The Mummy Returns (2001)

·1 hr 33 min·5 clips

The hosts reveal they now hate Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson because of one big sniff he took in his first film role.

The episode is a critical review and discussion of the 2001 adventure film 'The Mummy Returns', directed by Stephen Sommers. The hosts, Jim and Aaron, begin by stating their personal disappointment with the sequel, which they saw in theaters. They contrast it with the original 'The Mummy', which they praise for its thrills, romance, and the chemistry between Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. A major theme is the sequel's perceived failures: its plot is criticized as convoluted, with too many artifacts and unclear villain motivations. The addition of Rick and Evie's eight-year-old son, Alex, is panned for making the film veer into overly family-friendly territory and reducing the horror elements. The hosts spend significant time critiquing the film's special effects, particularly the poorly-rendered CGI of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Scorpion King, which they compare to PlayStation 2 graphics. They discuss Johnson's role as his first major film part and critique his early career branding. The episode analyzes the film's action sequences, comparing protagonist Rick O'Connell to Indiana Jones, noting Rick's near-superhuman, injury-free prowess. They highlight specific absurd moments, like the Scorpion King eating a scorpion and characters outrunning the sunrise. Practical effects and stunts, like the fight between Rachel Weisz and Patricia Velasquez, are praised. The hosts also touch on the film's production, noting its rushed two-year timeline and budget constraints. They conclude that while not a terrible film, 'The Mummy Returns' is a disappointing, unnecessary sequel that fails to capture the magic of the original.

As heard by us

A funny, frustrated review of why The Mummy Returns feels like the first film with almost every pleasure working a little worse.

Bald Move Pulp treats The Mummy Returns as sequel slippage in real time, starting with the affection Aaron and Jim still have for the first film's thrills, romance, and Rachel Wise-Brendan Fraser chemistry.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want to know why a pulpy tomb-raiding sequel starts feeling worse when every familiar shortcut gets louder.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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