Brendan Fraser returns to battle ancient warriors in the third mummy movie, THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR. Fraser reprises his role as Rick O’Connell, but Maria Bello replaces Rachael Weisz in the role of Evelyn, Rick’s wife. The O’Connells are now retired, but not happily, as Rick struggles with hobbies and Evelyn with her latest action-adventure novel. The two become intrigued by a discovery made in the tombs of the Far East, regarding the statue of an ancient Chinese emperor. Little do the O’Connells know, that the Emeror Han is not dead, but merely resting due to a curse. 
I’ve always felt that the MUMMY movies were second-rate INDIANA JONES adventures, with worse acting, special effects and storylines. With the latest MUMMY and JONES movies falling just months within each other, it’s obvious I was wrong, the MUMMY is a third or fourth rate version of the JONES series. Although the acting is more forced in TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR than its predecessors, and the special effects still an eyesore, the distinct problem with the film is in its storytelling. Although I didn’t care for either of the previous two MUMMY movies, the storylines were rather simple, to the point and were delivered with reasonable success. TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR belabors an idea that is suited for a swift 90-minute runtime. New rules involving the immortality of the Emperor Han seem to change at the film’s convenience, allowing director Rob Cohen several opportunities to engage our heroes and heroines with fireballs, tumbling rocks, hundreds of warriors and of course, a dragon-emperor. As with this summer’s JONES adventure, TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR makes the film a family affair by introducing the O’Connell’s son, Alex. A mere bit part in THE MUMMY RETURNS, Alex’s character intends to bring some tension to the mix between he and dear old dad, but the chemistry isn’t there, making the father-son moments flat. THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR is a JONES wannabe that should have remain buried, and would have, if it wasn’t for the treasure it would find at the box office.
Grade: D+
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