Mummy, The

Writer-director Stephen Sommer has unraveled the ancient Egyptian tale of lost love and reincarnation, and re-wrapped it as a high-tech, campy action-adventure. Brendan Fraser is the handsome hero who unearths an ancient priest’s burial site, unleashing 10 biblical plagues upon the land. Sommer’s action-laughs formula is entertaining, but the chuckles dominate the tone of the film and undermine any gripping sense of danger. The special effects are dazzling, but the mummy itself is just another mechanical effect in a story screaming for a scrap of credible humanity on which to hang its state-of-the-art eye candy.