Tale of the Mummy

When 1948 treasure hunters headed by an esteemed--if overzealous--archeologist (Christopher Lee) desecrate the tomb of an ancient Egyptian dark prince, their exploratory party is wiped out by the tomb's curse. Fifty years later, the archeologist's granddaughter (Louise Lombard) uses his log book to finish the excavation, but when the now museum-ensconced princely remains develop a murderous mind of its own, the granddaughter teams with a police detective (Jason Scott Lee) to find out the how and why. An ambitious action-thriller with some very impressive special effects, Tale of the Mummy is handicapped by an overly complex plot and some over-the-top supporting performances. While the mummy himself (whom the special effects crew have given an impressive--and very frightening--contemporary incarnation) is a great asset, and newcomer Lombard does her best in an underdeveloped lead role, Jason Scott Lee's lock-jawed turn at the center of the story dulls much of the thriller's intensity. With more monster and less talk, Tale of the Mummy would have been far more telling. Choose the Universal hit The Mummy instead. Not a necessary purchase. (S. C. Sickles)