I really liked The Mummy, an effective FX thrill-ride that riffed on Indiana Jones as it updated the classic Universal horror movie. Sadly, the ill-advised sequel was a bloated and repetitive chore that slapped you around the head with CGI for a few hours – making it nigh unwatchable.
The second sequel arrives without writer/director Stephen Sommers (replaced by xXx's Rob Cohen) and co-star Rachel Weisz (replaced by Maria Bello), but Brendan Fraser and John Hannah are back for more mummy-baiting action. This time the plot is transplanted to China and the titular mummy is played by martial arts superstar Jet Li. Bandages not included.
The teaser looks entertaining, as these popcorn films often do when condensed into a bite-sized few minutes. It's unfortunate it's being released at a time when Indiana Jones makes his big return, but it deals more with visceral spectacle than Indy. Hopefully it won't be another tiresome assault on the senses like The Mummy Returns, but the teaser certainly has plenty of CGI. It seems to have taken its cues from recent Chinese films like House Of Flying Daggers and Jet Li's Hero (it even steals the latter's thousands-of-arrows being launched into the air shot), with Boy's Own spectacle like old-style planes machine-gunning down undead armies, supernatural elements (the mummy can control earth, wind, fire and water) and is that a giant Yeti in a few shots?
Overall, while this is obviously a lazy attempt to needlessly continue a franchise with a hack director, it will probably fill a hole if you're in the mood. But I hope the next trailer displays the comedy and character interplay that made the first film so enjoyable.
Released: 1 Aug 08 (US), 8 Aug 08 (UK)
HD Download: 720P (.wmv streaming)
As a huge fan of The X Files in the 90s, it disappointed me when my favourite show failed to quit while it was ahead. I lost interest somewhere in season 7 and couldn't quite believe the show staggered on till season 9, despite the loss of David Duchovny as Mulder. While I didn't hate 1998s X Files movie, it was basically a strong episode with better FX than usual, and nothing to get too excited about. But now series creator Chris Carter is back, in an obvious attempt to resurrect his career, which failed to ignite after a string of post-X-Files failures (3 seasons of Millennium, Harsh Realm cancelled after mere episodes, and 1 season of The Lone Gunmen).
I don't quite view this new X-Files movie with the same degree of nostalgia as many people are. I know it's been an amazing 15 years since the show started and 10 years since the first film, but the TV show's only been off-air 6 years. Maybe my perception of time is changing, but it would be more of an event if The X-Files was coming back in 2012 for me. But here it is -- a standalone episode that’s been quickly filmed and unleashed on the summer almost by stealth. Reasons to be cheerful: Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny are back as Mulder and Scully, the film doesn't revolve around the impenetrable mythology of government conspiracies, and the lovely Amanda Peet co-stars. Reasons to be nervous: they've cast Billy Connelly and rapper Xzibit.
The trailer is pretty bland, I'm afraid. I'm sure many people will be excited just to see Anderson and Duchovny together again, but the trailer does nothing to get me psyched – no matter how fast the music gets. It's just not particularly well put together, and after watching it I haven't got the foggiest idea what the film's about! There's a lot of snow, a woman trapped under some ice, Billy Connelly shouting and looking serious, and fast-editing near the end. Now, this could actually be a good sign – as they don't want to give away the plot (there's a rumour the story's about werewolves), so maybe the secrecy here will be justified. We'll see.
But I just wanted more from this trailer. It didn't make me nostalgic for the 90s, when The X Files was a TV phenomenon and everyone was watching it. I could quite happily skip this at the cinema, enjoy hearing the feedback from audiences, and have that consensus influence how quickly I get it on DVD. Sorry to say. And that comes from someone who was a die-hard fan of the show from '93-98.
Released: 25 July 08 (US), 1 Aug 08 (UK)
HD Download: 480P (30MB), 720P (79MB), 1080P (113MB)
