The curse haunting the mummy of the dragon emperor is a ancient legend that tells a tale of power, betrayal, and untold consequences. According to the legend, the emperor of a mighty dragon dynasty was cursed by a powerful sorcerer after his ruthless conquests and tyrannical rule. The curse, it is said, bound the emperor's soul to his mummified body, trapping him in a perpetual state of restlessness and torment. The emperor's mummy was adorned with precious jewels and artifacts, an attempt to protect it from grave robbers and to ensure the curse would not be unleashed upon the world. Those who dared to disturb the resting place of the dragon emperor would suffer unimaginable horrors and misfortunes, as the curse would be released upon them and all generations that followed. Over the centuries, tales of the curse multiplied, capturing the imagination of adventurers and treasure hunters alike.
Parents need to know that this third installment in The Mummy series has plenty of action violence, which may be a big draw for kids. Only a few of scenes are actually gory -- faces melting off, men about to be decapitated or dismembered -- but most of the battle scenes involve explosions, sword fights, guns, and hand-to-hand combat. Be prepared for the vast hordes of skeleton warriors; they could be quite scary for younger viewers. There's relatively little swearing, although hero Rick does refer to two Chinese soldiers as "Ying" and "Yang." In addition to a few kisses, a woman appears in a long negligee, and two characters appear about to make love (passionate kissing lying down). To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Without director Stephen Sommers at the helm and Weisz playing Evie, the new movie lacks the central chemistry that made the first two films charmingly bearable. The first two Mummy movies were far from action masterpieces, but when you compare them to THE MUMMY TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR, they seem like Oscar contenders.
Over the centuries, tales of the curse multiplied, capturing the imagination of adventurers and treasure hunters alike. Many sought to exploit the treasures of the dragon emperor's tomb, while others sought to uncover the secrets of the curse itself. However, all who ventured into the tomb were met with a gruesome fate.
Film Review: The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
Well, crap-a-doodle. I was really looking forward to hating this film. In the 10-years-plus I’ve scribbled for the Alibi , the opportunity to review movies has been much too rare, and almost all the flicks I’ve had a crack at have been tiny films. Iranian films. Local films. Grainy films with no CGI. No complaints, but you get the picture.
Mr. O’Leary is in Hong Kong teaching kung fu in a park, though, and his absence brings new opportunities. I jumped at the offer to review The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor because I assumed that a title like that was an iron-clad guarantee of awfulness. I haven’t seen the first two installments and don’t have any intention of seeing them. Don’t you have to be a 14-year-old to enjoy movies like this?
Ah, the joys of low expectations.
The Mummy 3 is schlocky, shallow and deliberately pointless. It is also shockingly enjoyable, which is to say that if at some point in the distant future I’m clicking the remote in the wee hours after midnight and this movie pops up, I won’t immediately change the channel after muttering some self-important comment about the degradations of mainstream Hollywood.
For one thing, although the story line inevitably crumbles into a confused mishmash of supernatural mumbo jumbo, the basic premise really isn’t too bad. See, two-thousand years ago, a Chinese emperor—in a wicked turn by world-famous ass-kicker Jet Li ( The Forbidden Kingdom )—has conquered half the world. Instead of putting his energy into conquering the other half, he decides to vanquish death instead.
He gets his little helper, General Ming (Russell Wong, The Joy Luck Club ), to track down a beautiful sorceress named Zi Yuan (Michelle Yeoh, Memoirs of a Geisha ), who knows the secret of immortality. When the emperor sees the sexy sorceress, he immediately wants her for himself. Unfortunately, Zi Yuan has already fallen in love with General Ming.
Tricked into thinking he’s already immortal, the vengeful emperor yanks the limbs off Ming and stabs Zi Yuan. The sorceress, however, knowing the emperor couldn’t be trusted, casts the immortality spell on herself instead and curses the emperor and his entire army, transforming them into terra cotta mummies who spend the next two millennia waiting around for someone stupid enough to break the curse and bring the emperor and his soldiers back from the dead.
