The Mummy Returns (4½ Stars)

In many ways this is a typical sequel. If Hollywood has rules for sequels this ticks all the boxes. All of the characters return from the first film. The adventure is of a similar type. The action is more exaggerated. The danger is greater. There is more humour. Jokes are copied from the original film. The budget is bigger.

Is that all? Did I forget anything? There's one more factor that definitely doesn't have a tick box, but I'll add it anyway: the sequel isn't as good.

The last point is ironic, because in most cases, including this film, sequels make more money than the originals. That's easy to explain. When a film is made it isn't so well known. Normal film fans don't go to see it, or maybe they don't even hear about it. By the time the sequel comes around there's been a lot of publicity, and they want to see what they've missed. Don't get me wrong though. This is still a very good film. I just don't consider it to be a masterpiece like the first film.

This film was the introduction to acting for Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as the Rock. I've never understood why professional wrestlers want to cross over into acting. From 1997 to 2003 I watched a lot of wrestling on television. I knew the Rock well. He went from being a first class wrestler to an average actor. Admittedly, he isn't as bad as other actors like Tom Cruise. But through his change of career he went from being the best in one field to being average in another. I suppose acting pays better money than wrestling, and he gets to kiss more girls, so good luck to him.

Is "The Mummy Returns" worth watching? Definitely! But watch the first film first, because the characters appear this time round without being introduced to the viewers. Don't waste time renting it. If you live in England you can buy it for less than 50p from Amazon. No wonder Blockbuster UK has gone into bankruptcy.

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This post probably brings a sigh of relief to my regular readers who think I've been writing too much about chess. I admit that chess isn't a subject that interests everyone, but it'll only be for a couple of weeks. I've only received a few comments on my chess game reviews, and they've all been negative. Unless you're an active chess player, chess is boring. So please, if you've read and enjoyed my posts about the Magnus-Vishy conflict, tell me. I need the encouragement.