Whitsbrain

6/10

This is the first time that I've ever seen this and it is a superior movie when compared to the 1932 original. Peter Cushing is smooth as silk and all class. And for a man with a "twisted" leg he does a pretty good job of evading the Mummy. Witness his leap atop a desk to grab a spear which he plunges through the Mummy. I was very impressed with George Pastell as Mehemet the keeper of the Mummy. The exchange that he has during a 'friendly' visit with Cushing's character Banning about disturbing the sacred traditions of others is as provoking as anything else in the movie. Now who's the better Mummy Boris Karloff or Christopher Lee? I'd have to go with Lee. He's both imposing and powerful in the way he smashes through any obstacle between himself and his victim. The imagery of the Mummy emerging from the swamp is pretty cool too. The retelling of the fate of Kharis is effective and is proof positive that you don't need blood and gore to evoke a feeling of disgust (tongue anyone?). The sets were a typical presentation of Hollywood's take on Egyptian tombs but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Everything was very colorful and it's always fun to see those old indoor stages dressed up to look like they're outdoors. There are some things that wore on me though and they aren't unique to this movie at all. The campy dialogue delivered by the older members of the cast (the senior Banning archeologist specifically) was such a cliche it had me chuckling when I guess I was supposed to be frightened or sympathetic. And the music was unrelenting. It never stopped which is pretty typical for these older movies. I could have used a little silence. There were times before the Mummy's attacks that the music sounded better suited for a carnival than a horror movie. Overall though this isn't a scary movie anymore but it's still entertaining to watch. --whit Sat Oct 2 18:26:44 2010

John Chard

0/10

Gorgeous & Creepy Hammer Horror Winner. Hammer Film Productions rework some of the classic Universal Studios mummy material to great effect. Directed by Terence Fisher, this is not a remake of the seminal 1932 movie of the same name. Starring Peter Cushing (John Banning), Christopher Lee (Kharis/The Mummy), Raymond Huntley (Joseph Whemple) and Yvonne Furneaux (Isobel Banning/Princess Ananka), the film is written by Jimmy Sangster and was filmed at Bray & Shepperton Studios in England and is photographed in Eastman Color. I mention the latter because Eastman Color has a different hue to it, something that makes this movie all the more affecting as a horror piece. The plot sees three archaeologists (Stephen & John Banning & Joseph Whemple) desecrate the tomb of Egyptian Princess Ananka. This awakens Kharis, Ananka's blasphemous lover who was buried alive for his unlawful deeds. Taken from the tomb to London by Egyptian priest Mehemet Bey (George Pastell), the three archaeologists find they are being hunted down by the vengeful Kharis. The only salvation may come in the form of Isobel Banning who bears a striking resemblance to Princess Ananka. This Mummy is adroitly directed by Fisher, his choreography for the action scenes is stunning. Lee's incarnation as the mouldy bandaged one is swifter than most, thus Fisher has him stalking around Victorian England one minute, then the next he's crashing thru doors or windows with brute strength - with murder his (its) only goal. It's a top performance from Lee as he really throws himself into the role, with his dead eyes ominously peering out from gauze swathed sockets sending those little shivers running down the spine. Technically the film belies the budget restrictions that was a staple of Hammer productions. The sets are very impressive with the Egyptian tomb set original and authentic looking, and the swamp based set-up nicely constructed. The latter of which provides two genuine horror classic moments, as first we see the Mummy for the first time as he rises from a foul bubbling bog, and then for the dramatic swampy finale. It's also atmospherically filmed by Fisher, with Jack Asher's photography utilising the Eastman Color to give off a weird elegiac beauty. This is not about gore, Fisher and the makers wanted to thrive on atmospherics and implication, something they achieve with great rewards. The Mummy would prove to be very successful in Britain and abroad, thus ensuring Hammer would dig up more Mummy's for further screen outings, none of which came close to capturing the look and feel of this first makeover. Crisply put together and with another in the line of great Christopher Lee monster characterisations, this Mummy is essential viewing for the creature feature horror fan. 8/10

Nutshell

0/10

While falling a bit short of the earlier Frankenstein and Dracula "reboots" from Hammer, this one is still quite good, again due to the talents of Fisher, Cushing, and Lee. It's story, while borrowing many elements from the 1940s Universal sequels, is quite good and this is probably the best version of the Kharis character ever filmed. Christopher Lee's interpretation brings an aggressive, monstrous, and emoting mummy, not the slow, lumbering version of the 1940s (apologies to Lon Chaney). A first rate offering from Hammer.