First Take Classics: The Mummy (1999) - let’s pretend Tom Cruise never ruined the franchise

SYNOPSIS: At an archaeological dig in the ancient city of Hamunaptra, an American serving in the French Foreign Legion accidentally awakens a mummy who begins to wreak havoc as he searches for the reincarnation of his long-lost love.

25 years ago Stephen Sommers and a group of producers had an idea to take the iconic 1932 Universal Monsters story and modernise it for what was, at the time, a very lucrative blockbuster market. What they ended up doing was starting what would become a goliath of a franchise with associated theme park rides, sequels, and, dare I say it, that failed reboot in 2017. With the reissue playing to surprisingly packed houses, it felt like the right time to get this one online.

Sommers used the 1932 original as a loose inspiration, instead choosing to create a little action/romance rather than hard horror, and it worked - the resulting 2 hour 4 minute film he wrote and directed would save Universal after some pretty rough box office flops. Paced very well, written with intent, and shot incredibly smartly for the time by Adrian Biddle, the technical side of things certainly pleased audiences, and this is before we mention the CGI. It may look pretty rough now but the boffins at Industrial Light and Magic definitely had some fun making this one. Plus, who can argue with a Jerry Goldsmith score? On a more nerdy level - the current UK re-release is from the Blu-ray master, so for the first time the 14 seconds that were cut to allow a 12 rather than a 15 certificate in 1999 are restored for a modern 12a rating.

Now it would be wrong not to mention Brendan Fraser’s performance. This was the role which put him on the map, and looking back 25 years on, with his Oscar for The Whale in hand, it is a crying shame it took him this long to get the love from the industry he deserved - holding his own with Rachel Weisz and John Hannah alongside him, he is the glue that held this film together. Supporting a very likeable trio is Kevin J O'Connor, Jonathan Hyde, Oded Fehr, a young Omid Djalili, and of course Arnold Vosloo as the one this film is all about - Imhotep. It’s a cast that gets the job done and gets it done well, and importantly a film that has stood the test of time unlike a lot of these early 1990s blockbuster releases. Last night in a ridiculously packed screen 1, there were MANY fans of the film (and the franchise) in-screen, even quoting the comedic lines. It’s a beloved Universal IP, and a cracker of a way to finish 12 hours of films.

THE VERDICT

Yes, the CG might not hold up as well on a remastered 4K print that Park Circus have sent out to cinemas - but this is the version of The Mummy that should be remembered within a crowd-pleasing blockbuster context. Sommers of course tried (and failed) to do the same to Van Helsing in 2004, but it cannot be understated how important this film was for the action/horror blockbuster genre going into 2000, especially as follow-up The Mummy Returns introduced a certain Scorpion King to Hollywood…

RATING: 4/5