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The Mummy Play Trailer

The Mummy (1932)

tomatometer

92

Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 24
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 2

Relying more on mood and atmosphere than the thrills typical of modern horror fare, Universal's The Mummy sets a masterful template for mummy-themed films to follow.

60

Average Rating: 6.3/10
Critic Reviews: 5
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 2

Relying more on mood and atmosphere than the thrills typical of modern horror fare, Universal's The Mummy sets a masterful template for mummy-themed films to follow.

audience

68

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 11,444

My Rating

Movie Info

The Mummy represented Boris Karloff's second horror starring role after his "overnight" success in Frankenstein. Brought back to life after nearly 3,700 years, Egyptian high priest Imhotep wreaks havoc upon the members of the British field exposition that disturbed his tomb (shades of the King Tut curse). While disguised as a contemporary Egyptologist, he falls in love with Zita Johann, whom he recognizes as the latest incarnation of a priestess who died nearly 40 centures earlier. Spiriting

Unrated,

Horror, Romance, Classics

Richard Schayer, Nina Wilcox Putnam, John L. Balderston, E. Richard Schayer

Aug 28, 2001

Universal Pictures

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The Mummy Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for The Mummy

All Critics (24) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (2) | DVD (15)

Thoroughly unreasonable hocus-pocus.

October 21, 2010 Full Review Source: TIME Magazine
TIME Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The transformation of Karloff's Im-Ho-Tep from a clay-like figure in a coffin to a living thing is the highlight.

July 6, 2010 Full Review Source: Variety
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The drama may be clumsy, but Freund's lighting is a wonder.

September 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The photography is superior to the dialogue.

August 8, 2006 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comments (3)
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A sombre and atmospheric depiction of eternal passion and occult reincarnation.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This vintage classic is more funny than scary.

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media
Scott G. Mignola
Common Sense Media

Dated, but interesting if only to see the origin of the many Egyptian films that were to follow it.

August 16, 2010 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs
Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs

This spine-chilling movie, shot in the German expressionistic manner, was the first of eight directed by one of the great cinematographers of cinema history.

September 19, 2007 Full Review Source: Film4
Film4

"It's alive! It's alive!"

December 5, 2005
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

More atmospheric than terrifying

September 16, 2005
Jon Niccum
Lawrence Journal-World

The flashbacks are particularly terrifying.

January 3, 2005
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan Source: Kansas City Kansan

The film lacks the usual number of chills and thrills that one would expect from a 'horror' film, but this one draws you in with its mood instead.

November 1, 2004 Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Universal pulls another moody horror classic out of its hat.

November 13, 2003
Alex Sandell
Juicy Cerebellum

A bit slow, but Karloff at his peak. A true horror masterpiece.

December 25, 2002
Bob Bloom
Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)

Poetic, brilliant, creepy horror classic with a great Karloff performance

August 22, 2002
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
View all critic reviews (24)

Audience Reviews for The Mummy

View All
Yet another monster movie from Universal Studios, this film is not quite as large as life as many of its predecessors, including the preceding film of star Boris Karloff. This film, though inspiring a cavalcade of other monsters and similar films, was not made to satiate a call for mummies in motion pictures, or maybe it did. Capitalizing on the fame of the unearthing of King Tut's tomb, this film was put into production and called Karloff once more to play the terrifying villain, after his starring role in "Frankenstein". Karloff plays a de-mummified servant to the former empress of the Egyptian people. He gives himself over to death after being mummified and buried alive, just trying to bring her back from the dead. Now he lives as a reanimated living corpse, and he's back to find the reincarnated version of his former lover in order to reunite them for eternity. As always happens in these kinds of films, the woman is hypnotized, put into a trance-like state, bending to her beau's rule over her. Still, there is the always interesting love story between the reincarnated beauty and another man, who eventually stops the villain. The plot of the film is actually a call back to "Dracula," which also has two lovers split by a monster, a venerable older male figure that helps defeat the beast, and the plot eventually winds down because of its formulaic quality. Besides being a complete rip off of "Dracula" this film is also majorly racist against the Egyptian people. Many of their mythologies are used inaccurately; the film starts the untrue myth of living mummies, though it does get some of reincarnation right. I'm not saying all film respects mythology, but this film is blatantly racist with many of its assumptions about the culture, history, and mythology of an entire nation and doesn't even create a good monster with all of its material, only skewing the past. The love story was touching, and mummy devotion is always entertaining, but this film isn't all that lovable.
May 18, 2013
FrizzDrop
Spencer S.

Super Reviewer

Not quite as scary and eerie (after the opening scenes) as many of the Universal horror films, but a fun movie nonetheless. Favorite part is early on when the young archeologist sees Imhotep come alive and walk away with the scroll. One of the scariest sounds I've ever heard is this man's hysterical laughter after witnessing Imhotep's resurrection. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. But afterwards, it seems to slow down. The effects aren't as good as they could be, and it gets a little dull at times. I'm not really impressed with the actress who plays the love interest either. Call this film a good try.
September 12, 2007
webalina
Cindy I

Super Reviewer

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Latest News on The Mummy

December 14, 2012:
Len Wiseman Talks His Mummy Reboot
It'll take place in the present day.

September 28, 2012:
Weekly Ketchup: Len Wiseman Will Direct the Mummy Reboot
This week's Ketchup includes movie development news for the video game adaptation Spy Hunter, a...

September 24, 2012:
Len Wiseman Directing Universal's New Mummy
He promises "a darker twist on the material" as well as "a scarier vision."

View all news

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Foreign Titles

  • Mumie (DE)
  • The Mummy (1932) (UK)
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