The Mummy Returns is a 2001 American fantasy action-adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers. It is the sequel to the 1999 film The Mummy, and the second film in The Mummy film series starring Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell. Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, and Patricia Velásquez reprise their roles from the previous film, starring alongside Freddie Boath, Alun Armstrong, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, and Dwayne Johnson in his film acting debut. Most of the crew from the first film also return, though composer Jerry Goldsmith was replaced by Alan Silvestri. The film was released on May 4, 2001 by Universal Pictures. Like its predecessor, The Mummy Returns was a commercial success, grossing $435 million worldwide, becoming the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2001 and the highest-grossing film of the film series. The film received mixed reviews from critics. It was followed by a 2002 prequel film The Scorpion King, a spin-off that is set 5,000 years prior and whose eponymous character, played by Johnson was introduced in this film. A sequel starring Fraser and Hannah, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, was released in 2008.

Plot

In 3067 B.C., a warrior known as the Scorpion King leads an army to conquer the world. However, they are eventually defeated and he is exiled to the desert of Ahm Shere. Dying, the King vows to give Anubis his soul in return for the power to defeat his enemies. Anubis accepts, conjuring an oasis and golden pyramid, and giving the King an army of jackal-like warriors to conquer Egypt. However, once his task is finished, Anubis claims his soul, and the army is returned to the Underworld. In 1933 A.D., nine years after the defeat of Imhotep, Rick O'Connell and his wife, Evelyn, explore ancient ruins with their son, Alex, finding the Bracelet of Anubis. In London, Alex plays with the bracelet, which locks onto his wrist, showing him visions that lead to Ahm Shere. Evelyn is kidnapped by a cult who resurrect Imhotep with the Book of the Dead, wishing to use his power to defeat the King; this would give them command of Anubis's army. The cult, led by museum curator Baltus Hafez, includes enforcer Lock-Nah and Meela Nais, the physical reincarnation of Imhotep's love Anck-su-namun. Rick and Alex set out to rescue Evelyn with the help of her brother Jonathan, who had gotten his hands on a golden scepter, and the Medjai Ardeth Bay, who has returned to help them. Rick frees Evelyn before she is sacrificed and they fight against Imhotep. Meanwhile, Alex is kidnapped and forced to lead the cult with the bracelet. The O'Connells pursue them with Rick's associate Izzy. En route, Alex secretly leaves clues for his parents, who follow in Izzy's dirigible. Imhotep uses the Book to restore Anck-su-namun's soul into Meela's body. By doing so, he unwittingly allows Evelyn to unlock the memories of her previous life as Princess Nefertiri, the bracelet's keeper. At the edge of the Oasis, Imhotep realizes that they are being pursued and uses his powers to attack the dirigible. The dirigible eventually crashes into the oasis's jungle, and Izzy chooses to stay behind to repair it. The O'Connells, Ardeth, Alex, and the cult are eventually attacked by pygmy mummies. Rick retrieves Alex while Ardeth kills Lock-Nah. They escape from the pygmies, who kill all of the cult members except for Hafez, Imhotep, and Anck-su-namun. Rick and Alex race to the pyramid before the sun light reaches it, saving Alex's life and allowing the bracelet to release his hand. Anck-su-namun, Imhotep, and Hafez then arrive and kill Evelyn before entering the pyramid. Inside the pyramid, Imhotep loses his powers and is forced to face the King as a mortal. Hafez uses the bracelet to conjure Anubis's army, which appears in the desert outside of the Oasis. Rick finds Imhotep summoning the King and attacks him. The King, now an enormous scorpion monster, interrupts the fight. Imhotep tricks him into attacking Rick. Outside, Ardeth and the Medjai battle Anubis's resurrected army. While Rick and the King fight, Hafez is caught in the melee and dies. Meanwhile, Jonathan and Alex steal the Book from Anck-su-namun and use it to resurrect Evelyn. Rick discovers hieroglyphs explaining that Jonathan's scepter is the mystic Spear of Osiris, the only weapon capable of killing the King. Meanwhile, Evie fights with Anck-su-namun. Aided by Jonathan, Rick gets the spear and uses it to slay the King, sending him and the army of Anubis back into the Underworld. As the oasis begins to implode and the pyramid crumbles, Rick and Imhotep cling to the ledge of a pit that leads to the underworld. Rick implores Evelyn to escape, but she risks her life to pull him to safety. Seeing this, Imhotep pleads for Anck-su-namun to do the same, but she abandons him. Heartbroken, Imhotep lets go and plummets into the underworld. While fleeing, Anck-su-namun inadvertently falls into a pit of scorpions and dies. Izzy then arrives with the repaired dirigible and rescues the O'Connells just before the oasis and the pyramid are destroyed—though not before Jonathan swipes a diamond. They depart into the sunset, with Ardeth saluting them before riding off.

