The Mummy (1999)

 The Mummy is one of those film franchises I had always heard of, but never showed any interest in seeing. Primarily because I thought they were horror. Dear God was I wrong! These movies (well, I've only seen the first two, known as the Rachel Weisz films), are so delightfully stupid and crazy, that they are an absolute comfort watch. I mean Brendan Fraser alone playing a hybrid mix of Allan Quatermain and Indiana Jones is reason enough to watch, plus our lone heroine is...A LIBRARIAN! *Movie joke* Movie comedies nowadays are so cringey and stupid that they're just unbearable. However, The Mummy manages to balance just enough modern day camp, with the treasure seeking adventure, the Ancient Egyptian history, and the obvious eventual romance between Rick and Evie, that you can just see them as fun.

In 1290 BC, the forbidden love between Pharaoh's high priest Imhotep and the Pharaoh's mistress Anck-su-namun, results in revenge, murder and mystery all taking place in the famed Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead. For centuries, Hamunaptra is believed to carry the sarcophagus of Imhotep, vast amounts of gold treasure and the Book of Amun-Ra. The legendary city has been sought out for years, but few have ever made it pass the Madjai, generational protectors sworn to prevent Imhotep from returning from the grave. And if they do make it through, they may suffer the consequences of the cursed Earth of Anubis. 

Now, in 1926, during the Egyptian Archeological excavations, Evelyn Carnahan, a brilliant librarian who is well versed in ancient Egyptian study, hopes to find Hamunaptra if only to get her hands on the Book of Amun-Ra. Evie and her brother, Jonathan, get their chance when they find an aged map within a strange star shaped box. The Carnahan's enlist the help of former ex-soldier and treasure hunter Rick O'Connell, a rugged, roguish American who is one of the few people who has ever been to Hamunaptra. 

Things are looking great when they reach Hamunaptra. Yet, when Evie gets her hands on the wrong book, The Book of The Dead, she releases plagues, scarabs and the dead itself. Soon, Hamunaptra becomes a hell hole of insanity and Rick O'Connell and Carnahan's, with the help of Ardeth Bay, the leader of the mysterious Madjai, must get the City of the Dead under control, before they become the next mummies for centuries. 

Rick O'Connell: Brendan Fraser is just gorgeous as the swoon worthy, Rick O'Connell, an all American adventurer who really posses a heart of gold underneath his gruff exterior. What I love about Rick is that he isn't a super broody or overtly serious character. He's comedic, sarcastic and at times rather romantic. While he Evie's relationship gets off to a rocky (more like strained) start, overtime they begin to respect each other's opinions and abilities, which of course leads to love. 

Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan: Oh Evie! Making librarians awesome since 1926! While Evie loves her job as a librarian, her greatest desire is to be a true Egyptologist. With the full support of her older brother Jonathan and the legacy of her parents, both adventurers and her mother also an Egyptian, Evie becomes an absolute asset to defeating Imhotep. I loved her within the first few minutes of her destroying the archive center. She's lively, funny and an absolute sweetheart. The best thing about Evelyn Carnahan is that she truly believes in her intelligence and doesn't need to prove herself to anyone. 

Ardeth Bay: The lethal and loyal Madjai is something of an enigma at first. His desire to keep Imhotep in his grave conflicts with protecting the people who are responsible for resurrecting him. You really don't know which side Ardeth is on, which makes him all the more appealing. Plus he's just beautiful to look at for two hours. Ardeth definitely became my favorite character by the end. 

Jonathan Carnahan: Jonathan is pretty useless throughout most of the film. Unlike his professional and upright sister, Jonathan drinks, gambles, gets into fights and forever seems to be on the wrong side of the battle. He does prove himself in the end when helping to defeat Imhotep, but just barely made it by.

As cooky and campy as the film is, it's hard not to enjoy it. Primarily because the writing was so good and chemistry between the actors was definitely present. Rick and Evie have become a quintessential American/English love story in Hollywood film and you really root for the two of them all the way through. It only had to take, death, destruction, religious rituals, collapsing tunnels and ancient spirits for them to find the treasure they have been searching for for so long.