The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (4½ Stars)

I almost gave this film five stars. The action is breathtakingly fast for most of the film. I love the blending of Chinese and Egyptian culture displayed by Imhotep's Club in Shanghai. The martial arts action is subdued, but whenever it breaks out it's amazing. It's definitely more thrilling than "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", which it resembles in many ways. So what's the problem? It's simple. There's no Rachel Weisz. Rick O'Connell's wife Evelyn is played by a different actress.

Supposedly Rachel Weisz decided not to appear in the film because of "problems with the script". That's her prerogative, I suppose. No actor or actress is ever compelled to take part in her film. So what should have been done?

1. The problems could have been addressed, and the screenwriter could have been asked if a partial rewrite was possible.

2. Failing that, Rachel Weisz could have been offered more money.

3. Failing that, a forced rewrite would have to take place. Evelyn O'Connell should have been written out of the film. She could have been dead and replaced by a new wife.

The worst possible solution was to replace her with a new actress. It spoils the credibility of the film. It might have been acceptable, barely acceptable, to pick an actress who looked similar and talked similar, giving her a minimum of screen time. That's not what happened. The new director, Rob Cohen, completely messed it up. Not only did he pick a new actress, Maria Bello, who looked nothing like Rachel Weisz; he allowed her to act in a way that gave her a completely different personality. She's a different character in every aspect except for her name.

Let this be a lesson for all other film directors in future. However good your film might be, you'll never earn a full five star rating from me unless you get the casting right.

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