"The Mummy" was proof that there was still room in Hollywood for an old fashioned, O.G. style classic adventure film, just like the Indiana Jones' films that came a decade before it.
"The Mummy" is the very definition of a "popcorn" movie. It is so much fun and can appeal to so many people. The kind of movie you watch with friends and family and have just a great time.
This is the definition of a GOOD popcorn movie. Too often people use the term popcorn movie to cover up a movies awfulness. There are good ones and bad ones. This is a good one.. one of the best ones.
This movie… The rugged hero stereotype, but he respects Evie (after that first, impulsive kiss) and doesn’t sulk when she does things he can’t. The damsel in distress stereotype, but even when outnumbered and physically overpowered, she’s smart and feisty, and even on the moment’s she’s more “scantily clad”, the wardrobe for the character was still quite modest as action movies go. The dialogue throughout is great, the storyline masterfully constructed, and the acting well done all around.
Yes, it's wonderful to see a movie where one character doesn't have to do everything. Each can have their bad-ass moments, and it meshes, instead of it being a competition. Jurassic World (the first one) was that way.
I will always appreciate that even though it's a " classic" action movie, he respects when she's too drunk and backs off. In fact, I often cite both this movie and the first Addams Family movie when I bring up how I A. first realized I was bisexual and B. who my role models were for a happy, healthy relationship.
I'm a librarian, and the gag with the library shelves falling like dominoes CAN actually happen. It would pretty much be a worst-case scenario for any library, and you can expect them to be closed for at least a week while they reset the shelves, fix any that were damaged, reshelve the books and shelf-read them (for anyone who hasn't worked in a library, shelf-reading is when someone, usually an hourly page or clerk, goes through the books in a section one-by-one and makes sure they're all in the correct order on the shelf). Doing an entire section under normal conditions can take hours, and having to shelf-read all of those books after putting them back on the shelves would be a mammoth task all on its own. We actually had to do that at my college library once when they took all the books out from one floor to install new shelving, and the movers put them all back in random order. It...wasn't fun
@@ShanelleRiccio Most libraries have their shelves bolted down pretty well, so don't worry about bumping them and knocking them over. I just wouldn't ram the one on the end at full speed with a cart full of books or anything
@@pythoscheetah2553 I am a librarian, and you absolutely speak the truth lol. I once created a series section in the children's area and (rather unwisely) decided to put it at the beginning of Juvenile Fiction. Just having to pull all the books off the shelves in that area to shift everything back took a week, and that was with the books in order and not having to put them in order.
Sorry, Colossally late to the party but that sounds horrific I’ve just been organising my home library and that was bad enough. I’m pretty sure I’ve done a pigs ear of it 😱
I'd call the sequel, "The Mummy Returns," equally fun to this, despite some inconsistencies as regards this film, and some truly laughable CGI. I'd not call it a waste of time. Sadly, I cannot say so much for the third installment, which Rachel Weisz wisely refused to star in.
Agreed. I love the second one. The CGI is somehow hilariously bad. I remember thinking when I first saw it that it was horrendous but somehow I still loved the movie and I just laugh at that part now.
"Satisfying" is the best word for it. It checks all the boxes: action, some romance, jokes, special effects, one-liners, .. No wasted time, great pacing throughout.
"I feel like they don't write dialogue like this anymore." You said it earlier. Without the delivery to sell it, it can look cheesy on the page. And I think a lot of modern screenwriters are afraid to come off as cheesy. I don't know it's the writers taking themselves too seriously or maybe it's pressure from higher-ups or what, but for whatever reason a lot of modern dialogue comes off as being written in a style more typical of prose that doesn't leverage the advantages of a live performance. There are still _some_ good writers of snappy dialogue out there of course, but I feel like the '80s and '90s were kind of a golden age of good dialogue.
Same. I remember this experience really well. It was just so much fun and I just happen to be in to egyptology/archeology at the time so I loved it. I loved Rich and Evelyn together (I loved the name Evelyn/Evie because of this movie tbh) they just had a lot of chemistry.
We named our second daughter Evelyn after this movie. We couldn’t think of a name to go with our first daughter Lillian and thought Evelyn was perfect.
My Daughter’s name is Evelyne Rose (I added an extra E) She was born before this movie though. I named her after my Grandmother Evelyn and my Great Aunt Rosie. I called her Lyne the whole time she was growing up, but around 17-18 she started going by Evelyne or Eve.
I wanted to name my daughter Evelyn and call her Evey, but her father didn't like the name, so we settled on Liliana instead. If we ever have another girl, I'm getting my Evey.
I have been absolutely in love with Rachel Weisz since this movie. All her elegance, her awkwardness, her deep voice and guttural scream (not the high pitch shriek, just like you said) You have to see The Mummy Returns next.
