The Mummy Returns (USA 2001)


Directed by: Steven Sommers
Screen Script: Steven Sommers
Producers: Bob Ducsay, Don Zepfel, Megan Moran
Music: Alan Silvestri
Cinematography: Adrian Biddle
Film editing: Bob Ducsay
Runtime: 123 minutes

Cast
Brendan Fraser ... Richard 'Rick' O'Connell
Rachel Weisz ... Evelyn Carnahan
John Hannah ... Jonathan Carnahan
Arnold Vosloo ... Imhotep
Oded Fehr ... Ardeth Bay
Dwayne D. Johnson... Skorpion-King
Aharon Ipalé ... Pharaoh Seti I
Patricia Velasquez ... Anck-su-namun
Freddie Boath... Alex O'Connell
Shaun Parkes... Izzy Bottoms
Tom Fisher...Spivey
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje...Lock-Nah
Alun Armstrong...Baltus Hafez

Nine years have gone since Mummy 1. We know this because the O'Connells have got an eight year old son, named Alex. With his parents he is on something like a digging in a typical Egyptian temple. His mum hasn't learned from her first adventure in Egypt, so she openes again a maybe forbitten chest. Therein the two O'Connells find the bracelet of Anubis, which is in a shape of a scorpion. This artefact once belonged the Scorpion King, who had made a pact with the god Anubis. The god saved his life and sent him for help his dark army of jackals. When the time had run out for the king, the god sent the army back into the sands and banned the Scorpion King into a pyramid inmidst of an articficial jungle oasis. Every 6000 years he reawakens.
Back to the curious O'Connells: Taking the bracelet out of the chest was not a good idea, because now the waters of the Nile overflow the temple, but luckily also their enemies who were sent out by the curator of the British Museum to stop the O'Connells and to get the bracelet. The curator is head of some red clothed gang of beduine people. They plan to reawaken Imhotep, who then should fight against the Scorpion King. If Imhotep is victorious, he can order the Anubis-army on his behalf. With the help of a woman who is the reincarnation of Anck-su-namun the curator easily finds the mummy of Imhotep. When he hears that his people haven't managed to get the bracelet, he decided to follow the O'Connells to their home in London. Ardeth Bay was undercover in Hamunaptra, so he heard of that plan and also follows the curator to London.
In the big house of the O'Connells: Rick informs his wife that now it is the Egyptian year of the scorpion. Evy has got already plans: She wants to find the oasis. Rick is not happy, but couldn't stop her. Meanwhile Alex is playing with the chest. He takes the bracelet on his arm, and immediately he sees something like a video-show. First the pyramids of Giza, then the video journey takes him to Karnak in Thebes. But the O'Connells are not the only persons in their house. There is Evy's brother Jonathan, too, who tries to impress a girl lover. Then there are the red clothed people with the curator and Anck-su-namun. They are fighting against Rick and Jonathan, whereas Evy and Alex meet Locknah, another leader of the red ones, and his men. Luckily, Ardeth enters the scene and fights against his old enemies. Locknah manages to take away the closed chest and Evy. Rick and Jonathan can flee the danger. Outside the house they meet Ardeth and Alex. Alex shows his arm: he has got the bracelet. Ardeth gives information on the bracelet and the plan of the curator. Showing a picture from the curator, Alex recognised him: He works in the British Museum. So all take Ricks car to the museum, where the red people tries to reawaken Imhotep. They are successful, and Anck-su-namun wants to give Evy as a present for her beloved Imhotep. The mummy wants to burn Evy, but right in that moment, Rick saves Evy, whereas Ardeth is firing on the enemies. The can flee, but have to take a London bus, because Jonathan has nervousily broken the car key. Imhotep sends some mummies after the O'Connells and Ardeth. After a wild drive Rick and Ardeth have dealt up with the mummies, Jonathan, excellent driver, stops the bus on the tower bridge. The tension is over... but in that moment some red beduines take Alex with them.
