Jonathan is the best character. I also love how the symbol Alex needs help with is the one Jonathan needed help with in the first movie. He remembered it years later
As much as the third movie is disliked, the friendship between Jonathan and Alex is the highlight for me. There's one really nice deleted scene where Jonathan goes to comfort Alex after Rick and Evie show up and make a scene. It was nice to see Jonathan getting to do something serious and compassionate rather than being the comic relief the whole time.
"I actually didn't know he (the Rock) was in this movie" Fun fact, Addie: This was actually the Rock's very first movie role. Also, since the day this came out, the movie's CGI is infamous for being laughably terrible when it comes to the Scorpion King. It's typically the one element of this movie that most people immediately think of when they think of "The Mummy Returns".
@@ronfehr7899yeah, "The Scorpion King" spinoff was a fun comedy/adventure barbarian movie, along the lines of "Kull the Conquerer" or "Conan the Destroyer".
@jean-paulaudette9246 It would be a good one for Addie to watch, if she is interested in his back story. Or even if she wants to see the Rock's early film years.
My favorite thing about The Mummy Returns, besides the amazing score composed by Alan Silvestri, is the love between Rick and Evie and how it is still as strong now as it was when they first met. I love that.
My friends son saw this film and asked if the CGI for The Scorpion King was considered great when it originally came out. I stopped put my hand on his shoulder and said,"Dear boy, it was never even considered decent when it came out." The disappointment in his face will always stay with me. It's like he wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. Lol
I forget the reason, but for whatever it may have been, they needed the Rock in person to do a more accurate CGI of the latter Scorpion King. The Rock was unavailable, so they had to make do with what was seen on screen.
Man I remember just cracking up those first few times seeing that CGI moment as a kid lol like it was SO bad…but I love this movie and it’s terrible-ness just makes me appreciate it more as a fun not-so-serious-but-serious kinda movie, always love it lol
One of the things I absolutely love about this movie is the look Imhotep gives the O'Connells right at the end. I mean how is it that you actually feel bad for the guy after two movies of him trying to destroy the world? Excellent turn right there. He actually sees that they have the level of love he always wanted and that despite all his efforts he couldn't obtain it. It's actually kind of heartbreaking. But I always enjoy this one. Such a great adventure! And yes the CG for the Scorpion King at the end was very rough. I believe they ran out of either time or money and couldn't do him justice. Whereas the Army of Anubis looks amazing and I want one of them as a pet. Lol.
@@jerodastI don't remember the details, but I believe they added the "Dwayne Johnson's face on a monster body" idea pretty much last second and the CG team did what they could.
Its good character writing. Similarly, most everyone is sympathetic towards Beni at the end of the first one, after disliking him the whole film. He's a shit, but all he wants to do is survive, and we get that, feel that.
Rick is street smart and has experience in treasure hunting and self defense. Eve is book smart and has experience in ancient Egyptian history, languages and is very clever. Together they make the literal perfect power couple.
One thing I always like about Addie's reactions is when she says "we" or "our", like she's a character in the movie. It's so wholesome. Like she says "our house" when talking about Rick and Evie's house.
Aside from some admittedly poor Dwayne Johnson CG (which the actual CG team admits they didn’t have enough time in their schedule to make as polished as they wanted), I love this sequel. It captures the magic of the first one and ups the ante in a lot of fun ways. One weird fact, at least about my DVD copy of it, this movie has no title card. At no point on screen does it show the title, not before the movie, not after the movie, not anywhere… I kind of wonder if they just forgot it or if it was a conscious choice.
I always liked that juxtaposition at the climax--Rick yells at Evie to get out and she rushes in to save him; Imhotep begs Anck Su Namun for help and she runs away.
I love it too. Great scene. Arnold Vosloo really sells the heartbreak. But... Did you notice Evie wasn't actually like rushing out to save Rick at first? She's just taking cover and watching, and Rick's already shouting "NooOoOOOo don't SAAAaaAve me!" SO either he's a bit arrogant she's going to risk dying and leaving their son an orphan trying to save him, or he's using reverse psychology to get her going :P
this was Dwane Johnson's very first movie. after this, he didn't go back into the ring and the world of wrestling. he went to Hollywood, he saw it, and he conquered it! and he never looked back.
