Summary — Brendan Fraser charm + practical effects + a script that knows exactly what it is. The 1999 adventure movie people are still trying to recreate.
The Mummy isn't a great movie in any technical sense, but it's a perfect movie in the way that matters: you put it on, you have a good time, you finish it, you forget half of it, you put it on again two years later. The chemistry between Fraser and Rachel Weisz carries scenes the script doesn't deserve.
The CGI hasn't aged well, but the practical sets and the Egyptian-tomb production design absolutely have. They genuinely don't make adventure movies like this anymore — every modern attempt feels too winking, too self-aware.
Four stars and a permanent slot in the comfort-watch rotation.