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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Quite Mummy Dearest, May 9, 2001
I greatly enjoyed "The Mummy" when it was resurrected several years ago. I recall late hours spent watching Zacherlee and Shock Theater, entranced by the antics of a whole slew of monsters, with The Mummy being one of the most memorable. In those days movies still had to have plots and spooky atmospherics to do what we do with special effects and a truckload of gore today. What made the new "Mummy" fun was not just the updated effects. It also had just the right tongue-in-cheek attitude. Let's face it, mummy movies are high camp. Abbott and Costello figured it out first, but it took decades before Universal Pictures discovered the same secret. When I discovered that the novelization of "The Mummy Returns" was available I snapped it up. After all, paperbacks are still cheaper than movies and they can be re-read. Set 10 years later than the original movie, Rick O'Connell and Evelyn Carnahan have married and have an 8-year-old son, Alex. They have returned to Egypt seeking the Bracelet of Anubis, an ancient artifact associated with the legendary Scorpion King of Egypt's fabled past. In doing so they trigger an adventure that will have them chasing all over the Egyptian map. For, not far from the O'Connell dig, a group of nefarious cultists are once again resurrecting the mummy of the evil Imhotep, the real star of the first movie. Imhotep's has plans for the Scorpion King and his minions which require the bracelet. He would also like to even the score with the O'Connells, who foiled his first return. When Alex inadvertently puts on the Bracelet of Anubis, and is kidnapped, he triggers a chase scene that stretches from England to Abyssinia. Before Alex (and life as we know it) is rescued, our doughty heroes will be treated to every kind of adventure and mishap, including reincarnation, dirigible rides, pigmy zombies, and the Scorpion King himself. "The Mummy Returns" is an excellent novelization of what is a movie that is long on fun and action even if it is a bit short on plot. Max Collins does a good job of taking a thin script and turning it into something enjoyable. Don't expect deep insights or serious Egyptology. This is simply a few hours of enjoyable, light entertainment. Have fun!!
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