‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’: Treachery in terra cotta

(Published Aug. 22, 2008, PDI-Entertainment)

By Oliver M. Pulumbarit
Contributor

The intrepid O’Connell family returns to thwart the schemes of yet another supernatural force in “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” the third in a successful series of action-adventure movies. But while the latest installment deliberately steers clear of some previously visited paths, it still mostly follows its predecessors’ formula. This latest “Mummy,” however, looks grand but doesn’t feel as sweeping or grandiose, and only elicits excitement sporadically.

It’s more brainless than usual, in the sense that its protagonists seem more reckless and unthinking during big fight scenes. Sure, “The Mummy” has always been about frenetic fisticuffs and loud, climactic showdowns. But it sometimes feels as if it’s just a bunch of unaffecting action scenes strung together. Those sequences also generally feel too contrived; one of the first major ones even literally ends up in fireworks.

There’s a new Mummy in town. The legendary Chinese Dragon Emperor (Jet Li), according to the concise introduction, was a driven, greedy warrior-king who possessed mystical mastery over the elements. Desiring immortality, he recruits a sorceress (Michelle Yeoh) to cast the spell. The tyrant desires her in vain, so he violently ends the relationship between the sorceress and his once-trusted general (Russell Wong). But the treacherous Emperor finds himself double-crossed and magically frozen. His entire army becomes terra cotta statues as part of the spell.

Several centuries later, signs point to an end to their unnatural imprisonment. The escape of the Emperor seems inevitable, but he’s unaware that he’s about to cross paths with people who’ve faced (and survived) the undead before.

Rick and Evy O’Connell (Brendan Fraser and Maria Bello) visit China and meet up with their son Alex (Luke Ford), who recently discovered the Dragon Emperor’s long-hidden tomb. But the O’Connell clan quickly discovers that this precious archaeological find isn’t what it seems, so it’s déjà vu all over again.

“Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” written by “Smallville” executive producers Alfred Gough and Milles Millar, and directed by Rob Cohen (of “The Fast and the Furious” and “xXx”), fluctuates occasionally. Important story points connect really conveniently, but not smoothly or believably. You don’t have to think or worry about the characters, because everything seems to fall into place anyway. It’s the kind of movie where its heroes walk away unscathed, yes, but it’s still regrettable that this big-budget epic squanders plenty of opportunities to be really different and imaginative.

Despite feeling like a Frankenstein’s monster of different action-fantasy flicks, it’s still quite fun. The introduction of new mystical terrain and monsters injects new life to the franchise, showing that it can survive given a fresh spin to established lore. The lush flashback scenes look inspired by Chinese fantasy epics, too.

Fraser is still favorably rough and devil-may-care as Rick, who charges into battle even when he’s seriously outmatched. He gets to do less this time, as he shares the screen almost equally with newcomer Ford, whose Alex is a charmer. Bello, as Rachel Weisz’s replacement, does okay; she gets to kick butt, but not as much or as stylishly as the previous actress. Their semi-dysfunctional family dynamic is forced, but seeing them in action again makes “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” quite enjoyable.