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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
A service to parents and grandparents

MAR21033
The Mummy Returns (2001), (PG-13)
CAP Score: 50
CAP Influence Density: 1.50


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NOTE: If you do not want the plot, ending, or "secrets" of a movie spoiled for you, skip the Summary/Commentary. In any case, be sure to visit the Findings/Scoring section -- it is purely objective and is the heart of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model applied to this movie.





SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary likely using a mix of KJV and NIV.


The Mummy Returns (PG-13 [R-13]) -- Most of the time, Patricia is reasonably dressed...

With support contributions by:
Emma O. Saule
Deluxe Laboratories

Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser) and Evie (Rachel Weisz), now Mrs. Rick O'Connell nine years later, are at it again but this time with an 8 year old son, Alex (Freddie Boath). The threesome traipse through the Egyptian countryside looking for artifacts -- and mummies. By the unholy powers of some unholy bad guy thousands of years ago, the Scorpion King (The Rock), an unholy bad guy himself, is transformed into a half scorpion, half man creature when he eats a live scorpion. Some Egyptologists are trying to resurrect Im-ho-tep to do battle with the Scorpion King, in order that they may control the army of Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead [Ex. 20:3]. This army is reputed to be so powerful that whomever controls it would control the world. [Deut 18:10].

We find that Evie is a reincarnation of Nefertiri [Job 14:10-12]. Nefertiri was the daughter of the king who was killed by the king's priest, Im-ho-tep with the help of the king's betrothed, Anck-Su-Namun (Patricia Velazquez) in The Mummy (1999). In a rather artful (and somewhat revealing) display of hand-to-hand combat arranged by the king to discover whether Nefertiri was qualified to guard the powerful bracelet of the Scorpion King, the king had Nefertiri battle with Anck-Su-Namun to test Nefertiri's skills. The king became smitten with Anck-Su-Namun. And since the plot takes the viewer back to the Mummy (1999) , Patricia appears for a few scenes in this sequel wearing the same "outfit" she wore in The Mummy -- body paint -- and displays her femininity not only for the audience but for the cast as well. It is faintly arguable whether this storyline maneuver was likely just to get nudity in this sequel as well. [Gal. 5:19] Indeed, Patricia was nude even in the display stand in the theater lobby. Most of the time, Patricia is reasonably dressed, but the filmmakers just had to put that nudity in this one, too. Should I wonder why? And, yes, this is another R-13, but NOT due mainly to sexual issues. Except for Evie's brother, Jonathan (John Hannah) appearing to be using a woman as a sex toy and a couple flashes of posterior flesh in the combat between Nefertiri and Anck-Su-Namun, Patricia's nudity is the only sexual programming in this grasp for the dollars made by the first Mummy.

A handful of Egyptologists were set to resurrect Im-ho-tep: a job not too difficult since they were led by a reincarnation of Anck-Su-Namun (also Patricia Velazquez). The tomb of the Scorpion King is a golden pyramid that lies in the middle of a magical jungle in the middle of an oasis in the middle of a dessert. Here is where Rick and Im-ho-tep must together battle the Scorpion King -- and each other. But to get there, Im-ho-tep must have the bracelet of the Scorpion King found by Rick and Evie. But, by a little 8 year old sneakiness [Prov. 22:15], the bracelet was in the possession of Alex. Once on Alex's wrist, the bracelet projected the location of the golden pyramid tomb of the Scorpion King. At first, no-one is aware of this fact, but shortly after it is revealed, Alex is kidnapped and used as a tool [Matt. 10:42; 25:40] to find the lost valley of the Scorpion King. Oh, yeah. Alex could not remove the bracelet and if he did not get inside the golden tomb of the Scorpion King by sunup several days later, he would die.

Some of the most humorous script and performance in The Mummy Returns comes from Alex. On the long journey from London to Egypt to take Alex to the Egyptologists, little Alex is the epitome of 8 year oldness. One of his captors, a particularly nasty bad guy, was quite brutal with Alex at times [Matt. 18:10]. Many threats to his face were made by the captor, and once with a knife. Not cool! Though we are not to seek revenge or to get even [Matt. 5:39], Alex is given the opportunity to get a little even. On the train ride, Alex bombards his captor with "Are we there yet?" At the end of the volley of these annoyances Alex announces "I gotta go to the bathroom." (Sound familiar, mom/dad). Once in the bathroom, Alex tells his captor who is standing at the door glaring at Alex that he can't go with someone watching him. Once the captor steps out, Alex rips the stool off the rotting flooring and escapes.

As usual, the fate of the entire world's population depended on what Rick et al do. But some of the things "et al" did were likely to be of concern to mom/dad. In addition to the nudity displayed by Velazquez, there was a great deal more of the unholy decayed creatures attacking, trying to kill and killing the living. Some of them were the size of imps who would chop down the warriors wading through the tall grass appearing to be much like the critters pulling the scientists and soldiers down into the grass in The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

An army of decaying canine-looking critters as large as the viewing screen marched against the guardians of the tomb of Im-ho-tep led by Ardeth Bay (Oded Fehr). There was the eating of live humans by the scarab beetles and more burrowing of them under human skin as well, only more graphic than in the first Mummy. Scorpions crawled in and out of skulls and over decayed bodies. Im-ho-tep was not always upholstered and trounced about as walking and talking rot. Women were thrown off tall buildings by attackers (viewed from far off). Incineration deaths. Multiple sequences of attacks by hollowing, decaying demons half there and half not. Living flesh sucked off facial bones. Impalement deaths, some quite graphic. [Ps. 101:3]

In addition, what appeared to be thousands of living bodies or demons were seen seething in an inferno. Flesh was dissolved off bones. The resurrected Scorpion King ripped a body into several pieces. Many, many deaths by automatic and semi-automatic gunfire. Several detailed sword battles but few with much blood, some with impalements and slicings. Abductions, both of an adult and a child. Open mouth kissing between a woman and a decayed body. Many unholy manifestations.

