Professor Popinjay's Compendium of Perspicacity

A Non-Review by Prof. Popinjay

These are two entries from the myriad of follow-ups to the original 1932 universal film. Strange that they would still star Karloff or Lon Chaney and in many cases still be produced by Universal and yet not be considered official sequels but I think this might be one of early examples of a reboot.
The original Mummy film I found to be confusing and lacking in effective exposition. Back then, if the movie featured lots of long shots of monsters lumbering across the scenery while carrying an unconscious girl, the studio was happy. Who needs a story? Well apparently somebody wanted one so that’s what they endeavored to create in these “sequels”. Unfortunately they had to change so much in order to make it halfway comprehensive they pretty much abandoned the first movie. A wise choice in my opinion.
These films were cranked out so fast and so furiously I frankly can’t tell one from the other and don’t know which one came before which. Each one seems to be an apology for the previous film. This is justified by heaping on more and more exposition until the third film consisted almost entirely a of ghastly man explaining why the mummy was the mummy, what his motivation was, who screwed him over in the previous films (which happens in every film) and why his crush is his crush in the current film.
I love the Brendan Fraser Mummy films, even as long and drawn-out and campy as they are. They were a fun adventure that took you all over the world. Specifically Egypt. Egypt seemed to be a big thing in a series of films about a Mummy. The 1930’s Mummy films took place in a barn. Old man Haggard wasn’t using it in the off months and said the director and his friends could use it to make their cute little monster show. I’m sick of this review and everyone in it.