Enter archaeologist Alex O’Connell (Luke Ford, The Black Balloon ) and his retired parents, Evelyn (Maria Bello, A History of Violence ) and Rick (Brendan Fraser, Gods and Monster , George of the Jungle , the other Mummy movies). Long story short, they wake the emperor from the sleep of the undead, and the two-thousand-year-old love triangle combined with a curse of revenge makes for a surprisingly satisfying tale. Might sound a bit lame on the page, but it actually works pretty well on screen. Yes, the dialogue is corny as hell, but self-consciously so. No one’s taking this thing too seriously. Rare emotional moments are sandwiched between mummy chases, booby traps, gunfights, crash landings, etc. The special effects are dang good, too, aside from the yetis that show up during the Himalaya trek about halfway through. (A little too cuddly for my taste.)
One other annoyance: a couple instances of glib racism; for example, snidely calling a pair of Chinese villains, “Yin” and “Yang.” Come on, people. I can’t decide whether I was more offended by the racism or the lazy scriptwriting.
For the most part, though, this is a really enjoyable movie. I was only bored for a couple brief moments here and there. By and large, this is a monster movie done right for a change, and my inner 14-year-old likes that.
As Evelyn says near the end of the film, “There’s just something so romantic about vanquishing the undead.”
Ain’t that the truth?
it’s . the Abominable Snowman!”
The emperor is obsessed with world domination. Alex lies to his parents about attending college. Characters betray each other. Rick jokingly calls two Chinese people "Ying" and "Yang." The O'Connells act like their lives are only bearable when they're involved in some dangerous adventure.
Some were struck down by mysterious illnesses, others were plagued by visions and nightmares, and some simply disappeared without a trace. The legend of the curse became so pervasive that it was even adapted into numerous works of fiction and popularized in movies. This only served to further fuel the myth and attract even more curious souls to the mystery of the dragon emperor's curse. Despite the many cautionary tales and the overwhelming evidence of the curse's existence, there are still those who believe that the curse is mere superstition or a fabrication designed to deter thieves. These skeptics argue that the misfortunes suffered by those who dared disturb the mummy could be attributed to natural causes or psychological factors. However, for those who have witnessed the horrifying consequences of the curse firsthand, there is no doubt that the curse of the dragon emperor is a very real and dangerous force. The curse serves as a chilling reminder of the consequences of greed, power, and the price one must pay for defying the natural order. Ultimately, the curse haunting the mummy of the dragon emperor serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unleashing ancient forces and disturbing the resting places of the dead. It warns of the consequences that await those who seek to possess power at any cost, and serves as a reminder of the eternal balance that must be maintained in order to avoid the wrath of the gods..
Reviews for "The Mysterious Curse: The Legend of the Dragon Emperor's Mummy"
1. John - 2/5 stars
I was really disappointed with "The Curse Haunting the Mummy of the Dragon Emperor." The plot felt incredibly predictable and lacked originality. It seemed like the filmmakers were just trying to cash in on the success of the previous films in the franchise. The characters were also poorly developed, making it difficult to care about what happened to them. Overall, I found the movie to be a forgettable and unengaging experience.
2. Sarah - 3/5 stars
While I didn't hate "The Curse Haunting the Mummy of the Dragon Emperor," I can't say that I enjoyed it either. The movie had its moments of entertaining action, but it was overshadowed by a weak script and lackluster performances. The humor felt forced and fell flat, leaving me wanting more. The plot felt disjointed and rushed, leaving many loose ends that were never properly resolved. Overall, it was a mediocre addition to the franchise.
3. Michael - 2/5 stars
I was really looking forward to "The Curse Haunting the Mummy of the Dragon Emperor," but it turned out to be a major letdown. The CGI effects were incredibly cheesy and took away from any sense of realism. The dialogue was cliché and cringe-worthy, making it hard to take the movie seriously. Additionally, the action sequences were poorly choreographed and lacked any excitement. Overall, it felt like a lazy attempt to revive the franchise without putting in much effort.