Every Universal Mummy Film, Ranked - CBR

When fans hear The Mummy, they likely think of the Brendan Fraser action films from the late 1990s or, more recently, the 2017 Tom Cruise-starring reboot that was supposed to kickstart the Dark Universe. The latter film's box office failure unceremoniously ended Universal's plans before they even started. However, the franchise goes back further than 1999, with the original film released in 1932 as part of Universal's run of Classic Monsters franchises.

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The original film never received a sequel, but it led to a reboot in 1940 that spawned five additional films before Fraser took the lead in 1999. The series includes films from different eras, each serving as a time capsule of cinematic predilections of their respective periods.

10 Tom Cruise's The Mummy Ended The Dark Universe Before It Began

TOM CRUISE headlines a spectacular, all-new cinematic version of the legend that has fascinated cultures all over the world since the dawn of civilization: "The Mummy." From the sweeping sands of the Middle East through hidden labyrinths under modern-day London, "The Mummy" brings a surprising intensity and balance of wonder and thrills in an imaginative new take that ushers in a new world of gods and monsters.

A third reboot of the franchise, and an attempt to start Universal's Dark Universe, The Mummy (2017), took the series in a new direction, led by Tom Cruise as U.S. Army Sergeant Nick Morton. However, even Tom Cruise could not save this movie. The Mummy was a critical and commercial failure, ending the Dark Universe before it could unfold to bring in other Universal monsters.

The Mummy tried to follow the success of the Brendan Fraser films, but the result was a string of action sequences that were merely decent, and nothing of substance to fill the time in between. The comedy felt forced, and the movie brought nothing new to the series.

9 The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor Was A Disappointing Conclusion

Uninspired, cliché, and tiresome, The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor was a sequel about five years late and did not add anything new to the series. Recasting Evelyn O’Connell with Maria Bello instead of Rachel Weisz was an unfortunate decision, although not the biggest problem that the movie had. Tomb, overall, was a forgettable experience that doesn't require rewatching.

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Jet Li tried his best as the new antagonist, but the third and final installment of the Fraser-led films felt like an unearned and undeserved sequel that did nothing new except introduce a few one-dimensional characters.

8 The Mummy’s Curse Goes South

The third and final sequel of The Mummy’s Hand, The Mummy’s Curse, was released only six months after The Mummy’s Ghost and picked up right where the previous film left off. Lon Chaney Jr. returns for the final time as Kharis. While the film is supposed to be in the same Massachusetts swamp from the previous installment, The Mummy's Curse is filled with references to Cajuns and bayous, leading one to (reasonably) assume the story takes place in Louisiana.

Kharis once again perishes, with Ananka again returning to her mummified state. The final installment was initially called The Mummy’s Return before the name change. The production also recycled footage from The Mummy and The Mummy’s Hand.

7 The Mummy’s Ghost Is A Lifeless Entry

One of the few 60-minute entries in Universal's series, The Mummy’s Ghost, follows Kharis again, despite the mummy being destroyed in the previous film, putting Lon Chaney Jr. back in bandages for his second go-round.

Released in 1944, the movie received a new director in Reginald Le Borg, and this was one of his best films. Chaney Jr. continued to steal the show as Kharis once again, with a good performance that was the film's highlight. The film ends with a more ambiguous death for Kharis and his rapidly aging and reincarnated wife, leaving the door open for yet another sequel.

6 The Mummy’s Tomb Saw Lon Chaney Jr. Takeover As Kharis

Kharis returns in 1942, this time with Lon Chaney Jr. playing the immortal being as the story jumps 30 years into the future, with Kharis and Mehemet Bey attempting to destroy the members of the Banning expedition. The film notably recycled footage from The Mummy’s Hand and Frankenstein during production.

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The finished product was considered underwhelming by fans and critics alike, with The Mummy's Tomb adding nothing new, despite another solid performance from Lon Chaney Jr. Tomb was also the first film in the series to last only one hour.

5 Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy In A Slapstick Parody

Almost 11 years after The Mummy’s Curse, Universal Studios returned to Egypt – this time with the famous comedic duo Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Abbott and Costello produced 28 films for Universal, and this would be their final project with the studio.

The movie is a parody of The Mummy series, with the mummy of the film being named Klaris, the protector of the tomb of Princess Ara. Abbott and Costello even confront Klaris’ main follower, Semu, who plans to kill them and bring Klaris back to life. However, after unveiling the treasure beneath Ara’s tomb, they convince Semu to open a nightclub in honor of Klaris, a truly comical end to the franchise that lasted over 40 years.

4 The Mummy’s Hand Resurrected The Franchise in 1940

After the success of films like Son of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man Returns, Universal was inspired to bring the Mummy into vaguely new territory with The Mummy’s Hand.

Unrelated to the 1932 original film, The Mummy’s Hand follows an Egyptian Mystic named Andohep who is charged with protecting the mummy Kharis, portrayed by Tom Tyler. The film received mixed reviews for lack of horror and a generic story that didn’t stand out from the rest of Universal’s monster movies. It also reused several minutes of The Mummy and the entire score from Son of Frankenstein.

3 The Mummy Returns With An Infamous Appearance From The Rock

The Mummy Returns suffers many of the same problems that plague nearly every sequel. The stellar cast is back in full force once again, but the film emphasizes special effects more than the characters who make the film worth watching.

Additionally, the film has a lot of similarities plot-wise to the first film, with the only fundamental differences being Rick and Evelyn's son Alex and the Scorpion King’s awful CGI-heavy appearance in the third act. The rest of the film’s effects looked good enough for 2001, but the Rock’s appearance will forever live in infamy as some of the worst visual effects ever seen on screen. The Mummy Returns, still, is a decent enough sequel and an engaging follow-up to the now-iconic 1999 reboot.

2 The Mummy Started It All In 1932

During the height of Universal’s monster movie run, the mummy Imhotep made his first on-screen appearance in 1932’s The Mummy. Starring Boris Karloff, who established himself as a horror icon just one year earlier in Frankenstein, the film follows Imhotep as he pretends to be an archeologist, searching for the tomb of his princess.

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As the beginning of one of the Universal Classic Monsters franchises, the film was not as big of a success as Frankenstein or Dracula but spawned four spinoff films over the next 12 years and delivered another standout performance from Karloff.

1 The Mummy Redefined The Character In 1999

During the peak of the Brendan Fraser era, The Mummy is the performer's best work. In a return to form, the film once again set its focus on Imhotep, and added several new updated, action-centric qualities to make it stand out from previous films.

A great summer action-adventure flick, The Mummy has a great cast, great set pieces, and visual effects that still look great. Imhotep has some legitimately scary moments – from becoming a sandstorm to stealing vital organs – and Fraser’s natural charisma as Rick O’Connell confirms why he was such a big star in the 90s.

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