Search - The Mummy Returns (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) on DVD

Action-packed entertainer

Anil Bhat | Chicago, IL | 05/05/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you like non-stop action and great special effects then 'The Mummy Returns' is worth watching. Wrestling fans will be pleased to see 'The Rock' cast as the Scorpion King. Female fans of Oded Fehr, the Israeli actor, will be delighted to see him cast again as the dashing Egyptian horseman and fighter Ardeth Bay.Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) are married in this sequel and have a young son who does a good job of keeping the villains on their toes. Evie is supposed to be a reincarnation of Nefertiti, the Pharaoh's daughter. Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), the Pharaoh's high priest, and Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velazquez), the priest's paramour, are brought back to life to fight the Scorpion King and take control of the army of Anoubis, the dark god of the underworld.Some movie buffs have expressed reservations about the historical inaccuracies in both 'The Mummy' and 'The Mummy Returns'. However, these inaccuracies are not offensive to Egyptian Culture. This movie is merely a work of fiction. Some scenes and dialogs may seem to be cliched. Several scenes are a rehash of 'The Mummy'. The characters in the movie jokingly admit to the 'same old end of the world' plot.Even with all its cliches, this movie is worth watching."

Great Fun; Oded Fehr Rocks!

E.A. Week | Boston, MA USA | 10/15/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Anyone looking for a "great" movie will probably be disappointed, but anyone looking for sheer fun will probably be more than satisfied. Director Steven Sommers took his enjoyable 1999 movie "The Mummy" and expanded it out to an epic scale. The action picks up 10 years after the original; tomb raiders Evelyn and Rick O'Connell (now married, with 8-year-old child Alex in tow) discover another Egyptian artifact (the bracelet of the legendary Scorpion King) that unleashes yet another peril to the world, and once again, Evie and Rick have to stop it.A contingent of bad guys, however, want in on the action, and they raise Imhotep (the mummy from the first movie) because he's the only one strong enough to take on the Scorpion King. The bad guys are led by a woman named Meela, who claims to be the reincarnation of Anck-Su-Namun, Imhotep's long-lost forbidden love.Sommers cleverly adds an expanded backstory to the main characters from the earlier film, and while some of it stretches the imagination-- it seems like every character is a reincarnation of someone else-- it's executed in a mostly fun and believable way. In particular, the development of an ancient rivalry between Evelyn and Meela is fabulously well-done, adding considerable dimension to the reasons for Imhotep's horrible punishment in the first film. Arnold Vosloo was great in "The Mummy," but now, teamed up with his long-lost love, he's a thousand times more fun-- creepier, smarter, and yet at times endearingly vulnerable.Mystical warrior Ardath Bay (the very hot Oded Fehr) also has an expanded role in this film, and helps ground viewers when they are faced with things like multiple reincarnations and hoardes of screaming pygmy mummies. Fehr brings exactly the right touches of appeal, swashbuckling dash, and "exotic" Middle Eastern mystery to the role.A surprising amount of care seems to have been given to the supporting characters; they have just enough depth but not too much: Evie's brother Jonathan is back, providing much of the comic relief (but he also has some wonderful moments of heroism); little Alex is fun and resourceful without being overly precocious. Special care seems to have been taken with the villains: they are by turns menacing, funny, and *smart*, often a rare thing in the action/ adventure genre. In particular, Bay's rival Lock Nah is well-written and well-acted.The script isn't exactly Shakespeare, but it's fast, funny, and (mostly) makes sense. The action sequences are spectacularly well-choreographed, and of course, the special effects are impressive. Sommers also allows some wonderful moments of human emotion: the sexual chemistry between Evie and Rick (ditto Meela and Imhotep); Jonathan's concern for his sister and nephew; Evie and Rick's love for their son; Bay's concern for his friends (and his great affection for his wonderful hawk). These little touches make the difference between a mindless action flick, and something that really stays with you after the credits roll.Oddly enough, the much-touted presence of WWF star "The Rock" as the Scorpion King turns out to be almost negligible: it's a cameo that mostly sets up his own epic "The Scorpion King," due out in 2002. The real heart of this movie are the Evelyn-Rick and Imhotep- Anck-Su-Namun love stories. Without these and the other great characters from "Mummy Returns," it's hard to imagine that the next movie in this franchise could possibly top this one.So if you're looking for something great, rent "Lawrence of Arabia." If you're looking for a highly enjoyable popcorn flick, "The Mummy Returns," should fit the bill perfectly."

Despite thin plot, this Mummy still entertains

Hazen B Markoe | St. Paul, MN United States | 05/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When THE MUMMY came out 2 years ago, many critics savaged the film as being not up-to-par with the old Boris Karloff classic and being an Indiana Jones rip-off. In fact, it was a fun-filled and enjoyable movie that never pretended to be more than what it was: a fun popcorn movie with action and thrills. In the sequel, THE MUMMY RETURNS, the same thing applies. Despite a thin plot with basic cardboard characters, this flick packs enough action, fun, and special effects to satisfy any action junkie. The battles on the double-decker bus ,the Anubis army and the Scorpion King bring fond memories of the great Ray Harryhausen films. Brendan Frasier is again solid as the adventurer, Rick, while Rachel Weisz gets to show a little range of emotion as Evie. The rest of the cast is as good as last time, while the Rock does a fine job in his cameo appearance as the Scorpion King. If you're looking for a critical masterpiece, search elsewhere. This is a movie meant to be viewed in a spirit of fun and, in that regard, this film is highly recommended."

New 2-disc Deluxe Edition due out on July 8th, 2008

Sanpete | in Utah | 05/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The upcoming release of The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor has prompted Universal to release new DVD editions of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. This new Deluxe Edition of The Mummy Returns includes most of the special features from the 2001 Collector's Edition, plus some new features. It will only be available in widescreen format.

The Mummy left most professional reviewers cool to lukewarm at best, and this, the first sequel, left them cold. But audiences still enjoyed it. Like the first in the series, it's a big-budget, big-special-effects horror/adventure extravaganza with George of the Jungle playing an Indiana Jones-type character. Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz reprise their roles, he the adventurer and she the Egyptologist, married to each other with a young son in 1933. The same evil mummy-being-thing that bothered them so much in the first film is back, and this time there's an even more terrible force bent on destroying everything. The plot isn't very strong, but there is an army of pygmy mummies. Silly fun, sometimes more silly than fun.

These are the new special features:

-- "An Army To Rule The World Part 2" featurette
-- a digital copy of the movie
-- "Unraveling The Legacy Of The Mummy" featurette (also in the new The Mummy Deluxe Edition)
-- a sneak peak at The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor (also in the new The Mummy Deluxe Edition)

Carried over from the 2001 Collector's Edition:

-- audio commentary with director/writer Stephen Sommers and executive producer/editor Bob Ducsay
-- "Visual And Special Effects Formation," on how the special effects were done
-- "Spotlight on Location," a behind-the-scenes featurette
-- a conversation with The Rock, you know, the wrestler/actor, who speaks, about The Scorpion King movie
-- Live's "Forever May Not Be Long Enough" music video
-- "Egyptology 201," text on Egyptian history

The only feature from the Collector's Edition not announced for the new Deluxe Edition that anyone is likely to miss is a few minutes of outtakes/bloopers. (I wouldn't be surprised to see them show up as an "easter egg" (hidden feature).)

The page for The Mummy Deluxe Edition is here."