He had a few appearances on TV shows before though, e.g. on the Star Trek Voyager episode "Tsunkatse". Though Scorpion was his breakthrough role, I don't think he ever played a real villain in any of his later movies.
The spinoff/prequel movie The Scorpion King is an eminently enjoyable film, though it's more along the lines of Conan the Barbarian, and doesn't really have much in common with the Mummy films except for Dwayne Johnson's character.
Rachael Weisz & Patricia Velasquez trained & rehearsed for 5 mos. to perform their fight scene without using stunt women. It's my favorite part of all of "The Mummy" movies. I would go so far as to say that the scene is the best ladies fight scene in any movie.
I love this one for letting Evie be a serious badass but in a more creative way than just "she does everything Rick does now". Those fights are so fun. Very cool trivia.
The big 3 of the first cast was already great, and Arnold Vosloo took a step up in getting to do some acting for this one. Patricia Velásquez was a worthy addition! Great villain but with just a hint of justification to her "betrayal"...
If you didn't notice when Evelyn fell off the boat , that's what happened to her in the past life as well. Nefertiri inadvertently leaned too far over the edge of the balcony and fell to her death. Despite having perished, Nefertiri's soul was cast adrift into the currents of time to be reborn once fate deemed the time right to revenge herself upon Anck-Su-Namun. This is why Evelyn is a reincarnation.
I love how even Addie, who is always super charitable towards movies, was openly mocking the crappy CGI and the "Neiiiiiiiii!!!" scene that made even Darth Vader's "Nooooo!" seem dignified and natural.
Fun reaction, Addie. The Mummy Returns (2001) is a nice follow-up to the first film, despite the crappy CGI of the Scorpion King near the end. Turns out, they didn't have enough resources to animate Dwayne Johnson's likeness at the time. My favorite scene in the movie is the double-decker bus chase. I totally agree with you that Rick & Evy's son, Alex, has traits of them, and his scenes with Evy's brother, Jonathan, are hilarious throughout because of John Hannah & Freddie Boath's comedic timing, as well as when Imhotep cries out "NOOOOOO!" when Rick stabs the Scorpion King. And yes, there were TWO snake scenes in this one. Now (I don't care what anyone says) you should watch The Scorpion King (2002) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). #MoreMummyForAddieCounts BTW, your "No" counter was hilarious. And at 25:38, bless you.
Speaking of Stephen Sommers, who directed both Mummy movies, I also suggest The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993), Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book (1994), Van Helsing (2004), and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009). #MoreStephenSommersForAddieCounts
To be fair, this was actually pretty decent CGI for its day. It still looked goofy compared to the first movie, but that was because they were trying more ambitious things than before. In the first movie they pioneered using CGI in post to add special effects to live footage of their actors and the result was amazing, but they never really attempted to just completely recreate a believable human face entirely with CGI. They did try that in the second movie, but the tech wasn't quite there yet and the results were less amazing.
@Addie Counts Fun fact The Mummy Returns was the first movie that The Rock stared in. An a year after this movie was made he would star in his very first lead role in "The Scorpion King" 🦂 which is both a prequel movie to the mummy movies and a spin-off movie.
Normally I hate kids in movies. But in this case Alex was a fun addition to the figures in this one. And he makes me laugh a few times. Overall I like The Mummy Return a little bit more then the first one.
I've seen both movies in cinemas when they came out, and this one's CGI was as bad then as it is now. Not just the Scorpion King, also the blimp scenes. That CGI is still known as one of the worst big budget examples in cinema history, together with the kite-surfing scene of James Bond in "Die Another Day". I couldn't believe ILM did this, but they were also working on the Harry Potter series and the Star Wars Prequels at the time. The SFX artists at Corridor Digital (RU-vid channel) did a makeover of this scene with some modern deepfaking methods.
Good gosh Evelyn actress is my my just a very beautiful woman the way her eyes locked on Rick before she ran to him melted me to puddy .. her and Celine from Underworld films are very beautiful woman.
What a lot of people don't realise is that the Scorpion King is based on a real person. Of course, he wasn't some sort of supernatural human/scorpion hydbrid, just a Pharoaoh who adopted the scorpion as a symbol of power.
