Mummy Returns, The

The Mummy Returns is the sequel to the 1999 remake of a 1932 classic. After a ten-year hiatus from mummy hunting, the romantic duo (Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz) from the first Mummy adventure are now married and the parents of a precocious eight year old (Freddie Boath). Their latest archeological find reveals more mummy revival paraphernalia that can muster the likes of the Scorpion King (The Rock ) and his rival, the original Mummy himself, Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo). The museum-quality artifacts are prized by all; the good guys, the bad guys, the living and the undead. Sand and gauze fly as everyone returns to ancient Egypt for a rousing resurrection.

  • Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, Arnold Vosloo, Freddie Boath and Oded Fehr
  • Director(s): Stephen Sommers
  • Producer(s): Alphville Films / Imohotep Productions
  • Screenwriter(s): Stephen Sommers
  • Distributor: Universal Pictures
  • Release Date: Friday, May 04, 2001

Featured Animal Action

Scorpions enhance the image of the Scorpion King for an additional creepy crawly effect. Whether live scorpions were used in combination with fake or CGI insects is unknown. They swarm out of mounds of sand in several scenes. Returning in this installment is the Arab warrior priest, Ardeth Bey, who consistently enlists the help of a hawk to express mail his soldiers and spies. It is unknown whether a professional falconer, trainer or other expert was used. The bird appeared to be trained to sit on the hand of the actor. It is intimated that the bird is killed in one scene, but the audience does not see the bird die. Ardeth Bey lends a sword against the resurrected armies of Osirus with his band of horse soldiers. During the battle sequences it appears as if sand mortars are exploding around the horses. It appears as if many horses were used and galloped in close-proximity to one another. A great deal of sand is swirling in the air around the heads and eyes of the horses. The Arab warriors gallop the horses through deep sand while wielding swords. All of this animal action was filmed outside the U.S and outside of AHA's jurisdiction. AHA's Film and Television Unit made several attempts to work with production to monitor the welfare of the animal actors. Production refused to cooperate, therefore AHA was not on set to determine whether safety precautions were in place or how the animal action was achieved. After screening the film, AHA observed that the horse battle scenes appeared to have elements that often place horses at risk. We are rating the film "Questionable".