The film is an action-adventure classic with multigenerational appeal, and it’s not hard to see why so many people hold it in such high regard. Nothing in this list will ever detract from the movie’s legacy, but here are a few things you may notice if you revisit it today.
10
The CGI Has Not Aged Well
The CGI in The Mummy was fantastic by 1999 standards, and some of it still holds up today. In fact, the movie also has its fair share of practical effects, including some physical stunts.
However, the special effects look far more dated in other areas. Swarms of scarabs, for example, aren’t nearly as impressive as they were when the movie was released. Some CGI effects during Imhotep’s regeneration leave a lot to be desired, and the superimposed sandstorm is no longer convincing.
Many effects still hold up thanks to theThe Mummy’s practical work, but the aging CGI technology is quite noticeable in a few scenes.
9
Horror Scenes Are Tame
While it never claims to be a horror movie, The Mummy has its fair share of spooky moments. There are several jump scares, like when Jonathan (John Hannah) shocks Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) in the library. Imhotep himself is also frightening, even as a decaying corpse in a sarcophagus.
Many scary events are implied rather than shown graphically, such as scarabs slowly eating Imhotep alive. Those scenes that may have traumatized you as a child are notably tamer than what we see in movies today.
Scares lose their edge on subsequent watches of any movie, but The Mummy feels more like an action film minus the horror factor 27 years later.
8
The Action Is Far More Slapstick Than You Remember
One big reason some of the horror elements of The Mummy no longer land is that the movie contains a fair amount of slapstick.
The light-hearted approach to action and combat is part of the charm, but there’s much more of it than you may remember on subsequent viewings. Even right at the start of the movie, Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) is one second away from having his head blown off by a bullet on the boat before Evelyn lightly tugs him away.
During the climactic final scene, when Imhotep fights Rick, he throws him around a stone arena like a rag doll. Those impacts would break the bones of a mere mortal, but O’Connell comically shrugs them off as they are part of the plan.
7
The Tone Is All Over The Place
One more shocking element of The Mummy you’ll notice during a rewatch is the tone. It frequently jerks from serious to implied horror, to comedy, and back throughout the entire movie.
The Mummy would lose some of its charm if this were not the case. For example, in one scene, the Warden (Omid Djalili) is stealing ‘blue gold’ scarab treasures. One lands on the ground, and a real scarab pops out. It gets under the Warden’s skin and burrows into his brain. In his panic, the Warden kills himself by running headfirst into a wall.
How do our heroes react to this tragedy? They joke about the drink they find in his luggage. In another scene, Beni (Kevin J. O’Connor) gets his comeuppance, almost getting slowly crushed alive before dying to a swarm of scarabs as his torch runs out. In all fairness, O’Connell doesn’t see this happen, but he calmly responds, “Goodbye Beni” before fleeing. The rapid tonal shifts are absolutely not a bad thing in The Mummy, but they are quite jarring if you’re watching for them.
6
Ransacking Ancient Tombs Isn’t ‘Hero’ Behavior
We wouldn’t have a brilliant action film if it hadn’t happened, but the plot of The Mummy is quite murky, given our hero’s motivations, which see Evelyn, Rick, and Jonathan travel across the world to break into a forbidden tomb.
Evelyn’s interest in Hamunaptra is academic, while her brother and Rick are far more interested in profit. The story gives us a wonderful exchange between Evelyn and O’Connell, in which she exclaims, “You know your history.” O’Connell cooly replies, “I know my treasure.”
The pair unwittingly cause multiple deaths, ignoring warnings from the Medjai who guard Hamunaptra. The movie would be far less interesting if they just went home, but they are effectively tomb robbers, even if Evelyn’s motives are fair.
5
Imhotep’s Motive Is Paper-Thin
Arnold Vosloo is a brilliant Imhotep, but his motive is shallow and nonsensical. When Evelyn unwittingly awakens Imhotep, he has three goals, with the first two being to fully regenerate himself, and to resurrect his lover, Anck-su-Namun, played by Patricia Velasquez.
Next, he wants revenge on those who cursed him. Presumably, the current-day Medjai will suffice, but it’s a plot thread the movie doesn’t explore.
The Mummy is an easy watch, and arguably doesn’t need a multi-layered villain pulling the strings. That said, Imhotep’s motive doesn’t evolve much beyond trying to resurrect his girlfriend, dooming Evelyn in the process for some reason.
4
Imhotep’s Curse Makes Zero Sense
Imhotep’s motives are weak when you think about them, but the curse itself makes even less sense. Based on the prologue, we know Imhotep is a priest. He slays the Pharaoh, pledging his love to his master’s mistress, Anck-su-namun.
Anck-su-namun kills herself, prompting Imhotep to steal her body and try to resurrect her in Hamunaptra. The Pharaoh’s guards thwart his plan, forcing him to endure the ‘Hom Dai’ curse.
The issue is that the curse makes Imhotep invincible with “the strength of ages” if he ever awakens. Surely a curse without that caveat would make more sense? It’s a bizarre perk for meeting your end in an unthinkably horrible way. The narrator explains that the Hom Dai is a curse “so horrible it had never before been bestowed” even if it grants superhero powers.
3
The 10 Plagues Of Egypt Are Just Mild Annoyances
One of Imhotep’s most terrifying powers is that he will supposedly unleash the 10 plagues of Egypt if he ever awakens. The plagues certainly feature in the movie, but are more of an annoyance than a genuine threat.
At one point, Jonathan sees the sky turn black and says, “and he stretched forth his hands towards the heavens, and there was darkness throughout the land of Egypt.” That darkness doesn’t appear to last long, as our heroes devise a plan in broad daylight just a few scenes later.
Other plagues, like boils and sores, and the turning of water into blood, are minor, isolated incidents. The Mummy is a fast-paced film, so dwelling on the plagues may have ruined the story, but you’ll definitely notice it during a rewatch.
2
Evelyn And Rick Fall In Love Within A Couple Of Days
Evelyn and Rick make a great couple with wonderful chemistry, which is obvious in The Mummy and even The Mummy Returns. However, the pair bond extremely quickly, given that events in The Mummy unfold over a short period.
The timeline isn’t exact, but unless we assume there are many days off-screen, the events of The Mummy wrap up within 4-5 days. Within that time, Evelyn goes from swooning over a kiss at a prison to head over heels in love.
I’m not saying the pair couldn’t fall for each other within 100 hours, but their relationship flourishes at a remarkable rate.
1
The Original Will Always Be The Best
The harshest reality of all about rewatching The Mummy is that it does so many things right that you’ll be hard-pressed to find an alternative. It has little competition if you want more of what makes it so much fun to watch, aside from starting it over from the beginning.
The Mummy Returns is a fine sequel. It doesn’t reach the lofty heights of the original, but it’s entertaining from start to finish. Sadly, Rachel Weisz did not return for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The new Evelyn (Maria Bello) was a jarring recast considering the wonderful chemistry Weisz had with Fraser.
The directors of the upcoming Mummy movie have stated that they will not treat the recast or the third movie as canon. Time will tell whether the movie retains the spark of the original, or whether The Mummy remains a truly unique viewing experience.