The Mummy's Revenge Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Mummy's Revenge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 10, 2019

A beloved horror icon, Paul Naschy’s work ethic brought him to all corners of the genre. In 1975, Naschy elected to make “The Mummy’s Revenge” with director Carlos Aured, not only taking a screenplay credit, but playing dual roles as well, including the monstrous Amenhotep, an Egyptian ghoul reawakened after centuries of rot, on the prowl for human blood. Naschy covers all the bases with “The Mummy’s Revenge,” striving to recreate some Hammer Film magic with his own vision of unholy resurrection. Unfortunately, the production doesn’t focus exclusively on a case of the creeps, insisting banal exposition and absolute stillness take command of the viewing experience, which significantly dulls any potential scariness.

Naschy portrays Amenhotep, a powermad ruler of Egypt who’s soon wrapped and sealed in a sarcophagus, and he plays Assad, a secretive man who brings the rotting corpse back to life. “The Mummy’s Revenge” strives to be a bit more epic when it comes to the horror aspects of the plot, and Aured tries to keep up appearances with large sets and regal locations, though he sometimes breaks the spell with simple mistakes (one scene has two characters in Victorian London discussing their issues while modern cars and boats speed by in the background). There’s a spirited score from Alfonso Santistenban, who gives the movie some need emphasis when dealing with mysterious elements of the undead, and the cast tries their best to seem excited by it all, with Naschy committing to both parts. It’s only a shame there isn’t a significant script to help the endeavor reach more dramatic heights. Instead of presenting hellacious happenings, “The Mummy’s Revenge” is weirdly talky, and the dialogue doesn’t have anything of interest to share, delivering mild intrigue with murderous events and dry runs of explanation.

“The Mummy’s Revenge” is presented in two versions: The Extended Composite Cut (91:35) and The Theatrical English Cut (89:19), which features English audio only.

The Mummy's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"The Extended Composite Cut" arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (2.35:1) presentation. There's a lot of age in play here, with some roughness in the source, working through mild scratching and speckling, and some points of damage. Clarity reaches about as far as possible, delivering a softer look at the film, which does fine surveying costumes and sets, while close-ups offer passable detail. Colors are acceptably refreshed, bringing out Egyptian golds and whites, while Mummy make-up retains its decayed hues. Delineation struggles some, but frame information isn't completely smothered. Added footage is low-res and obvious to spot.

The Mummy's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA Spanish mix also shows its age, working through hiss and pops. Dialogue exchanges are adequate, understanding emphasis when necessary. Scoring is agreeable, with appealing volume and clarity, giving the effort some musical lift. The English mix doesn't fare as well, with damage present and heavier hiss, and it also offers some of the most unenthused dubbing performances I've ever come across.

The Mummy's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Troy Howarth.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:56, SD) is included.

The Mummy's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naschy's vision for his Mummy isn't to fashion a slow creature that sneaks up on victims. Interestingly, if one squints hard enough, "The Mummy's Revenge" almost plays like a "Friday the 13th" sequel, with Amenhotep becoming Jason Voorhees as he makes his way around London, using a pitchfork, knife, and even a good old-fashioned head squeeze to eliminate victims. The hulking predator stays true to slasher formula, and Amenhotep's scenes are clearly the most compelling in the picture, not only due to direct violence, but the menacing look of the Mummy as well, when noticeable effort going into make-up and blood effects, which are often lovingly detailed in close-ups. "The Mummy's Revenge" isn't particularly disturbing, though it pursues gothic chills and insane characters. However, Naschy's vision doesn't translate to riveting cinema, often taking the long way around to arrive at suspenseful situations. He obviously has the desire to make his mark as a known monster, but this is a movie that's in desperate need of more show, less tell.