The Mummy Returns (2001)

There is so much I love about checking in with the O’Connell’s. This wasn’t let’s bring the moneymaker back (The Mummy was a blockbuster earning over $422 million worldwide)! Same actors, same story, no one will notice. This was a continuation of a story and everything a sequel should be. So many sequels feel like to get a new audience they have to make the couple fall out of love and then fall back into love. The Mummy Returns ignores this and instead picks up the story approximately 7 years later.

Our heroes Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evy (Rachel Weisz) got married, and had a son, Alex (Freddie Boath). Alex gets to join his parents as they continue to travel the world for Evy’s work. She clearly loves being in the field even though she spends a lot of time at the British Museum in London. Our villains remain Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), with the instigator Anck-Su-Namun reborn as Meela (Patricia Velasquez) joining him in this new battle against the O’Connell’s. We get some old favorites back in the form of Jonathan (John Hannah), Evy’s brother, and Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr), the Medjay. In our new story Meela realizes she is Anck-Su-Namun reborn and seeks out Imhoteps body to bring him back to life. There is a side story of The Scorpion King (Dwayne Johnson) and it being the year of the scorpion. It is nearing the day that the Scorpion King’s pyramid in the oasis of Ahm Shere reappears and his Army of Anubis could be awakened. This would allow Imhotep to go forth and rule the world! Mwhahahah! This side story honestly drives the action for the movie, as the bracelet that shows the secret location is being hunted by both sides.

“By putting this on you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse.” Ardeth

We meet the O’Connell’s exactly where I would expect them, in an Egyptian ruin. We learn that Evy has felt driven to this place and has been having visions, letting her know exactly where to go, and what to do to open doors. We see a beautiful snapshot of Evy and Rick celebrating each of their strengths as they share their life.

“Hon, let’s do it your way.” Rick O’Connell

A group of would-be assassins shows up hunting them giving our first sign that not all is happily-ever-after for them.

There is so much I love about the house scene when the O’Connell’s return to London from the believable way their curious son acts, to the scene of Jonathan being threatened by the baddies because he pretended to be Rick. The timely arrival of Ardeth and the beautiful fighting scenes found throughout the entire movie!

“Whoa Mom! When did you learn to do that?” Alex

“I have no idea. (punches a guy in the face and knees him in the balls) That I learned from your father.” Evy

We learn that Anck-Su-Namun isn’t the only one reborn. The visions Evy has been experiencing are memories of her past life as Nefertiri. And Rick isn’t left out of this destiny-based story line either, with his orphanage upbringing being seen in a new light.

“If I were to say to you, I am a stranger travelling from the East, seeking that which is lost.” Ardeth

“Then I would reply, I am a stranger travelling from the West, it is I whom you seek.” Rick

We get so many amazing things in this movie; more action without being a beat for beat repeat of the first movie. A new story that laid the ground work for a spin off movie. More depth to the characters we already loved as well as meeting some new friends. We get jokes that poke fun at what happened in The Mummy, as well as just great jokes. This is a fabulous movie, along with The Mummy I will never be sad to see this movie on any screen.