Alec B
The seams are more visible here (especially narratively) and it lacks the unique characters of other early Hammer films.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
02/28/24
Full Review
Blu B
It's basically a superior remake and merger of all the Mummy Sequels in one film with lots of the problems fixed while still being campy. This has a solid soundtrack and is half decent overall. For starters this now much more focused with less bland characters. Cushing is the best thing in this and is solid all around. Lee is good as The Mummy also. The only issues acting wise is the villian suffers from not really being intimidating and a bit wooden just like the previous films and some of the suppporting cast is more forgettable than others. They should've gotten someone like Omar Shariff, someone who could match Cushing's prescence. There also are a couple of plot conviences and some of the Egyptian flashbacks look a bit cheap and Lee in brown face looks weird. Overall though it's much better shot and produced than the previous ones. The other issue is this doesn't have as much suspense because you know who is committing these murders and why but it still does a decent job building up a final fight with Cushing & Lee. It also can jump around a bit and explain plot with different characters at times as well which can be noticeable also and brings things to a halt despite being visually entertaining. This does a great job fixing many of the problems of the Mummy sequels and taking what works. However, it just needed a bit more refinement and a tighter narrative to really shine. If your a Mummy movie fan this is defintely better than watching the Mummy Sequels of the 40's. And if your a fan of any actors in this, the director, or Hammer, than give this a try.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
11/29/23
Full Review
Joel H
The Mummy (1959) is essentially a compilation of plots from The Mummy's Hand (1940), The Mummy's Tomb (1942), and The Mummy's Ghost (1944). And yet, it kind of does it better than any of those films. This could be because Peter Cushing has acting chops. Or maybe it's because Christopher Lee is such a towering, ominous presence as the muddy mummy. It's still a slow-paced, lumbering movie that feels a little dry, but that seems to be the curse of most mummy movies, including the original Boris Karloff feature. However, if you're wanting to watch a mummy movie, this version may be the one to choose.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
11/05/23
Full Review
Charles F
The best film of the Hammer horror productions
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
10/16/23
Full Review
DanTheMan 2
Given how shoddy the later Universal sequels ended up being, let's just say I didn't have the highest hopes for Hammer's take on The Mummy. It's just as glamorously photographed as Hammer's previous movies, a continuing courtesy of Jack Asher, but, like the Universal original, weighed down by the wordy historical exposition and sluggish pacing. Lee does a good job in the role of Kharis while his big lumbering and makeup-heavy turn as the titular monster is certainly striking, he lacks the incredible power of Karloff's eyes. Cushing certainly helps elevate this movie with his usual commitment but Fisher's direction seems far more locked down than previously. Structurally little more than a string of picturesque and nicely lit killings, The Mummy's melancholic presentation and romantic undertow grant it a certain atmosphere which elevates this bandaged brute beyond its cinematic predecessors.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
10/05/23
Full Review
Taylor L
Having a flair for the dramatic is one thing, but there are about 16,000 easier way to kill a mentally unwell, elderly man in a care home than to revive a 4,000-year-old mummy to do the job.
One of the more recognizable depictions of one of the classic movie monsters, The Mummy features some nice components - the Hammer Studios focus on color and set design, Peter Cushing in his element as a monster flick mainstay, and a pair of villains working together, Christopher Lee with his imposing stature, and George Pastell as the well-spoken and cordial counter. However, the pieces don't really come together like you would hope; for a runtime of less than 90 minutes, a shocking amount of the film is focused on contemporary backstory exploring the origins of the Mummy, and this is probably the shortest feature film you'll ever see that includes a flashback of more than a minute that reuses the exact same footage as before. Not really scary even for the period, kind of plodding with a very stark ending, moving straight to the credits with the bare minimum of fanfare. The most enduring aspect of the film is likely the poster rather than the film itself, which is a classic image.
George Pastell might be invoking an ancient religious power to raise the dead, but it's not like he's wrong when he talks about English archeologists coming to his country, digging up the corpses of its ancient leaders, and putting them on display for foreign sightseers to gawk at in museums. The only reason the Pyramids aren't in the British Museum is because the historians of the day couldn't find a way to move them. (2/5)
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
09/11/22
Full Review
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