Wordiezett So much average

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Haven Kaycee It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

MisterWhiplash I wanted to really like the Karl Freund Mummy as I love the Browning/Freund collaboration on Dracula and Frankenstein certainly has enough moments to make it a classic. I think the strongest parts for me are the opening and a segment midway through the movie; the former involves how the mummy Imhotep comes back to life as a few people working in an expedition in Egypt uncover it and the younger member of the group (the one in horror movies that doesn't give a flying-F and goes ahead to do the thing he/she shouldn't do) and says the words that make Boris Karloff in those pounds of make-up open his eyes. That's an effective scene because there's no music - music is used very judiciously except for a flashback and near the end - and because of how creepy and slow it is to see Karloff open his eyes and not even have to move his body much. Then the young guy laughs maniacally to discover the Mummy is gone. Oops.The other scene midway through (not counting the flashback I mentioned, which is actually alright as far as Freund and company trying for a stylized quasi-post-silent-movie sequence), where Imhotep, now under the name of Ardath Bey and with only a little make-up (but enough to make him look still creepy), and he somehow connects through some kind of mummy-telepathy to the woman of the picture (Zita Johnson) and makes her move through a room to collect her coat and almost leave. I liked how that scene was directed - matter of fact, a lot of the direction here is superb, and makes me want to rate this higher as Freund clearly brings his sense of timing and how to make a moment speak cinematically in a way that is clever (how the camera moves up and then pushes down-ward and in to transition into the flashback is an example).I think what brings this down is simply that it a) moves too slow, which should be fine, as in creating an atmosphere that doesn't rush things and can take its time, but it's more-so that it's not getting me interested past the filmmaking aspect, and b) except for Karloff and maybe Johnson in one or two scenes (certainly not near the end when she starts to try to get emotional and upset at being told she'll be transformed into Ankh-es-en-amon), the performances aren't very good. Or I should say they are adequate and nothing is embarrassing, but it made things a little creaky for me when it comes to saying some of these lines. Not to mention, of course, that the writers took a great deal from Dracula (and no wonder as it was such a success) as far as a creature of the undead taking a woman to bring him some new life.I think there may be deeper themes to wrestle with here as far as existing or not existing and the agency that a woman has over her body and soul (how she does want to give in to Imhotep, but not *all* the way so that Helen is no more), but I couldn't get invested enough to care about the characters as it was fairly thin. At 73 minutes it doesn't overstay its welcome, however with stronger writing it could've been longer and possibly better.

Eric Stevenson A lot of people sincerely love this film and I do appreciate its relevance, but I didn't find it to be as great as most people do. I guess it's mostly because I thought it would be an entire movie centering on well, a mummy. Instead, we actually got to see the so called mummy acting like a normal human most of the time. It's just not what I was expecting. I still liked it of course. It's mostly because of how good the performances are, especially with Boris Karloff. I'll give it credit for being different than I thought it would be. It was nice to be surprised by this.Yeah, it was more boring than the other films. The "Frankenstein" ones are of course the best of the Universal Horror films. I think this film's length worked quite well too. The sets are a very strong point. The very first part with the opening credits might be the best as they really create great visuals and set up the mood perfectly. The mood is obviously what makes this so good. While not one of my favorites, it still holds up well with its tone. ***

apanda8myhomework As a long time fan of the Universal monster movies, The Mummy has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. Boris Karloff's portrayal was perfection. His stern gaze and wrinkled appearance gave me chills. My favorite shots of him were when he would use his powers to control or kill someone. The up close shot combined with the lighting playing with his eyes really magnified the significance of what was going on. The story was solid and explained how Imhotep came to be where he was, with some great story telling through the reflection pool. The only thing I could possibly complain about would be how the film ends. It feels like it was cut too soon and something is missing. Other than that, I say this is a film that speaks volumes over the ages as one of the original sound horror films.

Spikeopath The Mummy is directed by Karl Freund and written by Nina Wilcox Putnam, Richard Schayer and John L. Balderston. It stars Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Arthur Byron, Edward Van Sloan, and Bramwell Fletcher. Music is by James Dietrich and cinematography by Charles J. Stumar.The first of Universal's Mummy films follows the story of Imhotep (Karloff), who after being awaken from his tomb by expedition workers, believes his lover has been reincarnated in the body of a modern woman.It's undeniably slow moving, it's stagy, and away from Karloff the acting and dialogue is just about reaching average qualities. Yet there's a haunting quality to the pic, with a number of genuinely eerie sequences. The shadowed photography helps greatly for funereal atmospherics, while it's somewhat refreshing to find a film of this type not resorting to shock tactics to get your attention.An important film in a lot of ways and well worth a look for those interested in the history of Horror Film. 7/10