Three years after the first movie hit the big screen, The Mummy's crypt-robbing couple are back to once again do battle with ancient Egyptian evil.
Now married, with a young son named Alex - played by newcomer Freddie Boath - Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) and Rick (Brendan Fraser) O'Connell are still up to their archaeological adventures, this time in pursuit of an ancient bracelet which once belonged to the evil Scorpion King.
When Alex becomes locked into the bracelet and is shown the first leg of the journey to The Scorpion King's last resting place, he becomes the target of a group, led by the evil Meela (Patricia Velasquez) - the reincarnation of Imhotep's lover Anck-Su-Namun. With the bracelet to guide them, the group revive Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) in order to defeat the Scorpion King and so lead his army to global domination.
This storyline - along with the equally improbable revelations that Evelyn is the reincarnated daughter of Imhotep's cuckolded pharaoh, and Rick is in fact a magi foretold of in ancient legend - is merely an excuse for a movie packed with the latest in CGI effects and fast-paced action sequences, as the O'Connells race against time to save their kidnapped progeny.
Evidently seeking to do nothing more than pack more excitement into the formula set by the first movie, Mummy Returns, the (2001) nevertheless delivers on this remit with great success. Highlights of the movie therefore include battles aboard a speeding 1930's London bus, blowpipe wielding pygmies, a jet powered dirigible and occasional comic relief from John Hannah, returning as Evie's money-hungry sibling.
Although undeniable that those seeking groundbreaking cinema need not apply, Mummy Returns, the (2001) is an enjoyable film for those prepared to check their brains at the door, load up with popcorn and marvel at the latest effects-laden adventure.
