5.3 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A despotic Emperor in 50 B.C. is punished for his evil when a witch lays a curse on him, turning him and his army into terra cotta for all time. Forward to 1946, where Rick and Evelyn have retired to Oxfordshipre, England, having worked as British spies during WWII. They're offered one last mission from the Foreign Office. Their assignment: courier a precious artifact back to the museum in Shanghai, China. Back in Asia: China is in turmoil but Jonathan owns an Egyptian-themed bar in Shanghai. Unbeknownst to his parents, now grown-up Alex O'Connell is following in the family business as a young archaeologist on a dig in north-central China. He makes the discovery of a lifetime: the tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which has been buried for millennia. The Emperor's monument is transported back to Shanghai where another plot is in motion: a military zealot intends to awaken the Emperor and aid him in the re-conquest of China and the raising of his terra cotta army of ten thousand clay warriors.
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, Luke Ford, Michelle YeohAction | 100% |
Adventure | 80% |
Fantasy | 51% |
Thriller | 39% |
Horror | 6% |
Comedy | 3% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Here we go again!
Wrap it up, close the sarcophagus, and seal the entrance. It's time to bury The Mummy
franchise for good. What started as a blast of a summer blockbuster, combining the adventure of
Indiana Jones with ancient Egyptian mythology and sprinkling in the perfect doses of
humor and exciting special effects, has become a franchise that has worn out its welcome,
grasping
at straws and straying from the charm and novelty of the original picture. Now boasting five total
films, which breaks down to two official sequels to The Mummy, a spinoff of The Mummy
Returns,
and a sequel to a spinoff of a sequel,
there is nowhere else for the franchise to go, except down the dubious direct-to-video route, a
road already taken by Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior with horrific results. If The
Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
should be the final big-screen adventure of The Mummy as audiences know it, Brendan
Fraser (Journey to the Center of the
Earth) takes the series out more with a whimper than a bang, certainly besting the
dreadful
direct-to-video nonsense noted above, but leaving fans wishing the powers-that-be had retired
this franchise years ago.
Brendan Fraser leads the search for a better script.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor's 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer sparkles in most every shot. The picture quality is pristine, with excellent color reproduction and wonderfully intricate detail, noted right away via the ornate uniforms worn by the ancient Chinese warriors. Speckles of sand; old, worn bindings on books; and leather covers that reveal every crack and wear mark are but some of the objects that feature a texture so lifelike that it's sometimes hard to remember that it's just a movie. There is a mesmerizing level of depth and clarity to the image. The film's dustier scenes, particularly when Alex discovers the Emperor in chapter five, never falters when the frame is filled with sand, dust, and other airborne debris. The debris obscures some of the detail, but the Blu-ray resolution handles such visuals beautifully. Detail in close-ups of faces is also stupendous; every crevice and pit are rendered in full detail, probably to the dismay of the actors. The elegance of the various artifacts shine through, too. Black levels are also spectacular and deep, and flesh tones are naturally reproduced. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is another example of Universal's consistent high-quality releases and dedication to the format.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor offers listeners another reference-grade DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack from Universal. It is almost to the point that fans can expect nothing less than demo material from Universal's action-oriented new releases on Blu-ray. As expected, this soundtrack produces a prodigious amount of bass in addition to some of the other surefire signs of a fantastic, immersive soundtrack, like exceptional clarity in even the most raucous of moments and fine directionality and presence across the entire soundstage. Every speaker offers the full spectrum of sound, from minor environmental support to lend that last bit of realism to any given scene, to an all-out sonic attack on the aural senses during the most thrilling action sequences. A scene in chapter 10 inside an old propellor-driven cargo plane places viewers right in the middle of the turbulent action; listeners can practically feel the bolts rattling, the cargo shifting, and the plane struggling to barely staying aloft. A shootout in chapter 12 is perhaps the best listen in the film. The soundtrack creates a natural, explosive, and very satisfying experience as shots come from every direction. Short bursts of automatic gunfire and single shots from lever- and bolt-action rifles scream out from every corner, all coming together to form action-scene harmony. Dialogue reproduction is practically pitch-perfect in every scene. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is just the latest in Universal's ever-growing list of reference-quality Blu-ray soundtracks.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor shares its secrets on Blu-ray via a fairly
standard supplemental package for a high profile release from Universal. A feature commentary
track with director Rob
Cohen is first. After a brief introduction, Cohen provides a rather intelligent commentary that
delves into the real-life history behind various aspects of the film, the casting of the various roles,
the importance of adding an "emotional core" to the film to tie the action together, the
advancements of computer generated imagery since Cohen's work on Dragonheart, and
plenty more. The track is a bit on the dry side, but informative. This disc is U-Control enabled
with
five options. Scene Explorer reveals various scenes in several stages of evolution,
including traditional hand-drawn storyboards and pre-visualization sequences, in addition to
behind-the-scenes footage. The various stages appear together in a picture-in-picture window,
and
users may choose to view any full-screen. Know Your Mummy shows various common
themes throughout the series, recalls various character arcs, and more, all through a unique
visual
presentation that plays scenes from this film and previous entries in the Mummy series.
