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The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)

Director: Rob Cohen

1

Time Out rating

Average user rating
51 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Making the farcical tenor of the recent Indiana Jones film feel like a paragon of dramatic and archaeological integrity, this phoned-in action threequel doesn’t even have the good grace to deliver on its title and feature any mummies (‘Reanimated Clay Statue’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it).

An increasingly tired-looking Brendan Fraser dusts off the boots and bomber jacket as Rick ‘Ricochet’ O’Connell, this time heading to China with thrillseeking missus Evy (Maria Bello) to deliver an artefact to a museum, only to be ambushed by a tyrannical general who wants to resurrect the long-dead Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) to, well… who knows why? John Hannah reprises his role as stock babbling twit while newcomer Luke Ford – an eminently slappable 1970s waxwork of Matt Damon – crops up as Rick’s annoyingly impetuous son Alex.

Creating the sense that one eye seems to have been on the film’s potential for computer-game spin-offs, with the other on the prospect of interactive museum tie-ins, Rob Cohen’s pallid direction, combined with a script packed with groan-worthy quips and dimestore mysticism, merely drags the characters from point A to point B. The humour, fun and B-movie self-depreciation of the first two chapters are also woefully absent.

Author: David Jenkins 2008-08-05 12:45:29

Time Out London Issue 1981 August 7 - 13, 2008


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User reviews of this film

  • yogi said...
    Posted on Aug 10 2008 13:42 i enjoyed this film the cola and popcorn .a right rip off
    Report as inappropriate
  • diddypay said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 18:21 unfortunately as my name would suggest I did pay!
    I really enjoyed Mummy1&2 and was expecting a real treat with number 3 coming along but alas it turded out to be abit of a flop like my impotence problem
    A shot of viagra was certainly needed to get this film back up and shooting again
    The new Evy certainly didn't look anything like the old one , the old one being very fit if you know what I mean!!
    Casting was typical of a 3rd edition and script was appalling
    Brendan if you read the comments these good people take time to write you should take note and 'go and boil yer head'
    Its good night ftrom me and its good night from him the robbing B*****D
    Report as inappropriate
  • brendan fraser said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 17:39 I think I played my role well and evy was rather good too
    I think all these negative people should try and see how hard acting is
    the long unsociable hours spent in ones trailer is uncomfortable and somewhat boring
    Mind you when the old pay cheque comes through certainly makes up for thins
    Too bad suckers I have your money now
    Make sure you come see my next epic adventure set in Peru
    Its title 'mummies in Peru'
    Luvies from Bren
    Report as inappropriate
  • rogonjosh said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 17:09 Words would be wasted on this timeless master piece of utter dribble
    Its like Indiana Jones being played by Frank Spencer accompanied by Betty
    Look forward to the next exciting sequel NOT!!!
    Report as inappropriate
  • davros said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 17:00 Stay in and save your money this film is the pits
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  • sam said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 14:08 ryt i have got to say this film ant as good as the last 2 mummy films but it still wasnt as bad as people say. i fort it was pretty good and if you have seen the last 2 mummy films go see this 1.
    Report as inappropriate
  • bee said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 10:31 i have to take issue with the official reviewer: he should have given this gawd-awful film a zero-star rating, even if he would have needed to hack the site to do it! Anyone who says this film is good, well good, etc, is merely having a laugh!
    Evy was obviously replaced because Rachel Weisz was too professional to put her name to a piece of toilet-jetsam like this. Good on you, Rachel; yarboo and sucks to Brendan Fraser
    Report as inappropriate
  • usman khawaja said...
    Posted on Aug 09 2008 05:05 mummy dummy -you should have invented a new word to des-excribe this torture and that is DUMBY.
    I WOULD HAVE GONE TO A GAS CHAMBER MORE REaDILY THAN THIS TORTURE.
    this is not even a spoof it is like a terrible locust storm that engulfs the intelligence and leaves you as dead as the dumb -mummy .
    and they discovered mummies in peru too now according to this eruditely idiocratic script -so await that excremental part 3 which will be in panchu manchu -this was in sicko dumbo - as the olympics are in beijing and the wall is in china as we did not know that ,so we are so grateful for this great team effort to take us for a pre-olympic visit.
    there has to be a law against desecrating ancient wonders of the world .
    but this does not deserve even discussion as the terracota army was so badly made-up you could see the faces of the extras under the white powder,
    a huge disgrace and everybody involved needs to be mummified -do not go near this freak show with the chinese mumbo -jumbo wallowing in the global excrement .
    usman khawaja
    Report as inappropriate
  • Daniel said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 20:42 utter crap, y did they replace Evy? for an older - and apauling actor - model? she's too old for rick and dusnt suit her character... she lets down the whole film...
    Report as inappropriate
  • john smith said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 20:13 is this any good?
    Report as inappropriate
  • jimmy said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 18:53 its well crap dont eva watchh it!!!!! im tellin ya dnt lisen to anyone at allll!!!!!
    Report as inappropriate
  • Kirsty said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 11:49 Good Film - Not As Good As The Previous Mummy Films
    Report as inappropriate
  • paul said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 09:56 great movie better than the first 2
    Report as inappropriate
  • trojanhorse said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 09:55 true this is a great movie and i agree for everyone to see it it is great!!
    Report as inappropriate
  • matt said...
    Posted on Aug 08 2008 09:54 no ive changed my mind this is one of the best films that i have ever seen its so great and action packed!!!!!
    Report as inappropriate
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Cast & crew

Director: Rob Cohen

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, Luke Ford, John Hannah, Michelle Yeoh full cast

Rated: 12A

Duration: 112 mins

UK Release: Aug 8 2008
US Release: Aug 1 2008

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