Rating: **
Review Date: 7/10/10
Director: Michael Carreras
Cast: Terence Morgan, Ronald Howard, Fred Clark, Jeanne Roland,
George Pastell, Jack Gwillim
Hammer Studios dips back into Egyptian lore with another tale of a desecrated tomb. In 1900, a British archeological team discovers the tomb and mummy of Ra. Unfortunately, an American entrepreneur named Alexander King (Fred Clark) decides to take the mummy on a world exhibition tour, much to the dismay of both the archeologists and the Egyptian government. There's also the little bit about an ancient curse that states that anyone present at the opening of a pharaoh's sarcophagus will die a horrible death. And naturally, that's what happens. Thankfully for Annette Dubois (Jeanne Roland), Ra has a soft spot for pretty ladies with deep cleavage and spares her.
It's a nice looking a well made Hammer picture, but the pacing is overly sluggish and the characters aren't particularly likable. Fred Clark does a nice job as the despicable ugly American and Jeanne Roland has a certain wicked charm about her. Only Jack Gwillim and George Pastell evoke any sort of audience connection and sympathy. The mummy itself isn't particularly frightening and looks laughably clumsy more than anything. Still, playing a mummy can't be an easy task, and seeing this makes me appreciate Christopher Lee in "The Mummy" (1959) even more. The story is rather weak and really falls apart during the final reveal. While the plot twist is unexpected, it's also rather silly. Overall, it's a pretty average film on all accounts.