Heh, that is *NOT* how shadows work! 🤣 The line between the shadow and the sunlight would be moving in the opposite direction, and the sunlight would be coming from in front of Rick and Alex, not from behind. Additionally, it would be moving at about 1000 mph, give or take, depending on the angles involved (due to the height of the mountains on the horizon). Rick and Alex would have never had a chance, but fortunately for them, this is a movie.
The production team was not as fortunate with the toppling pillars as they were with the bookshelves. Whereas the first movie required only one take for the desired effect, this one had to be done several times. I suppose resetting for this one wasn't as bad, considering that the room wasn't as cluttered as the museum library. Less things to clean up.
This movie was a decade ahead of its time with all of the overly-wacky action involving hordes of identical, obviously-CGI enemies. All they were missing was a big, blue sky beam.
...and in Encino Man (1992), School Ties (1992), Airheads (1994), George of the Jungle (1997), Gods and Monsters (1998), Blast from the Past (1999), Dudley Do-Right (1999), Bedazzled (2000), Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), Inkheart (2008), Furry Vengeance (2010), No Sudden Move (2021), The Whale (2022), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). #MoreBrendanFraserForAddieCounts
I'm glad you took our advice and watched this, and that you enjoyed it, of course. I thought you would. By the way, you might want to consider watching the underappreciated James Cameron classic _The Abyss_ (1989). Said to be the hardest movie in history to film, I see absolutely no reason to doubt that claim. It's quite a ride, and shows that for all the evil things we do, humanity may yet be redeemed by the greatest power we possess. If you watch it, be sure to watch the Special Edition, which is much closer to the movie that Cameron intended to make (like _Aliens_ he was forced by studio executives to cut out entire sequences and ideas for time alone, and didn't have the clout back then to refuse).
35:35 so something that I absolutely love about this part is that it shows what true love actually is in these situations & it’s antithesis. Rick tells eve to leave him behind & save herself and all she can do is think of Rick’s safety. Whereas the other two both only think selfishly of themselves at the detriment of their partner.
As crappy as the CGI on The Scorpion King was, I love the fight between Rick and Imhotep, as well as the one between Evy and Ankhsunamun. I also really felt bad for Imhotep when Ankhsunamun ditched him inside that pyramid...as least she met her karma by falling into that pit of scorpions. Autism fueled observation/side note: That snake that Evelyn kicked towards Rick is actually a milksnake. You can tell by the band pattern (red, black, yellow). If the band sequence was red, yellow, black, they'd have something to worry about, because that's the band pattern of the venomous coral snake. Also, real scarabs were actually just dung beetles, who actually lay their eggs in balls of giraffe, elephant and rhinoceros dung. Two bonus fact/opinion tracks: I think Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be impressed with Evy because of that sai twirl. When Jonathan says "Hang on, Rick!!", My first response everytime is "I don't think he was planning to let go"
"... And we've got more mummy water." Oh, Addie, why you gotta say that when I was trying to enjoy a dinner beverage? I won't be able to drink anything for a week, that's my bet.
I always find it funny when someone is using a Sai and holds it to the person's throat. They are generally round or hexagonal, not bladed. They are a stabbing weapon, originally used for picking up rice bundles. I have seen bladed adaptations of them, but it's rare lol.
Usually sequels are just a cash grab that completely go the other way of the OG that made it great in the first place.... BUT The Mummy Returns is one of the VERY few that get a sequel RIGHT! AND sometimes even better! 😅😁 I absolutely adore this movie and at 25:05 is just one of the MANY reasons why. Rick clearly understands the situation Ardeth is in, he just lost his friend and the Commanders NEED to know the location of the Oasis.... But Rick asks Ardeth, practically begs with teary eyes, to help him rescue his son. Ricks words "I NEED you to help me find my son"... GODS and this is only possible because of the 1st Mummy!! ❤
The "awakening" is not inevitable, but it's the right time for it, and it takes someone with the knowledge and will to do it, which of course the bad guys have.
There really was a “scorpion” king, but we don’t know much about him. Also, we know a lot about Imhotep, but all these movies get right is that he was high priest of Ra, but also an architect responsible for the step pyramid, an early version of the pyramids we know of today at Giza and also an accomplished physician and even wrote about cancer. He became mythologized long after his death, thanks to the writings and reputation he left behind and semi-worshippped, known for his genius and wisdom. I love egyptology.
