REEL CRITIC:

This summer a blockbuster action film was released which is the fourth in a very successful series. The movie deals with tomb raiders, cursed artifacts, looted treasure, and villains trying to harness the power of ancient magic for their own nefarious ends. Of course I am referring to tomb raider and adventurer Rick O’Connell.

Rick O’Connell, the lead character in “The Mummy” series, has been played throughout by Brendan Fraser. I admit to stretching the truth a bit as this is only the third actual “Mummy” movie starring Fraser. However, there was also a spin-off called “The Scorpion King” in 2002 starring Dwayne Johnson, AKA, The Rock.

The latest offering in this series, seven years after the last installment (“The Mummy Returns”), is “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” It’s now 1947 and O’Connell has retired to a splendid manor home in Oxfordshire, England, with his beautiful wife, Evelyn (Maria Bello). Trying to adjust to the idle life of landed aristocracy, the O’Connells are having a difficult time. Rick is making a half-hearted effort to live as a country gentleman while Evelyn promotes her book, a thinly veiled novel recounting their adventures battling the living mummy Imhotep. Both are vaguely unhappy in their new lives and miss the action of tomb raiding and intrigue.

Unbeknownst to the elder O’Connells, their son Alex (Luke Ford) has been hunting for tombs of his own. In what promises to be the biggest archaeological discovery since King Tut, Alex has found the tomb of Han (Jet Li), The Dragon Emperor. Tricked by sorceress Zi Juan (Michelle Yeoh) more than 2,000 years ago while at the height of his powers, the emperor and his terra cotta army are cursed to remain buried forever. Unfortunately, Alex’s discovery becomes known to the power-mad General Yang (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) who has discovered how to awaken the emperor who can then conquer not only China, but the entire world.

Tricked by an old colleague into smuggling the very object needed to reawaken the emperor back to China, Rick and Evelyn must now help their son stop the tyrant before he recovers his full powers. They are aided in this mission by Zi Juan, her daughter Lin (Isabella Leong), and Evelyn’s brother, Jonathan Carnahan (John Hannah).

Despite its commercial success, “The Mummy” series has been considered a second-tier franchise. I don’t fully understand this designation as the films have been consistently entertaining and very true to their Saturday matinee serial roots.

Despite less than stellar reviews (only 9% positive on Rotten Tomatoes), I feel “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” is at least as good as the last “Indiana Jones” movie and is definitely more entertaining. The film gives us exactly what one would expect from such escapist fare and the action never lets up. If the reaction of the audience where I attended a screening is any indication, I am not alone in this view.

While “Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” will be forgotten by Labor Day, it is a fun summer blockbuster without pretense. If you enjoyed the other “Mummy” films, this is as good as the original and much better than “The Mummy Returns.” This film is not in the same league as “Iron Man” and “The Dark Knight,” probably two of the best big budget summer blockbusters in years. Nonetheless, if you’ve already seen these and have the taste for one more summer film, “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor” will not disappoint.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.