Terrific film. Great performance by Boris Karloff. Being 1932 there are a lot of elements left from the Silent era, so I can see why modern audiences don't get it. A treasure for those that can appreciate classic film.
Pretty boring, even by universal monster standards.
"The Mummy" starts off with a bang. Within the first 10 minutes we've already got wide-awake mummy action as Boris Karloff in fully wrapped glory takes the scroll of the dead for his own. This drives the archeologist present in the tomb at the time to go immediately insane. Of course he deserved it as he was the one who opened the box that released the curse and woke the mummy. This sequence delivers the most enjoyable moments of the film. It brings a little suspense and a scare but unfortunately that's the extent of the frights and its the last time we see the mummy. I also enjoyed the scene where Imhotep is mummified alive and it's not only because that's a creepy thing to do but it's also because it is the only time we see Imhotep in his early B.C. glory. The most disappointing thing about "The Mummy" is its sets. They're mostly cheesy or bland and for being set in Egypt they don't make much use of the exotic location. I did enjoy Karloff's performance and I thought that the mummy makeup was very convincing. When comparing the Universal monsters "The Mummy" doesn't entertain like "Frankenstein" or "Dracula".
"The British Museum works for the cause of science, not for loot."
I didn't know this was a comedy.
this one sucked. i was not into it at all. there was a little bit of interest at the end as helen pleaded with isis but beyond that there wasnt a single thing in this that really pulled me in
Boris Karloff stars in the classic Universal Monster film The Mummy. When a British archeological dig in Egypt unearths the mummy of an ancient high priest, the mummy comes to life and plots to resurrect his lost love using the daughter of one of the archeologists. Karloff delivers a solid performance and is joined by fellow Universal Monster alum Edward Van Sloan (playing a Van Helsing-like character). In fact the whole film plays like a Dracula knockoff; with the mystical villain seducing a young woman and being chased by her lover and an occult expert. Still, the make-up for the mummy is pretty good, and there are some frightening and intense moments. While it lacks originality, The Mummy is entertaining and delivers a few thrills.
You watch these old movies and you look at the sets, the use of light and shadow, the murder offscreen but you see it in your mind and you know what happened, and the little details like the dust falling off of the scroll when it’s first opened early in the movie. With a budget of $196,000 ($4.3 million in today’s money) Universal created a classic.
One of Universal's iconic monster but the movie just isn't on the same level as Dracula, the two first Frankenstein, the Wolfman and the Invisible Man.
Hooptober Eight: Hooptober takes Manhattan!
"He went for a little walk! You should have seen his face!"
Been awhile since I've seen this but no Hooptober is complete without a Karloff movie. The Mummy isn't the best of the Universal Horror classics but it a still a good one. The pace is very slow, the make up on Karloff looks fantastic as he is revealed in his tomb, still amazed that you see people getting impaled by spears and the story is fairly basic.
Anyway if you like your classic horror this one is still a great watch. Especially if you don't have loads of time.
This is Universal horror of its most lazy, by-the-numbers variety. It totally lacks the atmosphere of the Dracula and Frankenstein franchises and replaces their iconic gothic style with a very dated form of exoticism that’s at least not as terribly racist as it could have gotten. Even Boris Karloff’s performance looks pretty pale here, probably due to his dialogue being mostly exposition and leaving little room for the kind of emotional expression he showcased in his mute Frankenstein (1931) role. And speaking of acting performances… most of them feel rather phoned in, everything appears kinda rushed.
And then there’s the subtext of christian morality continuing (or maybe, escalating) from its predecessors, becoming even more painfully obvious. In Dracula, bad things happen because of lust. In Frankenstein, the do because of blasphemy. In The Mummy, bad things happen because of… Science? Man should refrain from acquring too much knowledge?
No, i don’t like this film a whole lot and the problematic messages it conveys, while never achieving the visual brilliance of earlier entries in the Universal horror canon.
I loved it!!! A lot!!!
very slow and plodding for today's audiences, especially myself
Shout by WambieBlockedParent2022-04-29T13:52:13Z— updated 2022-05-03T19:16:43Z
He went for a little walk, you should have seen the look on his face!!