Photo Credit: Digital Domain Copyright: © 2008 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Rating: Butter Popcorn

Explorer Rick O’Connell is about to combat the resurrected Han Emperor in an epic that races from the catacombs of ancient China to the neon-lit streets of post-war Shanghai and high into the spectacular Himalayas. Rick is joined in this all-new adventure by son Alex, wife Evelyn and her brother, Jonathan. And this time, the O’Connells must stop a mummy awoken from a 2,000-year-old curse who threatens to plunge the world into his merciless, unending service.

Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress to spend eternity in suspended animation, China’s ruthless Dragon Emperor and his 10,000 warriors have laid forgotten for eons, entombed in clay as a vast, silent terra cotta army. But when dashing adventurer Alex O’Connell is tricked into awakening the ruler from eternal slumber, the reckless young archaeologist must seek the help of the only people who know more than he does about taking down the undead: his parents.

As the monarch roars back to life, our heroes find his quest for world domination has only intensified over the millennia. Striding the Far East with unimaginable supernatural powers, the Emperor Mummy will rouse his legion as an unstoppable, otherworldly force…unless the O’Connells can stop him first.

Synopsis Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Photo Credit: Digital Domain Copyright: © 2008 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Brendan Fraser (The Air I Breathe, Journey to the Center of the Earth) returns in this third installment of the Mummy franchise and is supported by Maria Bello (Towelhead, The Jane Austen Book Club) and newcomer Luke Ford (Kokoda, The Black Balloon). The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor also stars Jet Li (Fearless, The Forbidden Kingdom) and John Hannah (The Mummy, Ghost Son).

It’s been 7 years in real time and roughly 10 years in the movie since the last episode. Characters have developed and actors have changed. One of the major character developments is that Alex O’Connell has lost his English accent and is now in college. His role is now played by Luke Ford, who performs in his third movie. Evelyn O’Connell’s character has also changed in the acting department, with Maria Bello taking over from Rachel Weisz, who played Evelyn in the first two films.

Photo Credit: Digital Domain Copyright: © 2008 Universal Studios. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The movie, as is the rest of the franchise, is a fun action-adventure that resembles Indiana Jones. This latest movie is arguably the best of the series. The action sequences and CGI graphics are very well done and far exceed those from The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. I wasn’t impress with the graphics of the Scorpion King (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) in The Mummy Returns. He looked like he was taken out of a PS One game and hardly looked like “The Rock”. The CGI of the mummies and warriors in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor are much more pleasing to the eye.

The storyline was fairly good but I have to say that all three Mummy movies are different stories told exactly the same way. Although it may sound like The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a cookie cutter movie, the movie is still entertaining. The improvements in this film make it worth seeing. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is the best one yet!

Theatrical Release Date: August 1, 2008

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