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Note: movie ratings are out of a
possible ***** as follows: June 1, 1999 The Mummy
Starring one of Hollywood's most mild-mannered and likeable heartthrobs, Brendan Fraser, as the leading man in this mystical action adventure, The Mummy definitely has an Indiana Jones feel to its unveiling of ancient curses in a forbidden city. In his portrayal of Rick O'Connell, a fearless American soldier who has survived the darkness of Hamunaptra, Fraser combines the comic skills of George of the Jungle with the charm and sex appeal of Gods and Monsters to play the perfect ‘90s Harrison Ford. His leading lady is Evelyn (Rachel Weisz), a clumsy yet headstrong British librarian obsessed with Egyptian history and its artifacts. Believing that her roguish brother Jonathan (John Hannah) may have stumbled upon an artifact to something darker, she convinces O'Connell to take them on an expedition to Hamunaptra. A typical ‘50s movie romance develops from the onset of their adventure. There is mistrust, a power struggle and enough sexual tension to destine them together by the journey's end. O'Connell is not alone in his quest for Evelyn's affection, however. Once Imhotep's (Arnold Vosloo) partially disintegrated skeleton is discovered, O'Connell predicts that he must have been frisky with the Pharaoh's mistress and therefore punished to an unusual death. Well-versed in hieroglyphics, Evelyn is the one who reads from the book of the dead and breathes life back into Imhotep remains. For her daring thirst for knowledge she is punished by becoming the human sacrifice that Imhotep needs in order to resurrect the woman he has loved for over 3000 years. What follows is a series of dynamic fighting sequences between O'Connell and Imhotep's army of skeleton soldiers. Though obviously computer animated, the special effects in The Mummy are quite well-generated. Using the effects of wind and sandstorms to accompany most of Imhotep’s magical powers used to devour the living, there is spookiness to his transformation back to life. Moreover, the depiction of the ten biblical plagues afflicting the city lends credibility to the mystical forces prevalent in Egyptian history. All this is done without much gore and is often quite amusing to watch as O'Connell and the skeletons battle it out with swords and heavy acrobatic moves. The Mummy is a family-night movie and deserves a *** rating. A Midsummer Night's Dream You don't have to be an avid reader of Shakespeare to enjoy one of his plays, especially if it's translated to the big screen as magically and skillfully as Michael Hoffman's A Midsummer Night's Dream. For many, what makes Shakespeare both difficult and enjoyable is following the poetic, highbrow English spoken by complex characters with equally colorful names. Hoffman, however, makes things simpler for his modern-day viewers by somewhat typecasting Hollywood names like Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Kline, Rupert Everette and Stanley Tucci (to name only a few) into roles that render each character clearly identifiable to the viewers. Shakespeare set his play in 16th-century Greece, but Hoffman takes us to 18th-century Tuscany where Duke Theseus is set to marry Hippolyta. Before their vows can be exchanged, however, Theseus must make a ruling on an arranged marriage between Hermia (Anna Friel) and Demetrius (Christian Bale). Hermia is to be put to death should she try and marry her true love Lysander (Dominic West) against her father's will, but her predicament is further complicated by Helena (Calista Flockhart), who is relentless yet unsuccessful in her pursuit of Demetrius. While these mortals try as they might to each win the heart of their true beloved, the fairy king Oberon (Rupert Everette) and Queen Titania (Michelle Pfeiffer), residing in a magical kingdom above them, are battling out their own marital problems. When Oberon instructs one of his fairies named Puck (Stanley Tucci) to anoint a love potion onto his Queen so that she may be deluded into love for a donkey-eared, mortal thespian, Puck absent-mindedly drops the potion onto the mortals and instigates a complex web of love struggles among the love-stricken. