Here's the first of many spies that have come in to file their stories on THE MUMMY tonight. There should be 3 more by the time I'm finished with my reporting tonight. Moriarty is working on his, as are the other henchmen. But, Segue was the fastest and nimblest with the digits and wasn't caught fidgeting about. There are some spoilers contained in the review, not like the resolution type of thing, but... well... you know, mentioning some of the cool stuff. Ahhhh... taint to bad... Go on... It's mainly safe...

Head Geek

This is Segue Zagnut. I saw The Mummy and I'm ready to speak. This is the first movie for summer. This movie will herald the beginning of an incredible movie season. And as a beginning it is perfect. It's not good enough to stand up to the finish, but it rings in a start that's very strong.

The Mummy stars Branden Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah and Arnold Vosloo. It starts almost four thousand years ago (that's BC), in Egypt. Vosloo (he plays the Mummy) is buried alive as punishment for loving the Pharaoh's sacred girlfriend... oh and killing the Pharaoh. Next, it jumps to 1925 (that's AD), where Fraser is fighting for his life in front of Egyptian ruins. These ruins are suppose to be hiding the huge stash of the Pharaoh's financial empire. We know it also holds the Mummy, waiting to be brought back to rule the world through fear. The first third of the film is spent trying to find the gold and accidentally unleashing the mummy. The rest is spent trying to send him back.

This is not a brilliant film. The story is simple. The dialogue is simple. For the most part the performances are simple. But it plays well. It is fun. This is the kind of film that as a kid I went to the theater for... heroes and goblins, action and scares. The movie never takes itself completely seriously, which gives it a relaxed charm. It allows you to not have your intelligence be insulted even with many jumps in story logic. The look, the pacing, the humor and especially the action are confident.

Fraser sells it and I have never been a Fraser fan. Anyone who has the level of success he has had and still chooses to do a movie like 'Blast from the Past', is not someone who's choices I trust. Yet, he was very good in 'George of the Jungle' believe it or not and I understand also in 'Gods and Monsters'. In this, he makes the macho hero lines that could have been tired clichés work, much like Keanu Reeves did in 'The Matrix'. Many of the ending fight scenes are just Fraser and digital stunt men in combat to the death. These scenes are exciting and the Mummy henchmen officially make 'Jason and the Argonauts' look like the dark ages of special effects.

Everyone else is fine and no one holds back the film by trying too hard to make it real. Or for that matter not trying hard enough either. The film lands some where between 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and 'Goonies', which means that I think opinions will be varied. Some will love it because it is fun, light and exciting. Others will hate it because it isn't dark, edgy or new. I can image a version of this directed by Sam Raimi, that could've had everything right, but without that, this will do. The Mummy is the perfect start to an overwhelming summer.

I think I've said too much. I've haven't said enough. Consider This...

Segue Zagnut