The Mummy is such a FUN movie to watch. It's a lovable mix of comedy, suspense, action, all served up with a side of cheese. It's never gonna win accolades but a fan favorite for sure! I've rewatched this movie SO MANY times! Glad you loved it!
I was 22 when this movie came out. As a nerd in love with adventuring, I developed instant crushes on Brendan Fraser, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, and Rachel Weisz. It was SUCH a perfect movie, and while it's certainly clearly a product of its time, it has at the same time managed not to age a jot.
This is a real good ensemble movie. Even the minor characters get some cool moments. For another good popcorn movie from the 1990s, may I suggest the unjustly forgotten 1998 film, The Mask of Zorro?
re: the hanging scene. Poor Brandon liked to do his stunts himself, leading to a lot of lasting injuries and chronic pain, a big part of why he dissapeared from the screen for a while.
I respect The Mummy as a film so much. It’s fun, and people don’t always realize that making a movie ‘fun’ for 90 minutes is the same level of challenge as making it scary or tragic. Dialogue, acting, setting, costumes, they all have to be balanced just right to avoid tipping into ridiculousness or boredom. When a film is made right under those constraints, you get something like Star Wars or The Mummy. Done wrong… I mean, pick your film. There’s a lot. Also, if you’re interested in a deeper dive on how some of the special effects were achieved, Corridor Digital did a breakdown of this film with Alex Laurent, the visual arts director for it: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE--lKBaK-Q40Y.html
Saw in theaters when I was 10. Scared the shit outta me but loved every second of it. Was scared to walk down the dark hall to my bathroom at night for weeks. Absolute masterpiece ❤️
What did Anck Su Namun do? Well, aside from the adultery, she murdered her husband, the Pharaoh. I don’t think they looked all that kindly on murdering the Pharaoh back in those days, lol.
This is one of my all time favorite movies!!! I can watch it over and over, it never gets old. Pure old fashioned fun, excitement, adventure and a bit of scariness..perfect recipe. Not to mention Brendan and Rachel!!
This is one of my families favorite movies! My dad actually named me after Evelyn and I am actually on my way to becoming an archaologist😂😭 we say it was fate
Side note, I never thought I could do the "Hollywood high pitch" scream either, until I broke my ankle in three places, and dislocated it. There was a wild, animalistic panic that washed over me, and I was screaming bloody murder. I never in a million years would have thought that would have come out of me. I remember that, very specifically, thinking, "Holy crap, who is this screaming???" Just an interesting thought, because I never thought I could do a high pitch scream either! Panic is an interesting creature!
OMG I love this (not the pain part!) but just the idea that in this moment of pure pain, you're thinking...wow I can scream?! ha -- hope you're okay now!!!
@@ShanelleRiccio Lol yeah I kind of wished I had it recorded so I could prove to others that I can, in fact, do "the scream". (I was at home alone when I broke it) I'm better now, I had to have surgery, seven screws and a plate put in, and lots of physical therapy. But it's been 5 years, and unless you saw the scars going up both sides of my ankle, you'd never know. The nurses at the hospital kept saying how sorry they were for me, having to have surgery, and I just told them I was thankful we were living in a time where we could even do the surgery! 100 year ago, who knows...I might have lost my ankle/leg or even life. Now, just a 5 hour surgery and physical therapy, and my life goes on!
Even at the end of his illustrious career, Oscar-Winning composer Jerry Goldsmith creates another engaging musical score. He was especially gifted for having the innate understanding that music in film is meant to be part of the overall art work and not as a substitute to prop up bad material.
I am so glad you kept pointing out the dialogue in this movie. I feel like people tend to over look it, but it's one of my favourite parts of the movie. The action, the actors and the comedy, bring people in but the dialogue just makes it endlessly rewatchable. This was one of the very few movies that I would watch, then immediately watch the DVD commentaries, then rewatch the movie, rinse and repeat. Desperado and Galaxy Quest were a couple of others - although I don't remember the commentary for GQ, I think maybe it didn't have one... I think maybe I just had the movie on repeat.
The Mummy also has an awesome score. You might like to try 'Deep Rising' by the same director (you'll have to ignore the very early CGI though). Also you might like 'Constantine', also starring Rachel Weiss
Deep Rising is such an underrated movie. Not top-tier, but top-fun. Yes, the CGI is a bit..., but the characters sell it. I should watch that again, actually.
Since you mentioned being a Brendan Fraser fan, if you haven’t seen it you might appreciate the 94 movie “With Honors” he did with Joe Pesci and Moira Kelly. 👍🏻
Brendan Fraser Has some great movies. One comedy of his I love is "Blast From The Past" with Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek and Alicia Silverstone. I haven't seen ANY reactions to it though... way obscure and underrated.
My favorite line was a bit of lampshade hanging. ::mysterious and eerie wind kicks up at a suspiciously appropriate moment:: Rick: "That happens a lot around here."