Cast

Brendan Fraser as Rick O'Connell, a treasure hunter and former Legionnaire Rachel Weisz as Evelyn O'Connell / Nefertiri; respectively, Rick's wife, and the daughter of Pharaoh Seti I Patricia Velásquez as Meela Nais / Anck-su-namun, the reincarnated form of Pharaoh Seti I's mistress, and secret lover of Imhotep John Hannah as Jonathan Carnahan, Evelyn's brother Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay, a Medjai chieftain and warrior Freddie Boath as Alex O'Connell, Rick and Evelyn's son Alun Armstrong as Baltus Hafez, the cult leader Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Lock-Nah, a cult enforcer Shaun Parkes as Izzy Buttons, Rick's friend and a dirigible pilot Bruce Byron as Red Willits, a thief contracted by the cult to claim the Bracelet of Anubis Joe Dixon as Jacques Clemons, a thief contracted by the cult to claim the Bracelet of Anubis Tom Fisher as Jacob Spivey, a thief contracted by the cult to claim the Bracelet of Anubis Aharon Ipalé as Pharaoh Seti I, the Pharaoh of Egypt, whom Imhotep killed in 1290 BC Dwayne Johnson as Mathayus of Akkad / The Scorpion King, an ancient warrior who sold his soul to Anubis Arnold Vosloo as Imhotep, High Priest of Osiris and lover of Anck-Su-Namun

Production

= Development

= Following the success of The Mummy (1999), Universal Pictures quickly moved forward with plans for a sequel. Writer-director Stephen Sommers was approached by Universal after the film's opening weekend, and within a day, he began developing ideas for The Mummy Returns. Sommers had already been contemplating a sequel during the production of the original film, aiming to expand the story with a larger scale, enhanced special effects, and fresh adventures for the familiar characters. He wanted to create a new adventure without repeating the same formula, aiming to "outdo" his previous work. Sommers chose to set The Mummy Returns in 1933, nine years after the events of the first film. This allowed the characters to evolve, with Rick and Evelyn now married and living comfortably in London. They have a son, Alex, who embodies the best traits of both parents. The story intertwines multiple timelines, exploring the ancient past of the Scorpion King, Imhotep, and the O'Connells' present-day life. Sommers also sought to delve deeper into the fascination with ancient Egypt that was central to the original film.

= Casting

= Sommers was eager to reunite the original cast, including Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, and John Hannah, for the sequel. The returning actors were enthusiastic about the script, which combined elements of horror, visual effects, comedy, and romance. Weisz and Patricia Velasquez trained extensively in ancient Japanese martial arts to portray more physically demanding roles. Freddie Boath accepted the role of the O’Connell’s son Alex after he turned down the part for Harry Potter. New to the cast was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who played the Scorpion King. Although Johnson was new to acting, Sommers felt his natural charisma was well-suited for the role of a fearsome warrior who made a pact with the god Anubis. Johnson embraced the physical demands of the role, which involved extensive makeup and hours of preparation.

= Filming

= Principal photography began in the deserts of Morocco, with additional second-unit work filmed in Jordan, including locations like the gorges at Petra. In Morocco, filming took place in Erfoud, which had also been used for The Mummy, and Ouarzazate. The production then moved to Shepperton Studios in England, where sets for ancient pyramids and temples were constructed. Filming also took place in various locations around London, including the British Museum and Tower Bridge. Despite challenges posed by the weather, the crew adapted quickly.

= Visual effects

= The visual effects team, led by John Berton at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), aimed to surpass the effects of the first film. Advances in computer-generated imagery (CGI) allowed for more intricate and realistic creatures, such as Imhotep. The filmmakers focused on creating a seamless integration between the live-action sequences and CGI, utilizing detailed camera tracking and motion-capture technology. Berton highlighted the challenge of animating creatures with organic realism and developing characters like Imhotep, whose interactions with other characters were more detailed than in the original film. Arnold Vosloo, who reprised his role as Imhotep, faced the challenge of acting alongside these digital elements, often reacting to creatures and environments that were only added in post-production. Despite advancements in CGI, the Scorpion King's appearance was widely criticized for its awkward facial features and uncanny valley effect. The visual effects team faced challenges due to limited reference material of Dwayne Johnson, as his WWE commitments prevented detailed facial scans. As a result, the digital representation of Johnson lacked accuracy, standing out as one of the film's most criticized visual effects, despite improvements in other characters like Imhotep.

