The Mummy (1999) DVD Review – UK

An adventurer and a team of archaeologists awaken an ancient Egyptian priest whose terrifying curse threatens to unleash death and destruction upon the world.

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An adventurer and a team of archaeologists awaken an ancient Egyptian priest whose terrifying curse threatens to unleash death and destruction upon the world.

Runtime

2 Hours

BBFC rating

Region

Regions 1/2

Sound

Dolby Digital 5.1

Aspect

2.35:1

Release year

1999

Edition Comparison: Region 1 vs Region 2

Details

Stephen Sommers' lavish remake of the 1932 Boris Karloff classic blends action, horror, comedy and spectacular visual effects into one of the most entertaining adventure films of the late nineties. American adventurer Rick O'Connell reluctantly guides a group of archaeologists across the Egyptian desert to the legendary lost city of Hamunaptra after discovering its location during a military campaign years earlier.

Their search for hidden treasure soon turns into a desperate fight for survival when they accidentally awaken Imhotep, an ancient high priest condemned to an eternity of suffering after betraying the Pharaoh. As the resurrected Mummy regains his strength by claiming the lives of those who disturbed his tomb, Rick, librarian Evelyn Carnahan and her accident-prone brother Jonathan must uncover the secret to stopping him before he fulfils his centuries-old quest to resurrect his lost love.

Picture & Sound

Although some of the CGI effects occasionally betray the film's age, both the Region 1 and Region 2 discs offer an impressive presentation. Colours are vibrant, shadow detail is strong and the expansive Egyptian landscapes are reproduced beautifully.

he Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is equally impressive, making excellent use of the surround channels throughout the numerous action sequences while Jerry Goldsmith's sweeping musical score fills the room with ease. In truth, there is very little to separate the two releases in terms of picture and sound quality.

Menu & Extras

The Region 2 release immediately falls foul of one of my biggest pet hates - the cover artwork has been vandalised by an enormous 'Stunning Special Features' flash, presumably in an attempt to convince buyers that Region 2 discs can compete with their Region 1 counterparts. We are also informed that this is the 'Full Uncut Version', leaving me wondering exactly what was missing from the cinema release!

Thankfully, once the disc finds its way into the player, Columbia largely delivers on its promise. Almost every extra found on the Region 1 release has made the journey across the Atlantic, with only the Universal Showcase and optional music-only audio tracks failing to appear. Considering how often Region 2 collectors were treated as second-class customers, this is a refreshing surprise and demonstrates just how much effort Columbia has invested in producing a genuinely competitive release.

Overall

The Mummy is tremendous fun from beginning to end. Brendan Fraser is immensely likeable as the wisecracking Rick O'Connell, Rachel Weisz provides the perfect balance of intelligence and charm, while Arnold Vosloo's Imhotep makes for a memorable villain.

The film never takes itself too seriously, with much of the humour stemming from the Mummy's increasingly bizarre attempts to regenerate himself after each unfortunate victim. Watching his first partially-restored efforts stumble around with appalling eyesight is still one of the film's funniest moments.

Without question, the winner here has to be the Region 2 release. If more distributors put this much effort into bringing the majority of Region 1 extras across to the UK, there would be far less temptation for enthusiasts to import. The only real disappointment remains the vandalism of the cover artwork, something distributors really must stop doing. Apart from that, Columbia deserves considerable praise. We may have lost one or two bonus features along the way, but this is still an excellent example of how a Region 2 release should be produced.