You could say that Rick was the Anti-George because he keep getting in the wrong place at the wrong time, so how did that happen? "He's just unlucky I guess" that mummies were attracted to him
The canopic jars contained the organs of Anck Su Namun which were needed as part of the ritual to raise her back from the dead. That is why Imhotep wanted those jars.
I'd love to see your commentary on The Rocketeer, with Billy Campbell and Jennifer Connelly. In my opinion, it has the same type of action/comedy/romance balance. Great channel! Keep it up.
Yes, this!! I can't believe it gets missed by all of the reaction channels. Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek and Dave Foley are all great in the quirky rom-com.
Another movie with the same kind of feel is the 2005 movie "Sahara" staring Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz. That's another fun action comedy that I think you would like !! - It's a modern day treasure hunt in West Africa for an item lost in the US Civil War, with the same Hollywood dialog and witty banter.
Yay. So glad that you’re reacting to one of my favorite movies. The Mummy has the perfect balance of horror, seriousness, and humor. You can tell that the movie doesn’t have to stop for a funny moment.
I LOVE this movie, and I love Brendan Fraser. I can’t see anyone else pulling off this role, without him this movie would not be as good, imo. It just works.
Evie (proudly) : "I... am a librarian!" Author Robert A. Heinlein asserted that library science was the basis for all learning. Reminds me of an argument I got into with friends of mine about the Challenger disaster. I can't recall her name offhand, but there was a teacher aboard. My friends included her in the list of astronauts. "No", I said. "She wasn't an astronaut". They went off on the predictable tangent about just because she's a woman blah blah blah. And I said, "She wasn't an astronaut! She was something far more important! She was a TEACHER!" (yes, I shouted the last). They stood there with their jaws hanging open. Finally they conceded that I was right. Some of the most important jobs in the world are often the least glamorous. Such as teacher. Or librarian.
Hey Shanelle, me again, lol. If this and George of the Jungle are your only Brendan Fraser references, I'd suggest (if you haven't seen them already), School Ties (includes a YOUNG Matt Damon) and With Honors (with a great performance from Joe Pesci). Two of my favorites.
It's a solid movie, it holds up. Lots of action, special effects that embellish the story instead of eclipse it, pretty actors, snappy dialogue, what's not to like. I still prefer the original 1932 version with Boris Karloff in black and white. It had atmosphere, excellent lighting and shadows.
Absolutely ADORED the old Universal ones, especially The Wolfman. Loved this when it debuted, so the news of a Universal shared... well... universe, I was really excited. ...and then let down even worse than the DCU. Lol
Its different movies. They tried to put the terror back in The mummy franchise with Tom Cruise and had disatrous results. Much rather they kept Fraser and went with the whole "Timtim" adventure/archeological locations like the African continent, South and central america, Oceania and etc.
@@kinsmart7294 The problem with the Tom Cruise Mummy movie was...Tom Cruise. He didn't like the direction the film was going, so he took over and made it the way *he* wanted.
This movie is superior to the god awful 2017 Reboot starring Tom Cruise. Stephen Sommers, the films director drew inspiration from not only the original 1932 film, but called it "Indiana Jones meets Jason And The Argonauts or Clash Of The Titans meets The Ten Commandments." The film was a box office and critical success, making $420 million dollars against a $70 million dollar budget. Several directors were considered for the job on making the movie: Wes Craven John Carpenter John Landis George Romero Tobe Hooper Clive Barker. All of their screenplays were rejected, until Sommers jumped on board hoping it would be a success, after his last film, DEEP RISING, bombed at the box office.
I heard recently that the nightie in the scene on the boat was CGI'd over in post production because it was a bit more see through on film than they expected and they didn't notice until after everything was already done.
When this movie first came out, my friends and I -- D&D players all -- kept thinking that whomever it was that created and wrote the three main leads had to be D&D players also, because they act like a party of D&D players.
I like to think of myself as a "real archaeologist" (even though I only have an undergraduate degree in it, and don't work in the field anymore) but I definitely do not hate Indian- I mean the Mummy. It's like the 13th Warrior, it doesn't take itself seriously and revels in it's sillyness, how could you hate it for that?
This is still my favorite film from my 3rd grade year, there's just something special about that Action, Horror, Comedy Mix. The acting is top notch and it just works perfectly for this awesome film.
I love this Mummy movie. You should watch the Boris Karloff classic Mummy too. He was a legend. The second Mummy in this franchise was awesome. Brendan is great now as Robo-man on HBO Max Doom Patrol.
