The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

If blockbuster action films were judged solely by their decibel level, this latest entry in The Mummy franchise would be the genre's Citizen Kane. Other than general noisiness, however, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor offers nothing that event-movie fans haven't already seen a dozen or more times in the last decade (and, call me picky, but shouldn't a Mummy sequel actually have a mummy?). Doomed by a double-crossing sorceress, China's ruthless Dragon Emperor (Jet Li) and his warriors (a silent terra cotta army numbering in the thousands) are spending eternity in suspended animation. After reckless young archaeologist Alex O'Connell (Luke Ford) is tricked into awakening the tyrant, he reluctantly enlists the aid of parent adventurers Rick (Brendan Fraser) and Evelyn (Maria Bello, replacing Rachel Weisz), as well as his uncle Jonathan (John Hannah). Li and erstwhile martial arts star Michelle Yeoh (as an ageless Chinese princess) do battle in an excellently choreographed fight sequence, but that's the only highlight of director Rob Cohen's predictable (and ear-splitting) film. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Rob Cohen, a 23-minute “making-of” featurette, a “From City to Desert” featurette on location (15 min.), a “Legacy of the Terra Cotta” history featurette (14 min.), “Preparing for Battle with Brendan Frasier and Jet Li” on the costars (11 min.), 11 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, production featurettes on “Jet Li: Crafting the Emperor Mummy” (8 min.), “Creating New and Supernatural Worlds” (8 min.), and “A Call to Action: The Casting Process” (5 min.), and trailers. Also included is a bonus digital copy of the film. Blu-ray exclusive features include a video version of Cohen's audio commentary; “The Dragon Emperor's Challenge” interactive in-movie trivia game, a “Know Your Mummy” compare and contrast feature with split screen film clips, photos, and trivia related to all three contemporary Mummy movies; a “Scene Explorer” feature that allows viewers to watch scenes from multiple angles; and BD Live capability. Bottom line: a decent extras package—both standard DVD and Blu-ray—for a third film that is definitely not the charm.] (E. Hulse)