Evy, Rick, Jonathan and Ardeth went to Egypt. They have to be in Karnak before Imhotep and his people arrive there. In Karnak, Alex will see another place, and will be finally led to the oasis. Ardeth calls the leader of the Medjai. They should ride with the Medjai army to south, so they can fight against the Anubis army when it awakens. He will held contact through his falcon Horus, "his most clever and best friend". Rick, Jonathan and Evy have found Izzy, an old friend of Rick, who takes them and Ardeth on his flying boat-balloon. Arriving in Karnak they found the place deserted, but Alex has left a clue. So they follow Alex further to the temple island of Philae, then to Abu Simbel, and last to the blue nile, where they find the hidden oasis with the pyramid lying in the midst of green jungle. Imhotep finds out what Alex has done and sends the water against his old enemies. The boat is falling down, no more air in the balloon. So it is Izzys task to repair his boat. The others turns to the pyramid and Ardeth sends Horus to inform the Medjai. Locknah is suspicious on the bird and shoots poor Horus. Ardeth knows that he now has to go himself to the Medjai, but Rick bets him to help him first with Alex, and that's what Ardeth will do. The two go into the jungle, whereas Evy and Jonathan will give them shelter with firing on the enemies from a rock above the jungle. In the jungle are pygmies, dangerous beings, who try to kill all people - except Imhotep and Anck-su-namun. The red clothed people have quite a lot to do with the pygmies. Ardeth and Rick meet a part of the red people, also Locknah and Alex. Ricks immediately flees with Alex, and Ardeth kills Locknah, then retiring to his Medjai. Alex tells his parents that he must be at dawn in the pyramid, and if he won't arrive in time, he will be dead. So his father runs wildly through the jungle with him on his arms. When arriving by the first razors of the sun, the bracelet opens, Alex is free of it. Outside Evy and Jonathan arrives, but also Imhotep and Anck-su-namun, who kills Evy. The two women once met in old Egypt before: When reawaken Anck-su-namun's soul from the underworld, they both have seen their own story in old Egypt. Once Evy was the daughter of the pharaoh, who was in love with Anck-su-namun, but killed by her and Imhotep. Rick is the protector of the princess. He wears a tattoo, and Ardeth already had told him he is a kind of a sacred Medjai. It is no coincidence that the O'Connells have met and fought against Imhotep and now also against the Scorpion King. Evy was once destined to protect to bracelet of Anubis from evil.
Rick is going into the temple to fight against Imhotep, to avange the death of Evy. Alex and Jonathan are waiting outside, full of sorrow. But Alex is real son of Evy. He's able to speak Ancient Egypt and he remembers the Black Book, which is in possession of Anck-su-namun. With that book he perhaps could reawaken his mother, who once had done the same to Imhotep. Jonathan and his nephew go into the temple. Jonathan fights against Anck-su-namun, who has to store the book on a stone. Meanwhile Alex steals the book and reads the sacred verses which reawakens his mother. Rick is fighting against Imhotep, and then both were surprised by the Scorpion King. The curator finds the bracelet, tooks it on and calls the Army of Anubis with it, holding it into an hole of a statue. Now the Medjai have to fight against the jackal army which rises from the sands before them. Ardeth orders the Medjai to battle.
Rick sees an ancient cartoon on the wall, showing a warrior who kills the Scorpion King, who is now half scorpion, half human, with the help of a stick, which is in realty a spear. This stick is in possession of Jonathan who took it with him from last time Hamunaptra (9 years ago). The warrior wears also the tattoo, and now Rick is a believer. He has to kill the Sorpion King with the spear, then he could order the Anubis-army. That is the same thing that Imhotep plans. Jonathan and Alex have dealt with Anck-su-namun who is now attacked by Evy, so Jonathan decides now to help Rick. Rick wants him to open the stick so it will be a long spear. Jonathan succeeds finally and throws the spear in direction of the Scorpion King, but Imhotep manages to catch the spear. When he throws the spear, it is Rick who catches the spear, and because the Scorpion King has come near, he rammed it into the creature, killing him and calling his Anubis-army back to the sands. That saves the Medjai outside, who have fought hard against the army and almost lost the battle. Rick and Imhotep have fallen into a hole which runs inmidst of the temple. In the deep creatures of the underworld tries to put them to the ground. The can't flee the creatures without help. The pyramid crashes, and Rick wants Evy to save herself, get out of the temple. But she runs to him through stones falling down and puts him out of this hole. Imhotep calles Anck-su-namun for help, but the mistress flees on her own, falling into another hole of scorpions. Imhotep lets himself fall into the hole. His love has betrayed him. Rick, Evy, Jonathan and Alex are running outside, climbing onto the pyramid. The oasis disappears with the death of the Scorpion King, and the O'Connells are saved by Izzy, who has repaired his flying boat. Ardeth greets his friend a last time from the ground.