Maybe, just maybe read the curse on the box BEFORE you open it? It's a great sequel, dodgy CGI and all, and it's such a fun adventure ride just like the first one.
Three rules from Horror movies (classic era): 1. Don't open the box 2. Don't open the book 3. Don't read aloud anything in a language that is not spoken anymore.
I know the CGI is rough but I still love this movie. My favorite part is that we get to see more of the Medjai. When Ardeth introduces the commanders of the 12 tribes at the airship place those dudes costume design is 11/10, they all look like total badasses
This has to be the *WORST* CGI ever. Loved the movie, one of the few, where the sequel is equal to the first. (If it wasn't for that horrible CGI face......it'd be better)
Addie, you’re definitely right about the Scorpion King CGI and Imhotep just popping out to say “NAI” was silly. The movie was still good and fun but yeah it’s definitely not as good as the first. You should watch The Scorpion King when you can. I think you’ll enjoy it.
Don't sell Jonathan entirely short. He may not be much of a fighter, but he's still a bit bigger and stronger than Anck-Su-Namun, and he has something--someone--to fight for.
It's a good thing Indiana Jones wasn't there when Evelyn kicked the snake early in the movie. Indiana hates snakes. Indy-"Why did it have to be a snake?"
I do prefer the second film over the first one. Shame they never spent more time on the Scorpion King CGI because the rest of the films effects are still pretty decent overall all these years later. I'd love them to go back and fix the Scorpion King CGI and release it as a remaster.
Yet another great reaction! If you are interested, the corridor crew here on RU-vid did a bit of a glow-up on the shoddy Scorpion King CGI in this film in a video entitled "We Fixed The Worst VFX Shot Ever"
It has an early CGI character but is known for not yet having the technology for it. There are two pairs of lovers. One pair is the Hollywood couple of Anuck and Mummy who are grand speeches flowing gestures pledges of eternal devotion. The other pair is a married couple who are introduced squabbling and dealing the mundane of a child. In the final crisis Anuck abandons the Imie. And Evie saves Rick. Imie watches and realizes for all the confessions of eternal love, it's the mundane couple that truly love each other. Imie sees how he threw away eternity for a moment of lust. He accepts he deserves to be taken by the dead. In the novel Vathek sinful couples reach hell but are not immediately punished. They have a time to be together and do whatever they want. They see the other damned and understand they will soon be them. So their remaining time is regret as they understand what they threw away for the temptation of illicit love.
Racheal isn't in the 3rd movie because Rachel Weisz's concerns about playing the mother of a 21-year-old were communicated to Digital Spy by "Dragon Emperor" director Rob Cohen. He claimed that "I got a very angry phone call from her agent, saying she'll never play the mother of a 21-year-old. I said, 'Okay, good, fine, bye.'" Maria Bello was 41 but had no issues with the role. Bello avails herself well as she's an amazingly capable actor. The only issue is that, well, she's not Weisz. Bit petty you ask me Back in 2007, there were other reasons Weisz stated for not wanting to appear in "Dragon Emperor." Notably, she didn't like the script. According to a report in CinemaBlend from 2007, back when the film was still in production, Weisz confessed to a reporter that the screenplay was quite bad. The unnamed CinemaBlend reporter had said that Weisz told them "the script is still in the same shape that it was the last time I told you about, meaning that it's still crap, and Weisz finally took the high road out of there." It's also notable that Weisz gave birth to her first son in 2006, and the thought of leaving a one-year-old at home to shoot a movie she wasn't too excited about wasn't terribly appealing.
Some of the special effects were so bad because due to unfortunate timing, Industrial Light & Magic did not have nearly the time they needed to actually make the effects look good. This was a publicly known issue even before the movie was released, but Universal wanted to release it that summer anyway, and weren't willing to let it sit in the can for a year (probably didn't have the cash on hand to afford that--they needed to recoup the cost as soon as possible, and it had to be a big summer release).
