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The Mummy Returns - Collector's Edition (Widescreen)
DVD Review by Yanman |
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"Oh, I hate mummies" Are sequels the scourge of the movie world? That depends on a few different things, like whether or not it has a good story, if any of the original performers or directors return or not, and of course the movie that it follows has to be better then just good it has to be great. Well the Mummy Returns meets and exceeds all of the rules. It has a solid story, every member of the cast returns (any that were still alive at the end of the first film at least) including Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, the great Stephen Sommers directs, and it is a sequel to a phenomenal movie. Is it campy, a bit over acted, and over the top? Yep. But so was the first one. As good as the first? Certainly not. A must-see? Undoubtedly! Nine years have passed since Rick O' Connell (Fraser) and his now wife Evie (Weisz), first chased and re-killed the resurrected and accursed mummy, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo). In those nine years they have started a family, but have never settled down. The only thing that has change now as they continue to explore tombs and ruins, is that they now bring their son Alex along to explore with them. Even this family that thrives on adventure and mayhem, may not be ready for what is brewing now. Because they have entered the year of the scorpion, and some very evil people are looking to raise and take over the army of the Scorpion King (The Rock). In the process they unleash once again the power of Imhotep. Can our heroes, with the help of all their old friends, defeat two of the most powerfully evil monsters the world has ever know? While this DVD does offer very clear video and incredible sound, there still is something missing. The video, presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, is clean and crisp with great color separation. For flaw hunters, check the dark backgrounds in the early exploring scenes for the most insignificant amounts of grain. The question comes when we get to the sound portion of our review. Universal, normally the king of offering multiple multi-channel soundtracks, have for some reason left out a DTS soundtrack here. Why? Don't get us wrong, the Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound can really wake the neighbors or even raise a dead mummy or two with its deep bass and dynamic sound field. Just the same we would have preferred to have a choice of DTS here as well. The long list of bonus features includes some of our reader's favorites like a director's commentary, making of featurette, and some fun outtakes. In addition to this there are some great others like a visual effects overview, a music video, Egyptology 201, trailers, and much more. But the most interesting extras here, at least to the movie buffs in this office, are all the trailers, previews, and interviews pertaining to the upcoming movie the Scorpion King staring The Rock. In a world where the dead can always rise again, The Mummy Returns may
be considered just "more of the same" when compared to the movie
it sequels. But if you like a movie, what is wrong with a continuation in
the lives of the same characters? If you liked the first one, you'll like
this one too, and if you own the first DVD you'll want this one right next
to it! Now where did I put my copy of the book of the dead…?
This DVD was reviewed on Yanman.com's Reference Theater #1, using a Toshiba SD-5109 DVD player, Toshiba TW56X81, and M&K 750 THX Speakers. Panamax protects all systems at Yanman.com. |
The Mummy Returns As good as the first? Certainly not. A must-see? Undoubtedly! Also Available in Full Screen Format Staring: Brendan Fraser Directed By: Stephen Sommers Running time: 130 Mins.
Bonus Materials
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