And these are in addition to "more typical" ignominy such as foul language including by a child and the use of firearms as offensive tools. There were threats to kill including of a child, threats with knives to the throat including to the throat of a child. Other items of obviously questionable influence included planning of murder, disaster perils and pride in having murdered two people.

Other than the repeated gratuitous display of Velazquez's nudity, The Mummy Returns was not a particularly sexual movie. Nor did it present the use of any drugs and/or alcohol I could find. And it was comparatively tame in foul language, but it was an extremely violent movie and lost all starting 100 points of the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. The Offense to God investigation area lost all its starting 100 points, too.

All this for you 13 year old (and younger) to contemplate while waiting for sleep to come. Most would likely deny any of the images in The Mummy Returns invading their half conscience twilight thoughts, but such images are likely there ... for a while ... and a while ... and a while ...

The listing in the Findings/Scoring section will tell a more complete accounting of the issues that may need your loving support to minimize. It may be fruitless to think even mom can erase out ALL of the images planted by such "entertainment."

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If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ].
  • Ex. 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.
  • Deut. 18:10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,
  • Job 14:10 But man dies and is laid low; he breathes his last and is no more. As water disappears from the sea or a riverbed becomes parched and dry, so man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.
  • Ezek. 16:58 You will bear the consequences of your lewdness [zimmah {zim-maw'} or zammah {zam-maw'}: not chaste, incest, licentiousness, adultery, idolatry, harlotry] and your detestable practices, declares the LORD.
  • Gal. 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
  • Prov. 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
  • Matt. 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto [or for] one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto [or for] me.
  • Matt. 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. [God is essentially saying "You mess with the kids, you mess with Me. Guess Who will win in the end?"]
  • Matt. 5:39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
  • Ps. 101:3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me. [Remember, eyes come with ears.]

    *******Food for Thought*******
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 (KJV) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (NIV) Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
  • Jude 4 For certain men* whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
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    As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie.




    FINDINGS / SCORING: The Mummy Returns (2001) CAP Thermometers

    NOTE: Multiple occurrences of each item described below may be likely, definitely when plural.

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W):
  • sword/spear battle sequences
  • several very animated blade fights
  • eating of a live scorpion by a human
  • firearms as offensive tools and threats
  • death by firearm
  • explosive startle
  • scorpions crawling over decomposed bodies and in and out of skulls
  • flood and other disaster perils
  • many threats to kill
  • many threats to kill a child, including with a knife and once at his throat
  • death by being eaten by insects
  • gunfire to kill
  • blade deaths
  • abduction of both adult and child
  • horror gore
  • planning murder by incineration
  • incineration deaths
  • massive gun battle with many deaths
  • violent attacks by unholy creatures with intent to kill
  • decayed talking body
  • decayed walking bodies
  • open mouth kissing with a decayed body
  • admission of murders
  • decayed body sucking flesh off of a victim's face
  • attempted murder of child by gunfire
  • replay of suicide from first *Mummy*
  • decayed impaled bodies
  • repeated manhandling of a child
  • shrunken heads
  • chase by imp decaying demons
  • graphic stab by an imp decaying demon
  • flesh dissolved off bones
  • hybrid scorpion and man

    Impudence/Hate (I)(1):
  • six uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary, twice by a child

    Sex/Homosexuality (S):
  • woman as likely sex toy
  • flashes of female posterior flesh
  • multiple scenes of nudity, female

    Drugs/Alcohol (D):
  • none noted

    Offense to God (O)(2):
  • pact with a false god
  • unholy and evil beings
  • visions
  • seven uses of God's nain vain without the four letter expletive, twice by a child
  • "Book of death gives life. Book of life takes it away."
  • worship of and invoking of evil forces
  • unholy incantations to resurrect
  • unholy creatures
  • manifestations of evil
  • levitation by and for evil forces
  • claims of reincarnation
  • unholy possession
  • story of unholy forces being in control of life
  • unholy powers attempting to kill
  • many deaths by demons
  • thousands of demons seething in flames
  • armies of unholy creatures
  • resurrections of unholy creatures

    Murder/Suicide (M)(3):
  • murder by being ripped apart by a half-man, half scorpion creature
  • murder of women by being tossed off high buildings
  • blade murders
  • murder by dismemberment
  • image of impalement murder



    NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse or for manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery, or for camouflaging such ignominy with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure from the sinful display or the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth.


    "There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I aplaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our five-year study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings.





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    (1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impudence/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

    (2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name in vain is incorporated into the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the four letter expletive is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication.

    (3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Portrayal of attempts to commit murder or suicide and deaths by police action or war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.




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