1999 Rewind: The Mummy


It's been 20 years since 1999, a year with a number of extraordinary and engaging films. During this summer, I'll be looking back at 10 of my favorites from 1999 for those looking to catch up with a few good films. Check back Mondays this summer for more from 1999.

 The Mummy (May 7, 1999)
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, Kevin J. O'Connor, and Patricia Velasquez
About: As someone who has a birthday in early May, I've always looked forward to the first Friday in May, which until the last couple years with "Avengers," was the kick-off of the summer blockbuster season. That was certainly true in 1999, when "The Mummy" launched that weekend. I know what you're thinking, Fraser is on a roll as he appears on this countdown both the first two weeks. Clearly 1999 was a good year for him, as he's the lead in this film and it's a much different kind of role that with "Blast From the Past" last week. He's a good action lead here, and seemed to be having a lot of fun. The whole cast works here, with Weisz bringing a lot to her role, Vosloo good as the titular villain, Hannah hamming it up and Fehr helping with the action. This is a movie I've probably watched darn near 100 times, and was one of two movies from that summer of 1999 that I still really love. (Spoiler alert, "Star Wars: Episode I" did not make that list). The film spawned a couple successful sequels ("The Mummy Returns" (2001) and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (2008)) as well as a spin-off ("The Scorpion King" (2002)) and was re-made, poorly, by Tom Cruise in 2017. It's been 20 years, and yet it has been a near fixture on cable weekends this summer, a testament to the fun and enduring legacy of this film. This is what summer blockbusters are all about.
Rating:  PG-13 for pervasive adventure violence and some partial nudity.

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