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The Statement For The Prosecution:
The Mummy 3 - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor comes so close to being good.
No, really, despite what you've heard, it does.
Jet Li is amazing as the bad guy, packing more boo-hiss villainy into one look that most bad guys manage in whole films. Michelle Yeoh and Russell Wong are damn good with horribly under-written roles. Brendan Fraser has enough charm to make up for what's lacking in how Rick O'Connell is written, and, while Maria Bello is not Rachel Weisz, no-one is and she does a solid enough job.
There are some wonderful touches, including the scene I've chosen, and it's good old-fashioned stupid fun.
But none of that escapes the black hole of suck that is the adult Alex O'Connell. Like or loathe the child version (I rather liked him, but I have always been partial to intelligent, bratty half-pints, no idea why ;) ) at least he had gumption. Which the adult version lacks, along with intelligence, grace, charm, and any redeeming features, at all.
Which is a problem when he's the main character.
I challenge anyone to watch the film without wanting to punch Alex O'Connell, or get rid of him in some other way.
He is the prosecution's entire case.
The Scene Itself:
Hopefully the sound syncs on other peoples's computers.
Why The Scene Is So Good:
It's a nice, light touch which harkens back to the original Mummy films, and it's a wonderful way of getting round the changing of your lead actress. And it's just a little bit clever, in a film filled with little touches like that, for instance using the Chinese mythological elements instead of the usual Western ones, or the heroic skeletons being absolutely lovely and funny in Chinese (or the joke about South American mummies), and it's very much a part of the film The Mummy 3 could have been with a better Alex O'Connell.
The Mummy 3 - Tomb of the Dragon Emperor comes so close to being good.
No, really, despite what you've heard, it does.
Jet Li is amazing as the bad guy, packing more boo-hiss villainy into one look that most bad guys manage in whole films. Michelle Yeoh and Russell Wong are damn good with horribly under-written roles. Brendan Fraser has enough charm to make up for what's lacking in how Rick O'Connell is written, and, while Maria Bello is not Rachel Weisz, no-one is and she does a solid enough job.
There are some wonderful touches, including the scene I've chosen, and it's good old-fashioned stupid fun.
But none of that escapes the black hole of suck that is the adult Alex O'Connell. Like or loathe the child version (I rather liked him, but I have always been partial to intelligent, bratty half-pints, no idea why ;) ) at least he had gumption. Which the adult version lacks, along with intelligence, grace, charm, and any redeeming features, at all.
Which is a problem when he's the main character.
I challenge anyone to watch the film without wanting to punch Alex O'Connell, or get rid of him in some other way.
He is the prosecution's entire case.
The Scene Itself:
Hopefully the sound syncs on other peoples's computers.
Why The Scene Is So Good:
It's a nice, light touch which harkens back to the original Mummy films, and it's a wonderful way of getting round the changing of your lead actress. And it's just a little bit clever, in a film filled with little touches like that, for instance using the Chinese mythological elements instead of the usual Western ones, or the heroic skeletons being absolutely lovely and funny in Chinese (or the joke about South American mummies), and it's very much a part of the film The Mummy 3 could have been with a better Alex O'Connell.