When the Rock at the beginning does those kicks and swings, I found my 'new' Conan but that opportunity never materialized. I settled for the comedy action Scorpion King and went home. I never noticed Izzy had the “apotropaic eye” painted on the bow of his dirigible. Diablo2 players should enjoy the film adaptation of the Flayers from Act 3.
If I remember correctly I found The scorpion king (movie) even funnier with The Rocks commentary. He made fun of the movie and himself a lot. Since it was such a long time ago I don't know how I'd feel about it now. Anyway, the movie itself is a silly easy to watch movie that I hope Addie reacts to.
This was a great movie! Almost as good as the first one. The next one is good but they do replace Evey with another actress. All the other cast members are back plus some new ones. It's a fun watch I hope you watch that one the mummy - dragon emperor! Great reaction Addie! I guess CGI Rock is better than no Rock. 😅 Luv ya Addie ❤💛
YOUR NEXT MOVIE SUGGESTION: The french 2001 film "Brotherhood of the Wolf," which is set in pre-revolutionary war colonial era France. It's a period horror action movie full of plenty of flintlock gunfire, big colonial boots and bad guys getting kung fu kicked across the jaw multiple times in every fight scene. lol It's actually VERY dark (not just story and theme-wise, but its aesthetic is colonial-age Euro-gothic). I won't majorly spoil everything for you, but I'll say that there's a mysterious beast and the ongoing hunt to kill it, there's a native american character who comes to France from the Americas along with the main character, and the film has an obvious colonial-age wilderness adventurer culture feel with a palpably gothic touch. This film is also a very deep whodunnit investigation-heavy film, and also one that reflects both the respect and the disrespect that some versus others had for wolves, which always have been and always will be as vital to every wilderness ecosystem as sharks are to their native oceans. You'll see what I mean if you ever take my advice and finally react to this movie. And oh by the way, Monica Belucci plays the most dark and brooding character in the whole film. You'll see what I mean on that note too. The film itself is set just before and leading into what I think was supposed to be what to them would be the coming French Revolution of 1789 to 1799 at the very end. Anyway, will you PLEASE for the love of god react to this film! You won't regret it. And if you do, I strongly recommend you watch the English-dubbed extended director's cut. So much of it is missing from the heavily shortened theatrical release version.
Absolutely that would be a fun and amazing movie for Addie to react to! Mark Dacascos and Monica Belluci STEAL the spotlight in that movie, and have made me fans of them for MANY years 👍🤙
CGI was needed for certain shots during the search for Alex. The places where he was taken looked somewhat different back then. Well, not so much the places as the surrounding area.
If you wanna see more of Dwayne Johnson I recommend watching The Scorpion King. I think it makes up for the bad CGI. It's fun (similar humor as in The Mummy), especially when Johnson and Michael Clarke Duncan share the screen. You wouldn't think that Michael Clarke Duncan is the same guy who played John Coffey in The Green Mile. The characters are so different, but I love him in both movies.
Hello Addie. Another fun reaction here. Thank you for doing it. This movie was a lot of fun, the CGI notwithstanding, but I encourage you to watch the 3rd one as well to round out the trilogy. You'll find the evolution of Alex to be interesting.
If you want to get into it, the first Scorpion King movie is pretty good. But much like the third Mummy movie, I can't really recommend any of them after that.
The CGI Scorpion king was very bad back in the days of movie premiered. But the scene, wher Anck Su Namon didn't help Imhotep and runs away is still my favourite.
Heyyy, we finally get the counter we’ve needed for the longest time and what happens?! You break it! Well, it was fun while it lasted. The gang is back for more mummy Addie-ventures! This time with Addie-itional characters of Alex and Izzy. You’re getting closer to the end of October and no more scary movies until next year. Take care of yourself, Addie!!
I just finished looking through your backlog and saw that you haven’t reacted to Marvel’s ‘Blade’ starring Weasley Snipes. Seems a shame to me especially since you’ve watched other Marvel properties including the many “X-Man” movies. ‘Blade’ is pretty much the first modern Marvel movie and deserves its place in your Pantheon, lol.
Horus. "A god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence". NOT, as I thought 22 years ago, Horace. 🤦
First time I ever ate magic mushrooms 🍄 I watched this movie waiting for them to kick in and they did right around the end when the “Scorpion” King appeared, even on hallucinogens I could recognize bad CGI