Mummy Returns, The: Collector`s Edition (Widescreen) (US)

A huge disappointment, I regret to say.
I was so looking forward to this movie on DVD, that I intentionally missed it in the theaters. I then wanted to pre-order it, but then decided to rent it when it is released and decide then. I`m glad I didn`t buy it. It`s not as half as witty and funny as its first part, the CG graphics is not always impressive and the plot, well, goes nowhere.
The video transfer is excellent. There are no compression signs and the colors are presented in their full glory. While some of the special effects are very impressive, certain CG scenes (the one of the scorpion king, for example) look really "plastic". To top it all, some of the blue-screen effects are quite obvious and not convincing. Still, the desert scenes are very impressive (including the CG creatures vs. humans fight scene).
The DD 5.1 soundtrack is very good. The surrounds are constantly used and the channel separation is very effective.
The menus are all beautifully animated (rendered, that is) with sound.
The extras include a nice commentary, a behind the scenes look, 4 special effects scenes explained in details, some outtakes, production notes, information about ancient Egypt, a music video and an extensive DVD-ROM feature (screen savers, script-to-screen, games and a lot more information about the movie).
Bottom line - while the movie itself is disappointing, it is presented in an excellent disk. Watch it? - You bet. Buy it? - Nahh.

As anticipated the sequel rocks the house down. A definate improvement to the last installment. I hope stephen sommers dosen`t make a third. The special effects are out of this world and the actors are charming in their roles. The disc is packed but not as packed as the first. The behind the scenes documentary is shorter but is replaced with a sneek trailer of the scorpion king. The rock is only on for 10 minutes footage and is pathetic. The main bad guy for me was Imhotep played by Arnold vosloo.

Before I mention the storyline I just want to say that if you disliked the original Mummy this sequel will not really interest you. The Mummy Returns is set 10 years after the original events. Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz) are now married and have a child of their own Alex (Freddie Boath). The films opens by telling the story of the Scorpion King (The Rock), who sold his soul to an evil god in order to win a war. In keeping with original we are told that the Scorpion King can be brought back to life every 5,000 years with the help of a golden bracelet. Well guess what? Little Alex has that same bracelet! A little convenient, but what do you expect from a summer blockbuster? Add to the plot the born again Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) who is eager to resurrect the Scorpion King and take over his army. Imhotep and his evil (but hopeless!) gang kidnap Alex. Obviously Rick and Evie pursue the evil Mummy with the help of family member Jonathan (John Hannah).

Whereas the original Mummy didn't start off very quickly, the sequel is over two hours of special effects entertainment. In fact there is probably too much in that department and towards the end the special effects are not that special. In fact I would go as far as to say that some of the special effects are very poor and cheap looking.

Fans of the movie will welcome the extras included, but I would suggest only purchasing this DVD if you liked the original movie.