10 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching The Mummy, 27 Years Later

Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy, with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, is a much-loved adventure film from the 1990s. People enjoy it because of the great actors, familiar adventure story elements, and its quick, exciting pace. But revisiting the movie in 2024 reveals some things haven’t aged as well.

This movie is a beloved action-adventure film that continues to entertain audiences of all ages, and it’s easy to understand why it’s so highly regarded. While nothing can diminish its place in film history, here are a few things you might notice when watching it again today.

10. The CGI Has Not Aged Well

The special effects in The Mummy were impressive for 1999, and many still look good today. Plus, the film used a lot of real, physical effects and stunts, not just computer graphics.

While some of the visual effects still hold up, others haven’t aged well. For example, the scenes with large groups of beetles don’t look as realistic today, and certain computer-generated moments during Imhotep’s revival are noticeably weak. The sandstorm created with visual effects also appears unconvincing now.

While the practical effects in The Mummy still look good, the computer-generated imagery definitely shows its age in some parts.

9. Horror Scenes Are Tame

Okay, let’s be clear, The Mummy isn’t trying to scare you senseless like a true horror film, but it definitely has its creepy moments. I jumped a few times, especially during those classic jump scares – like when John Hannah’s Jonathan gives Rachel Weisz’s Evelyn a good shock in the library. And even just seeing Imhotep, even as this ancient, decaying mummy in his sarcophagus, is genuinely unsettling. He’s a creepy villain, no doubt about it.

The movie relies more on suggestion than on showing gruesome details – for example, the idea of scarabs consuming Imhotep is far more unsettling than actually seeing it. Surprisingly, the scenes that might have frightened kids back then aren’t nearly as intense as what you find in modern films.

It’s common for scary movies to lose their impact when you rewatch them, but The Mummy, after 27 years, feels more like a straightforward action movie than a horror film.

8. The Action Is Far More Slapstick Than You Remember

A major reason why the scary parts of The Mummy don’t feel as effective today is because the film includes a lot of silly, comedic moments.

One of the things I love about this movie is how it doesn’t take itself too seriously with the action – it’s just fun! But rewatching it, you notice there’s actually a lot of close calls. I mean, right at the beginning with Rick O’Connell – Brendan Fraser is literally about to get shot on the boat, and Evelyn saves him with just a little nudge. It’s easy to miss if you’re not looking for it!

In the final showdown, Imhotep violently throws Rick around a stone arena. While these blows would normally shatter bones, Rick hilariously brushes them off, revealing it’s all part of his strategy.

7. The Tone Is All Over The Place

If you rewatch The Mummy, you’ll likely notice how much the movie’s tone changes. It quickly shifts between serious moments, scary scenes, and comedy, often jumping back and forth throughout the film.

The movie The Mummy relies on moments like this to maintain its appeal. There’s a scene where the Warden, played by Omid Djalili, is stealing ancient scarab treasures. When one falls, a live scarab beetle emerges, crawls under his skin, and burrows into his brain. The Warden, terrified, then runs full speed into a wall, killing himself.

How do the characters respond to this unfortunate event? They make light of a drink found in the victim’s belongings. Meanwhile, the villainous Beni (Kevin J. O’Connor) meets a gruesome end – he’s nearly crushed, then overrun by scarabs when his torch goes out. Though Rick O’Connell doesn’t directly witness it, he coolly says, “Goodbye Beni,” before escaping. These quick changes in mood aren’t necessarily a flaw in The Mummy; however, they’re noticeable if you’re paying close attention.

6. Ransacking Ancient Tombs Isn’t ‘Hero’ Behavior

While the movie The Mummy delivers exciting action, the story itself is a bit confusing. It centers around Evelyn, Rick, and Jonathan embarking on a dangerous global journey to raid a tomb that’s meant to remain sealed.

Evelyn is fascinated by Hamunaptra for scholarly reasons, but her brother and Rick are mainly motivated by the potential for wealth. There’s a memorable scene where Evelyn excitedly tells O’Connell, “You know your history!” and he casually responds, “I know my treasure.”

