their arrival misses a beat, leaving you with a feeling that it could have been much better -- in fact, was much better in the massed insect armies of Starship Troopers, in which director Paul Verhoeven achieved much more with seemingly less promising material.
Despite the lavish production, Sommers' ambitions are let down repeatedly on the technical front as well, with some of the effects so cheesy you might despise them in a PC game -- the line between the graphical effects and the actors is so clearly visible they might be from completely different movies.
But in the end, the quality of the cast does shine through. The two stars are ably backed up by John Hannah, who has given up even the little pretense of acting that he put into his role as Evie's disreputable brother in The Mummy, content to clown around, which he does endearingly enough. Arnold Vosloo, who everyone was looking forward to seeing more of as Imhotep, was underused but impressive enough to uphold a role that could easily have degenerated into farce with less able treatment. Oded Fehr has some strong moments that aspire to the heroic tone that the film overall fails to achieve; and with such wildly improbable lines as, "You have started a chain reaction that could bring about the second apocalypse," you can only appreciate his stoic professionalism in the face of adversity.
But all that said, and all regrets that it could have been so much better put aside, The Mummy Returns is as acceptable a piece of million-dollar Hollywood spectacle as we can expect this summer, and certainly a good antidote to the moral earnestness of Pearl Harbor, which will be visited on us next week.
Film Notes:
The Mummy Returns
Directed by Stephen Sommers
Running time: 129 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Brendan Fraser (Rick O'Connell), Rachel Weisz, (Evie/Princess Nefertiri), John Hannah (Jonathan Carnahan), Arbold Vosloo (High Priest Imhotep), Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bay), Patricia Velazquiez (Meela/Anck Su Namun), Freddie Boath (Alex O'connell), Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King).
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