The Mummy Returns (2001)

Like The Mummy, this sequel is all out action 'n' effects. Like the first, it has a not-so-interesting or involving story, but paces it to perfection (high speed), and returns with the same cast, but the brilliant John Hannah, now brother-in-law to Brendan, is highly under-used, as traditionally there is only one comic character for light relief in these kinds of films, this time there are 2: a black balloonist buddy of Brendan's character being the second. However, what remains the same is the chemistry between the 2 leads who are now married with a son. But no matter how much fun the 2 are, it can't hide the fact that after the brilliant London bus chase sequence at the beginning, the film gets swamped with progressively poor special effects, which are still passable until the action finale starring The Rock as the Scorpion King. The Rock appears at the start, in-person, yet toward the end when he actually turns into a half man, half scorpion it is clearly all CGI, even his (oh-so-scary!!!) face. This sequence is the films downfall, as it is the climax that the film has been building too. Despite The Rock and the poor CGI, there is much to admire in this film, the characters are 3 dimensional, unlike characters from say, Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes. What's more is the fine direction of Stephen Sommers (who I take my hat of to for admitting that he was highly dissapointed with the CGI [ the film's CGI was still getting added only days before the film premiered which accounts for it's crapiness]) who keeps the whole thing moving at break-neck pace. **Stephen Sommers is one of the best action directors (and writers) working in Hollywood, but here he was let down by the CGI, which was out of his control, and he shouldn't be judged for it's negatives, only it's positives.**