Their actions unintentionally lead to several deaths, as they disregard the warnings of the Medjai, protectors of Hamunaptra. While stopping them would make for a less exciting story, they are essentially grave robbers, despite Evelyn’s good intentions.

5. Imhotep’s Motive Is Paper-Thin

Arnold Vosloo delivers a captivating performance as Imhotep, though the reasons behind his actions feel weak and don’t quite make sense. After Evelyn accidentally revives Imhotep, he focuses on two main objectives: regaining his full strength and bringing his beloved, Anck-su-Namun (played by Patricia Velasquez), back to life.

So, after all that, you’d think he’d go after the people who originally cursed him, right? Like, the modern-day Medjai seem like a good place to start, but honestly, the movie just…doesn’t go there. It’s a bit of a loose end for me, honestly.

The Mummy is a fun, straightforward movie and doesn’t really require a complex villain. However, the villain, Imhotep, is mostly just focused on bringing his girlfriend back to life, and it’s unclear why he also tries to harm Evelyn.

4. Imhotep’s Curse Makes Zero Sense

While Imhotep’s reasons for his actions aren’t very strong, the curse that follows doesn’t really make sense either. The story begins by establishing Imhotep as a priest who murders the Pharaoh because he’s in love with the Pharaoh’s mistress, Anck-su-namun.

Okay, so this is heartbreaking, but Anck-su-namun takes her own life, and it completely throws Imhotep. He’s obsessed with bringing her back, so he tries to resurrect her in Hamunaptra using some seriously dark magic. Unfortunately, the Pharaoh’s guards catch on to what he’s doing and stop him. That’s when things get really bad for Imhotep – they inflict the ‘Hom Dai’ curse on him, which is basically a fate worse than death.

Honestly, it’s always bothered me that Imhotep gets super strong – like, “the strength of ages” – if the Hom Dai curse awakens him. Wouldn’t a truly awful curse just… be awful? It seems weird to give someone superpowers as part of a punishment that’s supposed to be the worst ever. The story even says the Hom Dai is so terrible it’s never been used before, so why add a power boost to it?

3. The 10 Plagues Of Egypt Are Just Mild Annoyances

Imhotep is said to have the power to unleash the ten plagues of Egypt if he’s awakened. While the plagues do appear in the movie, they’re mostly a nuisance rather than a serious danger.

Jonathan witnesses the sky darken, dramatically exclaiming a phrase that echoes a biblical passage about darkness falling over Egypt. However, this darkness doesn’t last, as the characters quickly come up with a plan while it’s still bright and sunny.

The boils, sores, and turning of water into blood are relatively small details in the movie. While focusing on these events could have slowed down the fast-paced story, observant viewers will likely notice them on subsequent viewings.

2. Evelyn And Rick Fall In Love Within A Couple Of Days

Evelyn and Rick have fantastic chemistry together, clearly visible in both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. However, their relationship develops very rapidly, especially considering the events of The Mummy happen in a limited timeframe.

While the exact timing isn’t clear, everything that happens in The Mummy seems to take place over just 4 or 5 days. In that short time, Evelyn quickly falls in love, going from a first kiss in prison to being deeply in love.

It’s not impossible they could develop feelings for each other quickly, but their relationship is moving forward surprisingly fast.

1. The Original Will Always Be The Best

The biggest drawback of rewatching The Mummy is realizing how hard it is to find anything else quite like it. If you’re craving that same enjoyable experience, your only real option is to simply watch it again from the start.

The Mummy Returns is a good sequel, though it doesn’t quite live up to the first movie. It’s enjoyable throughout. It was disappointing that Rachel Weisz didn’t reprise her role for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. The new actress playing Evelyn (Maria Bello) didn’t quite fit, especially considering the strong connection Weisz and Fraser had on screen.

The filmmakers behind the new Mummy movie have confirmed they won’t consider the recasting or this third installment as part of the official story. It remains to be seen if the new film will capture the magic of the original, or if the first Mummy movie will always stand out as something special.

2026-03-04 02:04