Thanks for this reaction! You put your finger on the film's magic: it's a throwback to classic Golden Age Hollywood, with the dialogue of a screwball comedy and the spectacle of a Cecil B. DeMille epic, with just enough self-awareness to make it fun for modern audiences. "Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, save the world," indeed! The one thing I'd add is a nod to Jerry Goldsmith's magnificent musical score. Goldsmith was one of the true greats of film and television music, and he was at his best when he had a specific cinematic "feel" to create. Asked for a spooky satanic apocalypse, he gave us The Omen. Asked for gritty film noir, he gave us Chinatown (and LA Confidential). And asked for a sweeping adventure in Egypt, complete with pharaohs, curses, plagues, and classic romance, he gave us The Mummy.
Just an entertaining movie. Exactly what I'd expect for $5.25 worth of fun back in the day. And if you've never seen it, Bedazzled from 2000 with Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan. Re: 38m 27s - I never knew you had a drinking problem........
Evie is a librarian because the character Rachel is playing was originally played (back in1932's THE MUMMY starring Boris Karloff) by Zita Johann. No, she wasn't a librarian in THAT movie, but Zita's last film role was in 1986's RAIDERS OF THE LIVING DEAD in which she played a librarian.
So glad you mentioned Evy's scream when she first sees the mummy! I've always loved the fact that it's in the same register as her actual voice rather than this shrill sort of screeching they force a lot of actresses to do for the drama.
Still loving both your format and the way your brain analyzes all aspects of filmmaking. I thought your subscribers would have swelled beyond current levels by now, but as she said in the film, “Patience is a virtue”. Much love and appreciation.
This movie holds up so well. I had the pleasure of attending the premiere with a family friend that worked on the production. Endlessly entertaining to this very day
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen it. Saw it when it came out in theaters. If you live Brendon, you’ve HOT to check out Blast From the Past. There’s a dance scene in there that will melt your heart. He stars alongside Alicia Silverstone, they’re amazing together.
Imagine how many ancient artifacts were lost in the tombs of the pharaohs. Tutankhamen's tomb is the only one that was found untouched by robbers, which is the only reason this otherwise relatively obscure pharaoh is so famous.
2 things. 1. Real mummies had their hearts left inside as part of their afterlife beliefs. 2. That sword Rick used was the pharaoh’s that killed him in the opening.
This and Back to the Future 3 are the only two movies i know of where an actor was almost actually hanged during the shot, and oddly enough both are very comedic movies.
Fun fact; there are only four Canopic jars when one is mummified, not five. Also cats are not the guardians of the underworld so much as they were considered companions which were useful for pest control (ie killing snakes.) In fact, they were sometimes mummified and buried along with their masters.
I saw this once in the theater and once last week. Last week, I noticed that Brendan Fraser's character straight-up tackles a horse. I love when a stunt is just allowed to happen with zero scrutiny/connection to reality. Hat's off to whoever said "Fuck it, maybe this guy just happens to be stronger than a cape buffalo"
The Mummy is a perfect Hollywood Summer Blockbuster. IT's not super deep, but uses it's setting perfectly. Not too much cgi, not to many action scenes, add the Charm of and chemistry of Wiesz and Frazer, and just a touch a of humor. IT's really a gem.
You know if you liked this you need to see the Rocketeer. All the classic Hollywood you want with Timothy Dalton playing perfect type and snit-type and Jennifer Connelly being STUNNING. Directed by Joe Johnston who would later direct Captain America: The First Avenger.
This movie could not have done as well without Rachel. She has almost all the exposition, and there’s a lot of it, but because she’s a librarian, her excitement over telling people everything sells it 100%.
I thought it interesting that the cast are so multinational. English, Canadian, Scottish, Welsh, American, South African, Indian, Venezuelan, Israeli, Persian, Samoan and Moroccan.
You can see some of the behind the scenes on Corridor Crew's show with the Art Director from the film. One of the opening shots the director changed the time of day so they had to fix both the actual film footage and the CGI to match. Along with adding the shadows.
The Mummy Returns is a lot of fun. Bonkers visual effects too. The elaborate sword fight against the crowd of mummies is an homage to a swordfight against stop-motion skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts (1963) animated by the legendary Ray Harryhausen.
There's something not a lot of people take note of, but I always really liked, is how his turning into sand to go into the keyhole to get to Evey and then getting chased out afterwards is a fun variation on Dracula vibes. Haha. The cat works like the crucifix and the turning into sand is a very 'Mummy' variant on turning into mist. It's something I noticed when I was young and watched this for the first time, and I never hear anyone else mention it.
There was more homages to old-time Hollywood than you may have thought. Like the old movies, no one is ever shown getting killed. Everything is implied by shadows on the wall or cutting away at the last minute to show other characters' reactions when they hear the victims' screams.
Congratulations on a really well thought out, articulate and fun review of a fantastic film. It’s one of my all time favourites along with Raiders of the Lost Ark. The two leads are excellent and have real screen chemistry, the dialogue is sparkling and the action scenes spectacular. A real fun movie. And now Rachel Weisz is of course married to Daniel Craig.
