The Mummy (1999)

Movie review by Adam Perry, Common Sense Media
The Mummy (1999) Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 12+

Above-average action-adventure with lots of violence.

PG-13 1999 124 minutes
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 25 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 64 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Mummy is an extremely violent 1999 movie. Men are killed by gunfire, sword wounds, fatal acid, insect bites, and numerous magical plagues. There is virtually no blood or gore and much of the violence is directed toward the "undead," whose bones shatter when struck with swords or fists. In a series of scenes, many characters (including the lead) drink shots of bourbon whiskey. Two characters have an affair and the woman's bare bottom is visible. A man stumbles drunk throughout the film and another vocally lusts after the whiskey. Swearing includes "bitch" and "bastard."

Community Reviews

Fiamancinidurrett
Fiamancinidurrett Adult
January 22, 2022
age 11+

good but violent

Great and adventurous, but preety violent

This title has:

Great messages
Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
meydiana.rizki
meydiana.rizki Adult
February 26, 2021
age 18+

The Last Great Adventure Film

Don't get me wrong, we have had lots of great movies since '99, but I really feel that this is the last one where it was just 10 for 10 great. And it was a great way to end the 90's, which I still believe to be one of the best movie decades; we knew how to make great movies and we knew how to make great trailers for those great movies--not just rapidly flashing scenes with drums and clashing and building violins, but REAL trailers edited to perfection with great music. "The Mummy" just packs it all; from Adventure to Horror to Fantasy to Drama to Comedy, and in my humble opinion, it succeeds superbly in all five genres. It is just such a FUN movie! The sites (and sights), the sound design, the CGI (while I won't say it's perfect), and, of course, Jerry Goldsmith's masterpiece of a score which can take Alan Silvestri's for "The Mummy Returns" to the cleaners any day of the week. While "The Mummy" was a blockbuster, it is sadly one of those unappreciated movies. Shortly after its release is when movies began to take a turn for the worse and become darker, and for what ever crackbutt reason, darker is what the American Audience wants. Audiences just want movies where everyone dies (a lot of the time including the hero(es)), the music is heavily synthesized, and the plot is simplistic. "The Mummy" is an epic adventure from beginning to end. And I can only hope that our movies return to this movie-type some day soon. While I do like "The Mummy Returns", it was a little too silly for me. And "Tomb of the Dragon Emperor"? No comment. The first one just captures the fun-ness that movies are SUPPOSED to be; a movie that grabs you out of your world so you almost feel as if you're IN the movie (he said, at the risk of sounding either cheezy or loony), very much in the tradition of "Jurassic Park" and its sequel. It's just truly a classic, and will hopefully remain so long enough to see a day when it is appreciated again.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 25 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE MUMMY, American explorer Rick O'Connell (Brendan Frasier) leads a Cairo librarian Evelyn Camahan (Rachel Weisz) and her brother Jonathan to the lost city of Hamunaptra where they discover treasure that accidentally awakens a three thousand-year-old cursed mummy. The undead creature -- once the high priest Imhotep -- is bent on resurrecting his mummified former lover, Anck-su-Namun, by sacrificing Evelyn and bringing forth Bible-size plagues and undead armies. This film is filled with rich content and is a worthy heir to the action-adventure/archaeology-meets-swashbuckling genre made famous by Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones series.

Is It Any Good?

Action, comedy, and the captivating romance between O'Connell and Evie are at the heart of this movie. At times, the out-of-this-world special effects and battle-sequences have one longing for the old-school charm of Lawrence of Arabia or The Ten Commandments. Regardless, The Mummy is extremely exciting, and at times educational. The juxtaposition of intricate Egyptian history and spirituality, with contemporary Hollywood spirit, might inspire teens to learn more about ancient Egypt.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the way women and indigenous people are portrayed in The Mummy. How does Evie's strength as a scholarly, cultured, biracial librarian compare to other lead female roles in cinema today? How are people of different races depicted? Are they respectful of their cultures?

  • Families can also talk about the violence in The Mummy. How does the fact that much of it is supernatural affect its impact? How is it different watching the "undead" get hurt than human characters?

Movie Details

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