In ancient Egypt, high priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo) runs afoul of the Pharaoh due to his love for the Pharaoh's concubine, Anck-su-namun (Patricia Velasquez). The Pharaoh's troops kill Anck-su-namun and place a curse on Imhotep, then bury him alive in Hamunaptra, the city of the dead.

This remake of Universal's 1930s Mummy movies is a lot of fun to watch, although there is the occasional head-scratcher in the plot. (I don't know about you, but if I were going to try and punish someone for all eternity, I would not do so in such a way that a few blunderers could turn him into an apocalyptic force of doom and destruction.) The movie works because it avoids taking itself too seriously while also avoiding excessive goofiness. The expansive desert shots and frequent action sequences give the movie a suitably epic adventure feel; the sets and CG effects are reasonably well integrated; most importantly, the main characters are likable. John Hannah's ne'er-do-well Jonathan and Kevin O'Connor's Beni are well-used foils and sources of comic relief. Rachel Weisz is convincing, if perhaps a little over the top, as a librarian and a scholar. Her "I may be bashful, bookish, and brilliant... but I'm also a babe!" transformation (after her more reserved librarian's wardrobe gets thrown into a river) is a little contrived, but the movie needs to move the romantic tension between Evie and Rick along somehow. As for Rick - Brendan Fraser can pull off the square-jawed action hero quite well, but he also has great comic timing, so his quips, one-liners, and double takes lighten the mood without damaging the character of Rick. The chemistry between all of these characters is apparent. This leads to another sort-of headscratcher, though. For the first two thirds of the movie, Fehr's Ardeth Bey is, at the very least, a minor antagonist. But at the end, when he teams up with Rick and Jonathan, the chemistry and byplay between the three is so natural that it almost seems like these three have been buddies for quite some time. But again, the characters are so likable and the action is so much fun that stuff like this doesn't really matter too much.

The Ultimate Edition DVD packs a sizable number of extras. In addition to widescreen and full frame versions of the film, there are three commentary tracks; one by writer/director Stephen Sommers and editor Bob Ducsay, appeared on the Collector's Edition DVD released last year. The other two - one by Fraser, and one by Fehr, Vosloo and O'Conner - were recorded near or during the production of The Mummy Returns, so there are a few references to the upcoming sequel, but no spoilers. (The same can not be said for the preview of Mummy Returns on the second disc.) The commentaries are all fun, although they often cover much of the same ground. (Yes, Patricia Velasquez's nothing-but-body-paint costume got a lot of attention; yes, Fraser nearly choked to death during a hanging scene; yes, Sommers changed the fate of a major character at the last minute...) The back and forth banter of Sommers and Ducsay, and of Fehr, Vosloo and O'Conner, make those tracks a little bit more enjoyable than Fraser's, but Fraser has enough personality to carry the load himself. Most of the other bonus material also appeared on the Collector's Edition. There's the theatrical trailer. a nice documentary on "Building a Better Mummy," and some nice breakdowns of specific special effects shots, which will give fans hungry for behind-the-scenes info plenty of material.

• screenplay by Stephen Sommers, Lloyd Fonville and Kevin Jarre
• story by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer
• directed by Stephen Sommers
• music by Jerry Goldsmith
• Cast: Brendan Fraser (Rick O'Connell), Rachel Weisz (Evie Carnahan), John Hannah (Jonathan Carnahan), Arnold Vosloo (Imhotep), Kevin J. O'Connor (Beni Gabor), Jonathan Hyde (Dr. Chamberlin), Oded Fehr (Ardeth Bay), Erick Avari (Dr. Bey), Stephen Dunham (Mr. Henderson), Corey Johnson (Mr. Daniels), Tuc Watkins (Mr. Burns), Omid Djalili (Warden Gad Hassan), Aharon Ipalé (Pharaoh Seti I), Bernard Fox (Capt. Winston Havlock), Patricia Velasquez (Anck Su Namun), Carl Chase (Hook), Mohammed Afifi (Hangman), Abderrahim El Aadili (Camel Trader), Jake Arnott (Mummy), Mason Ball (Mummy), Isobel Brook (Mummy), James Traherne Burton (Mummy), Peter Chequer (Mummy), Porl Smith (Mummy), Ian Warner (Mummy)