When speaking about the Universal Classic Monsters, few modern adaptations have managed to succeed in the same way 1999's The Mummy has. Even its 2017 reboot, which was supposed to kick off a new shared universe, failed to reanimate the same excitement that Stephen Sommers' film has, but multiple factors aided in creating the best action-horror film to date.
One of the main reasons for The Mummy's mass appeal is the story's simplicity. The premise remains as simple as the 1932 original, where Boris Karloff's Imhotep awakens thousands of years after being mummified. While alive, he kills and terrifies those in his way on his quest to reunite with his long-lost love. What the 1999 remake does is take that same story and inject an Indiana Jones-style adventure into the mix. The film features action, scares, treasure hunting and a pyramid filled with traps that would make Indie think twice before going inside.
Along with its easily digestible story, its next major point of success is the stellar characters and cast. This includes Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evy Carnahan (Rachel Weisz). O'Connell represents the swashbuckling hero who takes necessary risks to survive, but his bravado is often undercut by his constant unease at having to face off against various mummies and minions. For O'Connell, this is all out of his comfort zone, and he often shows it, but it will never stop him from protecting Carnahan, the brains of the group and his love interest.
If O'Connell represents the whip-cracking persona of Indiana Jones, Carnahan is a Dr. Henry Jones Jr. with an affinity for antiquity. She is a wildly intelligent woman who isn't afraid to stand up for herself, but her curiosity often gets the better of her, as evidenced when she reads from the Book of the Dead, awakening Imhotep. Even when she becomes the creature's target and is captured, her intelligence not only saves her friends, but it is also a crucial role in Imhotep's defeat. The film shows time and again that Carnahan is more than a damsel in distress, moving beyond the tropes of classic adventure film and reminding everyone she's the most important person on the team.
With O'Connell and Carnahan maintaining the film's spirit of adventure, it's Arnold Vosloo's Imhotep and Sommer's attention to detail that bring the horror to life. When awakened, Imhotep stalks those who stole important artifacts and uses their life force to rejuvenate himself, and the introduction of Imhotep as a mummy showcases how Sommers uses suspense to convey intimidation.
Through the scares, Sommer's love of the Universal Classic Monsters shines and sets a precedent for how the horror in the film will be portrayed. Imhotep isn't a zombie that can be shot and defeated. He is an unstoppable force with supernatural powers, and he consistently displays why he should be feared.
What ties the creature's looks together before becoming a fully reanimated human is the special effects. While it's nowhere as detailed as today's CGI, it blends perfectly with the shadows and against the actors. Plus, the use of practical effects and massive sets all maintain a level of realism that grounds the film.
The Mummy's straightforward story and stellar cast bring the excitement of 1920s adventure films to life while maintaining what made classic Universal horror films so iconic and scary. These factors, mixed with the effects, continue to maintain The Mummy's status of being the pinnacle of action-horror.