The Mummy Blu-ray

The Mummy

 (1999)

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Thriller



A full-scale re-imagining of Universal Pictures' seminal 1932 film, The Mummy is a rousing, humorous, suspenseful and horrifying epic about an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old legacy of terror, which is embodied in the vengeful reincarnation of an Egyptian priest who had been sentenced to an eternity as one of the living dead.

For more details about The Mummy on Blu-ray, see The Mummy Blu-ray Review

Starring: Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Kevin J. O'Connor
Director: Stephen Sommers

The Mummy Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Universal Studios presents The Mummy on Blu-ray high definition for the first time in a simply stunning 1080p, 2.35:1 high definition transfer. The studio has certainly done themselves proud for this, their debut on the victorious optical disc high definition format, and color me thrilled if this is any indication of things to come. The opening, expansive shots of ancient city of Hamunaptra are bathed in a golden hue. The clarity, detail, and color schemes on every object in these shots, including the gold paint on faces and the gold-colored and trimmed furnishings adorning the splendidly constructed palace, are terrific. The cloth in which the film's villain, Imhotep, is mummified, looks marvelous: this transfer shows off every fine detail, thread, and fray of the cloth. While I was blown away by the opening shots of the movie, I was equally impressed by the vast majority of what was to come. The Mummy remains impressive not only in its foreground detail, but medium-wide objects and background information is handsomely rendered as well. Human characters need not be up-close and center-framed to see the remarkable detail present on them; medium-wide shots of faces show off every pore, facial hair and bead of sweat with lifelike clarity. Detail in rocks, statues, façades, and even the sand on the desert floor is all top-flight. Look at the lifelike realism in the textured appearance of Evelyn's hat in chapter three. The mask worn by Imhotep as he and Beni meet up with one of the American gold seekers in chapter 11 is just one more example of the nice detail that is present throughout the disc. The mask showcases every scratch, dent, nick, and other blemish and adds a realistic flair to the image.

The Mummy doesn't just excel at providing deep, realistic detail. Colors are absolutely fantastic, too. Whites are true and natural, and the film's primary brown, tan, and golden hues are stunning and rich. Colors never falter, and along with the fine detail, they are this disc's undeniable strength. Flesh tones appear a bit warm and on the reddish side of the scale, but this tone fits in with the warm, earthy look of the rest of the movie. Background images aren't completely sharp, but there is very little softness nevertheless. I did note a few foreground shots that exhibited some soft edges, but the vast majority of the picture is sharp, clear, well-defined, and breathtaking. The print exhibits the occasional speckle and blemish, and I did note a bit of shimmering on tightly-striped objects (Evelyn's scarf as seen in chapter four, for example), but all in all, it looks fantastic. Blacks are solid and true throughout, and detail is never lost in the shadows, either. Look at the nighttime shootout on the boat in chapter five as an example. A very fine layer of grain is present over the image, and it adds to a perfectly cinematic, high quality, exciting visual presentation of The Mummy. Universal has hit this one out of the park. It may not be a completely perfect transfer, but for a film approaching ten years old, and one that has seen countless releases over multiple home video formats, this is easily the best I've ever seen the film look. If The Mummy looks this good, I cannot wait to review Doomsday to discover how well Universal handles a brand new release.

The Mummy Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


The Mummy smashes onto Blu-ray with an excellent DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This audio track is a perfect compliment to the pristine video transfer, and it never misses a sonic beat. The film's score is powerful and engaging, even more so thanks to its presentation in a lossless format. Every speaker is utilized, and while the score is firmly entrenched up front, the rear channels are active and carry the soundtrack, too, completing the experience and oftentimes leaving me breathless with its wonder and power. The battle scene early in the movie features excellent dynamics and sound placement. Gunshots ring loud and true, and the chaos of the battle fills every speaker and rattles the subwoofer. More mundane sounds, like the flowing of the water over the side of the boat in chapter four, the slightest bit of audible music in the background as it is played from somewhere inside the boat, and the squeaking and squealing of an animal off to the side is all meticulously placed and adds a realistic atmosphere to the scene. Indeed, atmospherics are generally first-rate throughout the soundtrack. The film's music and action sound effects play in perfect harmony, both presented at the perfect volume one in relation to the other, and as fun and adventurous as the movie is by itself, the music and effects make it all the more entertaining. One of the plagues wrought on Egypt, the attack of the meteors, offers wonderful surround presence and the screaming flight paths and impact explosions flow seamlessly across the soundstage, making the experience both entertaining and all-encompassing. Arguably the movie's most famous scene, Imhotep's sand attack on the airplane in the final act of the film, offers deep, rattling bass, and consistent use of the surrounds, and amongst all the chaos and confusion is a fantastically clear and accurate meshing of various action scene sounds that is never too harsh or undefined. To top things off, dialogue reproduction is perfect throughout. This is an A-grade soundtrack in all regards, and I've never heard The Mummy sound so good.

The Mummy Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - July 22nd - July 23, 2008


• Blu-ray.com Reviews First Universal Titles - July 11, 2008


• Universal Blu-ray Titles in Hand - July 3, 2008


• Universal Announces Specs for The Mummy - May 14, 2008


• Universal Releases Blu-ray Plans - April 17, 2008

The Mummy Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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