The Mummy is back, and so is the rest of the gang. The Mummy Returns picks up some ten years from where the previous film left off. O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) are now married and have a young son, Alex, who joins them in their adventures as they continue to travel throughout the Middle East. Joining them again in their quest are Evelyn’s brother, Jonathon, and Ardeth, the Medjai leader. Arnold Vosloo also returns as Imhotep, the Mummy, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson of WWF wrestling fame makes an appearance as the Scorpion King.

The plot has something to do with the fact that it is the year of the scorpion according to the Egyptian calendar, and that the Scorpion King will arise and destroy the world. And Imhotep, of course, is the only one who can defeat him. Accordingly, Imhotep is brought to life by a group of people that includes the reincarnated Anck-Su-Namun and the British Museum Curator to battle the Scorpion King. Alex becomes a human map of sorts to the location of the Scorpion King’s resting place, so Imhotep and his henchmen kidnap him to locate the Scorpion King so that they can destroy him. O’Connell and Evelyn are joined by Ardeth and Jonathon in their bid to rescue Alex and save the world from both Imhotep and the Scorpion King.

The plot may be absurd, but then again, you have to suspend belief for a story about a 5,000-year-old mummy that comes to life anyway, so you might as well just throw plausibility out the door. The main problem with The Mummy Returns is that it relies too heavily on spectacle and excess, rather than originality and creativity. Effects shots, such as the massive CGI-created armies, are exorbitant and sometimes do not even look that great. The decomposing Imhotep is not nearly as frightening this time around because we have seen him in the previous film and he looks pretty much the same. There is also less romantic tension between O’Connell and Evelyn, as well as less lighthearted comedy, which made the original film more palatable. Fans of The Rock may also be a little disappointed, as his screen time is quite limited.

The Mummy Returns is a thrill ride of a movie, and it works on that level if you don’t think about it too much and just sit back and enjoy the ride. There are the requisite gun-fighting shoot-‘em-ups and some exciting hand-to-hand combat, which includes a sword-fighting scene with scantily clad women. Who says movies are too politically correct these days? However, there are also some genuinely scary and thrilling moments, such as the bus chase through the streets of London, which will keep you on the edge of your seat. It isn’t exactly Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but The Mummy Returns is a decent B-grade action flick that gets a **1/2 rating.

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