Entertainment
The Greatest Adventure Franchise of All Time Is Officially Saying Goodbye
If you’re looking for the perfect adventure franchise to binge with “spooky season” just around the corner, there’s no better reason to revisit The Mummy movies. Currently, all three entries in the original Brendan Fraser trilogy can be found streaming for free on Tubi through the end of the month. That’s right, these monster adventure flicks are available on the platform free-of-charge, but only through September 30. Given that we’re about a month out from Halloween, the time to revisit these cinematic delights is right now — especially if you don’t already own all three at home.
‘The Mummy’ Trilogy Is Still One of the Best Monster Adventure Sagas Ever Made
Whether you’ve rewatched The Mummy and its sequels again and again, or if you’ve always meant to give these adventure flicks a try but haven’t had the occasion, consider this your warning sign that they’re about to be hidden behind some sort of streaming paywall. Tubi, however, is a free platform with a vast catalog, one that currently (but only for a limited time) includes these Brendan Fraser adventures. Beginning with The Mummy, director Stephen Sommers re-imagined the classic Universal Monster as an action-packed period piece set during the golden age of archeology in the mid-1920s. When American mercenary Rick O’Connell (Fraser) encounters British Egyptologist and librarian Evelyn “Evie” Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), they find themselves on an adventure headed toward the lost city of Hamunaptra, where they uncover a tomb that was meant to be buried by the sands of time, leading to the resurrection of the evil priest Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), who brings the biblical 10 plagues of Egypt with him.
While The Mummy is an absolute classic that proves that action blockbusters can be as witty and intelligent as they are earnest, the story doesn’t end there. Sommers reunited the main cast for the sequel, The Mummy Returns, where Imhotep is revived once more in an effort to conquer the Scorpion King (Dwayne Johnson) and his cursed army. Now married, Rick and Evie fight to save their young son, Alex (Freddie Boath), who has been abducted by the titular mummy as only he, with the Bracelet of Anubis, can lead Imhotep to the Scorpion King’s tomb. In many respects, the sequel recaptures the tone and feel of the original, furthering Rick and Evie’s arcs as they find themselves on a mission more personal than before. Of course, some may be satisfied with Sommers’ inspired duology of Mummy flicks and conclude the adventure there. But if you’re curious, Fraser returns for one final installment, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, in which an older Rick and Evelyn (now played by Maria Bello after Weisz was unavailable to reprise her role) find themselves in postwar China with their derelict son Alex (now Luke Ford) dealing with a new undead adversary: Jet Li‘s Qin Shi Huang. Only Fraser and John Hannah (who plays Evie’s brother Jonathan Carnahan) reprise their roles in this one, which is a mixed bag but still mostly fun.
Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz Are Returning to ‘The Mummy’ Once More
No matter which entry you revisit, you’ll find that The Mummy movies are fast-paced, humor-laden, action-packed adventures that reinterpret a horror icon into a dark fantasy foe worth vanquishing over and over again. The period setting gives The Mummy series an Indiana Jones-like quality while adding to the mystery and suspense, leaning into the pulpy flavor of the tales that inspired it in the first place. While Tubi offers several “Mummy” movies beyond these three (most of which are low-budget horror flicks), these highly bingeable films are the only official entries in the Fraser-led collection — at least for now. Fans have been excited to learn that the original cast, including Fraser, Hannah, and, yes, Weisz — as well as Oded Fehr as Ardeth Bay — are set to reprise their roles for a fourth entry, and we can only hope it recaptures the energy of first two.
We’re excited to hear the news that the upcoming (and untitled) Mummy 4 isn’t just going to be nostalgia bait, but even if it were, it would likely outshine the third entry based on its cast alone. (Okay, in all seriousness, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor has its moments. It’s certainly not terrible, even if we’re still mad that Weisz was replaced.) So, with Halloween nearly upon us and another Mummy in the works, there’s no better time than right now to refamiliarize yourself with this iconic collection of monster-themed adventures. Since they’re still streaming for free through the weekend, we know how you’ll be spending your Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights… And hey, if you find yourself loving Sommers’ first two Mummy re-imaginings especially, check out his other Universal Monsters homage: the Hugh Jackman-led Van Helsing, which is better than you probably remember.
The Mummy and its sequels are available for streaming on Tubi.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login