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a delightful romantic comedy that playfully exposes love for what it really is -- inexplicable, if not blatantly irrational. Puck's generosity with his love potion mocks our desperate notions of "one true love" and "love at first sight," and we're easily swayed to laughter as Hoffman dazzles us in a make-believe world of fairies and enamored lovers running wild in the wilderness. Flockhart as the exasperated Helena is as comical as watching Ally McBeal failing miserably on a date. Kevin Kline is so wholehearted in his performance as the donkey-eared Bottom that you have to forgive him for losing his accent occasionally. Moreover, the presence of debonair Rupert Everette creates a theatrical mood that is essential to any interpretation of Shakespeare's work. Perhaps the most notable is Stanley Tucci's portrayal of Puck, the flamboyant, toga-clad fairy who manages to have all the fun by simply sitting back to watch. Cinematically, A Midsummer Night's Dream is quite simple, but effective nonetheless. The fairy kingdom is only partially enhanced with computer effects, and the magical mood is due mostly to Hoffman's creative use of lightening effects. Using a soft focus on Pfeiffer (who puts the P in perfect even without make-up) makes her literally sparkle as Queen Titania, and her passionate embraces with Bottom resemble a page out of a Disney book. The set design is also not that elaborate and most of the forest scenes look like sets. However, there's plenty of theatrics in this movie as each cast member gives it his or her all in this *** entertainment. The Love Letter Peter Chan's The Love Letter stars Kate Capshaw as Helen MacFarquhar, a 40-something single mom who owns an independent bookstore in a small New England town called Loblolly by the Sea. She accidentally discovers an unaddressed love letter and though there are three women working at the store, she automatically assumes the letter is for her. The letter is poetic, full of enchanting imagery, and Helen soon decides that it must have been written by Johnny (Tom Everette Scott), the 20-year old college student hired for the summer at the bookstore. Johnny shows an immediate interest in Helen (as do most men in Loblolly), and when he ends up finding the letter at Helen's house, he believes she reciprocates his feelings. Despite their age difference and the constant pursuit of two other suitors, this unlikely couple ends up sharing an intense and very French love affair with a typical Hollywood ending. It's refreshing to see Hollywood portray a healthy affair between an older woman and a much younger man. There is definite chemistry between Capshaw and Everette Scott, and it's easy to see how even his adolescent "I love you more than my car" scribbled in a love note can seduce this older woman. You don't really question Helen until her longtime friend George (Tom Selleck) enters the scene with his heart on his sleeve. Without realizing Johnny's new role in the picture, George keeps reminiscing about the past and tries to rekindle what only he believes to have been a love opportunity between him and Helen. This is when Helen's complexity is exposed, yet Capshaw (who has too much Mrs. Spielberg presence for a role of this kind) fails to convincingly portray Helen as a realistic and likeable character. Ellen Degeneres plays Helen's best friend and co-worker, Janet. As the fast-talking, sassy, funny girl who is a complete contrast to Helen's brooding conceitedness, Ellen is finally cast in a role where she can be herself. This is in spite of the fact that Janet (oddly dressed in loud shirts that may very well be Selleck's leftovers from his Magnum PI days) is playing a sexually promiscuous straight girl who always gets her man. When Janet discovers the love letter, you can't help but wonder how better this movie would have been had Janet been the first to read it. The Love Letter contains some touching moments, especially as we discover the true author of the letter. But this movie seems rather incomplete for the big screen and better suited for television, maybe an after-school special? The Love Letter gets a **1/2 rating. |
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Stephen Sommers may have
risked his cast and crew to life-threatening sandstorms and possible terrorist attacks on
location in Morocco, but the greatest menace to his $80-million endeavor was George Lucas'
announcement that Phantom Menace may open the same week. Instantly referred to by
critics as the pre-Star Wars movie, The Mummy not only capitalized on
its association with Star Wars by making it to the theaters a few weeks prior, but it
continues to grab the attention of many no-hassle movie-goers wanting to do away with
rowdy lineups, costumed teenagers and pre-show solicitation of the Official Star Wars
Book.