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Give a miss to this Mummy Film Reviews

Jet Li in a scene from ‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’

Film: Mummy

cast: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li

Director: Rob Cohen The much-hailed Hollywood continues to revel in stereotypes. If the world – read America – is not in danger, and the imperial dream merchants do decide to train their eyes on Asia, then it has to be on China. And a mythical past. Lots of martial arts interspersed with kings and queen living in huge palaces, whose only reason for existence seems to be to perpetuate some myth about the region. Director Rob Cohen’s “The Mummy: Tombs of the Dragon Emperor” lives up to every conceivable stereotype: we have a Chinese king who wants eternal youth, no, eternal life. The emperor strikes upon a sorceress who has a potion – but there is a catch: the benign woman puts him into a state of suspended animation for many centuries.

And only a touch at the right place can revive him, just as a sword pierced across his heart can get rid of him for ever. Brendan Fraser and his wife come out of retirement to travel to Shanghai.

And accidentally end up waking the emperor! The awakened giant heads to Shangri-La, a little dip and lo, the emperor will live on and on. We all know who can stop the emperor and how. “The Mummy” in the latest avatar presents a time tested story with one interesting change of locale from the original.

In this third instalment of the series the focus is on China and its timeless emperors, the high Himalayas rather than the vast expanse of Egypt. Of course, China is still regarded with a queer mixture of disdain and awe. And uses largely for the martial arts. Things have not changed since we saw “Crouching Tiger…”.

As for the performances, well, predictably, there is Jet Li, as the emperor, who gets into his own in the second half. Fraser goes about his ways in a studied manner, never threatening to win an Oscar with his performance.

Watch “The Mummy” for its special effects, some martial arts. Looking for a needle of credibility or even a hint of novelty in the story? Stay home.

ZIYA US SALAM

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