Shot as Mummy Resurgence, Rise of the Mummy is a follow-up, if not exactly a sequel to 2018’s Mummy Reborn. Calling that film a stinking pile of shit would be an insult to what my cats leave in their litter box. That however didn’t stop producer Scott Jeffrey (HellKat, Bats) from making another one. Surely he and his team have gotten better at filmmaking in the intervening years?
The film opens with the Mummy (Richard Lovell) chasing people around the woods before being stopped by a ritual that involves a bag of plant food, an obviously rubber human heart and an incantation from an old book rather than the papyrus scroll that the Egyptians would have written on. The army shows up in time to shoot the youths performing the ritual.
Next we see the Mummy in what is supposed to be a university but is obviously a high school. Despite the army apparently being willing to kill to cover its existence up it’s been sold to the school. They’re so pleased to have this wonderful specimen they just lay it out on a table in the chemistry lab.
Even by the low standards of a Scott Jeffrey film, this is a horrible start. He had the good sense to change the company name from Proportion Pictures to Jagged Edge Productions but that didn’t do anything for the film’s quality, or lack thereof. Actress turned first time director Antonia Johnstone does what she can but the script by Shannon Holiday (House on Elm Lake, Dinosaur Hotel) would drag down even a seasoned helmer.
As you can probably guess, some idiot takes a liking to some of the Mummy’s jewelry, steals it and the bandaged boogeyman wakes up. Taking its cue from what is one of the better films Jeffrey has been involved with, Cupid, the creature traps a handful of students in the school and stalks them.
Unfortunately, the students are as vapid and cookie-cutter as it gets. The film attempts to give Holly (Abi Casson Thompson, The Candy Witch) some depth by having her feel guilty about the death of her brother. But it comes off as fake and annoying as her BFF Kira (Mya Brown, Medusa).
Rise of the Mummy also wants us to believe Holly is so smart she figures out the creature’s true identity from a quick read of the book we saw in the prologue. That and watching a YouTube video hosted by a guy named George (Shawn C. Phillips, Bloody Nun 2: The Curse, Tales for the Campfire 3). This after experts have studied it for years and not noticed that little detail.
As if this isn’t bad enough the Mummy itself looks like a Halloween costume covered in dirty mop heads. It’s laughable rather than scary. The makeup for the victims it possesses is better but nothing special. Apart from some CGI blood gore, like scares or suspense, is non existent.
The description of Rise of the Mummy from the distributor talks about a time loop. There isn’t one, time is somehow frozen but there isn’t the Boss Level or Groundhog Day style replay of events. There is however a warp that tosses anyone who makes it out of the school back inside as a consolation prize.
I could go on, but by now I’m sure you get the idea. Rise of the Mummy is a disaster pretty much from the start. And it’s not the kind that’s so absurd you can get some unintentional fun out of it.
Rise of the Mummy is available to stream from ITN Distribution.
I’ve started relying on your reviews. Good job.
I almost want to see this one because of the MOPster.
If that thing isn’t paper mache, I’d be shocked.
Thanks.
I’m going to have to remember “mopster” if they do a third Mummy film!