Music

The Mummy Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on May 1, 2001 by Decca Records. The score was composed and conducted by Alan Silvestri, who did not reuse any of Goldsmith's themes from the first film. It was performed by the Sinfonia of London and orchestrated by William Ross. The soundtrack contains Silvestri's as well as a version of the song "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" by the rock band Live, which slightly differs from the song's album version. A 2-CD expansion was released by Intrada Records in 2018.

Reception

= Box office

= The Mummy Returns earned $23.4 million on its first day of release, then made $26.8 million the day after. This made it the highest Friday and Saturday grosses, surpassing both Toy Story 2 and The Lost World: Jurassic Park respectively. Later that year, those records were simultaneously given to Planet of the Apes and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. During its opening weekend, the film made $68.1 million, making it the second-highest opening weekend of all time, only behind The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Moreover, it surpassed Hannibal to have the highest opening weekend for a 2001 film, joining Monsters, Inc., Rush Hour 2 and Planet of the Apes to become one of the only four films of that year to make $60 million in their first three days of release. The film also became one of four consecutive Universal films of the year to cross the $40 million in an opening weekend, with the others being American Pie 2, The Fast and the Furious and Jurassic Park III. Upon opening, the film reached the top of the box office, beating out Driven. For its second weekend, it collected a total of $33.7 million, outgrossing A Knight's Tale in the process. The Mummy Returns would remain in the number one spot at the box office for a total of two weeks until Shrek took it. The film grossed $202 million in the United States and Canada box offices and $233 million internationally, grossing over $435 million worldwide, making it the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2001.

= Critical response

= The Mummy Returns received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes holds a 46% rating based on 141 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's consensus states: "In The Mummy Returns, the special effects are impressive, but the characters seem secondary to the computer-generated imagery." On Metacritic it has an average rating of 48 out of 100 based on 31 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert, who awarded the first film three stars, gave the second film only two, saying that "The mistake of The Mummy Returns is to abandon the characters, and to use the plot only as a clothesline for special effects and action sequences." James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave the film two and a half stars (out of four), calling it "hollow, lightweight entertainment—not unpleasant, but far from the summer's definitive action/adventure flick. Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times gave the film a positive review, praising its "constant plot turns, cheeky sensibility and omnipresent action sequences." Todd McCarthy of Variety praised "the nonstop action of the final hour", saying that it "bursts with visual goodies." Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald said, "Twelve-year-olds weaned on Nintendo may not mind, but anyone who remembers the tactile thrill of an alarmingly real boulder rolling down on Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark will be left cold." Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal gave the film a negative review, saying that it "has all of the clank but none of the swank of the previous version." Charles Taylor of Salon.com was also not impressed, calling The Mummy Returns "everything the first Mummy was fun for not being."

Accolades

Home media

The Mummy Returns debuted on VHS and DVD on October 2, 2001. It became the fastest-selling DVD ever in the United States, selling 2 million copies after its first week of release, while also surpassing Gladiator. The film would briefly hold this record for two weeks until it was taken by Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace when it sold 2.2 million copies during its first week. There are two separate versions of this DVD release either in widescreen or fullscreen formats. The film was subsequently released on the high-definition Blu-ray format in July 2008, and on UHD Blu-ray in 2017.

Video games

Two video games based on the movie were released. The first was released on the Game Boy Color, developed by GameBrains, and was released within the film's theatrical release. The other is for the PlayStation 2, developed by Blitz Games and was released in October 2001, to coincide with the film's home media release. Both titles were published by Universal Interactive.

Subsequent works

= Spin-off

= A spin-off/prequel film centering on Dwayne Johnson's character, the Scorpion King, was released on April 19, 2002. It focuses on the King's origins, as he rises to power before the events of The Mummy Returns' prologue. The film received mixed reviews but was only a moderate commercial success. It spawned The Scorpion King film series, with direct-to-video sequels and with different actors playing the title role.

= Sequel

= A sequel to The Mummy Returns was released on August 1, 2008. Brendan Fraser and John Hannah both reprised their roles, while Rachel Weisz was replaced by Maria Bello as Evelyn, and Luke Ford played the now-adult Alex O'Connell. The film received generally negative reviews, and was the lowest-grossing film of the trilogy.

Notes

References

External links

Official website The Mummy Returns at IMDb The Mummy Returns at Box Office Mojo The Mummy Returns at Rotten Tomatoes The Mummy Returns at the TCM Movie Database The Mummy Returns at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

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