The Dragon
Emperor's Challenge is a "fact" versus "fiction" game where users must answer questions
correctly or slowly increase the level of the "curse-o-meter." Visual Commentary with
Director Rob Cohen shows the director as he comments on his film. This is the same track
as the audio commentary, only with visual accompaniment. Finally, Picture in Picture is
a basic behind-the-scenes feature that offers comments from cast and crew on the process of
making the film.
Next up are a series of deleted and extended scenes (480p, 10:45). The Making of 'The
Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor' (1080i, 22:49) runs a quick gamut of what went
into the making of the film, looking at the complexities of the production, a look at the stunts and
weapons in the film, the various special effects shots, and more. From City to Desert
(1080i, 15:44) takes a closer look at the magnitude of the film and the varied shooting locations
around the world, a look at the lighter side of the shoot, the challenges of the shoot, Rob Cohen's
insistence on historical and cultural accuracy, and more. Legacy of the Terra Cotta
(1080i, 13:35) looks at the importance of
history behind the film, bringing it to life in the film, the significance and scope of the locations
and sets, and plenty more. This disc is also BD-Live enabled, though at time of writing, the
feature was unavailable. Disc two of this set is a DVD that offers additional supplements (all
presented
in standard definition) and a digital
copy of the film for playback on personal computers and portable video devices. A Call to
Action: The Casting Process (4:45) takes a brief look at what each primary actor brings to
their respective roles. Preparing for Battle with Brendan Fraser and Jet Li (10:42) shows
what it takes to create highly stylized and exciting fight sequences in a major Hollywood
production. Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy (8:01) looks at the special effects that
went into creating the CGI terra cotta version of Li's character. Concluding the supplements is
Creating New and Supernatural Worlds (8:35). This rather brief feature looks at the
scale of the film and the grandiose sets that inhabit the world of The Mummy: Tomb of the
Dragon Emperor. The digital copy that comes with this set looks fairly good on a second
generation iPod touch. The same usual digital copy issues are prevalent here, including some
heavy blocking, but it certainly suffices as suitable quality for viewing on extended trips.
Likewise, the sound is adequate but
nothing special, rather flat but with a few surprising moments during the action sequences.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor says "flop" in most every frame. While the film is a decent time killer and earned respectable coin during its box office run, due in large part to the allure of the Mummy monicker and the return of Brendan Fraser, domestic gross left the film more than $40 million in the hole, perhaps sealing the franchise's big-screen, big-budget fate once and for all. Though the film boasts of some exciting action sequences, its paint-by-numbers plot, stiff acting, and the irreplaceable loss of actress Rachel Weisz will leave many longtime fans of the franchise disappointed with the film. For those who enjoyed the film, or for curious fans who have yet to see it, Universal has provided yet another reference-grade disc sure to excite the senses. Featuring fantastic picture quality, another in an ever-growing list of demo-worthy DTS-HD MA soundtracks, and an above average selection of supplements, the disc itself is far from a letdown. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is worth a rental for the curious, but fans looking to buy can rest assured that the quality is up to Universal's previous efforts.
Deluxe Edition
2008
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