The Mummy [Blu-ray] | Erick Avari, Carl Chase | Terrific movie with a sharp looking transfer

The Mummy [Blu-ray] | Erick Avari, Carl Chase | Excellent BD release!

DVDs:

The Mummy [Blu-ray]

	The Mummy [Blu-ray] Erick Avari, Carl Chase Universal Studios, 2008 average customer review:based on 841 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Terrific movie with a sharp looking transfer

"The Mummy" receives a very nice look Blu-ray transfer for this new edition of the movie. Capturing the adventurous elements of films like "Indiana Jones" and injecting it into the basic story for the 1932 film "The Mummy", Stephen Sommers creates a terrific, enteraining film. For those interested in a synposis of the plot, I'll provide it at the end of the review because you've probably already seen this.

The Blu-ray transfer looks quite good here with bold colors that more closely recall the original theatrical presentation than the DVD. The image is crisp and while there's evidently some digital noise reduction applied, Universal hasn't completely cleaned away all the film grain which is a good thing because when that's done you actually lose sharpness and clarity (it is restored with a loss of detail via Edge Enhancement like the recent reissue of "Patton" which went overboard with digitally cleaning up the film). The best thing that Universal could have done here was to leave the grain intact and dispense with the Edge Enhancement. I suspect that the same source was used for the Blu-ray as was used for the HD-DVD edition but that the Edge Enhancement is more transparent here because of higher resolution.

What does all of that mean? The film looks extremely good but could look brilliant. Still, on the whole this looks much better than the DVD edition.

The extras are still presented in 480p (which is standard DVD definition)so be aware those haven't been updated. However, Universal has made this a U-Control disc where you can customize the extras as you watch the film (something developed for and carried over from HD-DVD). You do get the ability to watch the visual commentary/extras while watching the film. All of the original extras from the DVD have been ported over for this edition. All of the extras and the film are on the single disc edition here (unlike the DVD which has most of the extras on a second disc).

Followed by the equally entertaining (and much bigger production of) "The Mummy Returns" and a fun entertaining (if lesser)spin-off film "The Scorpion King", "The Mummy" is worth picking up again even if you have the original DVD edition. Highly recommended.

Oh, and the plot? A group of explorers led by Evelyn (Rachel Weisz)and Rick (Brendan Fraiser)rush to find the riches of an Egyptian tomb and end up reviving Im-Ho-Tep (Arnold Vosloo)an Egyptian High Priest buried alive for his part in a conspiracy to kill the Pharoah. Brought back by the Egyptian Book of the Dead, Im-Ho-Tep takes revenge on those who plundered his tomb and seeks the Book of the Dead to bring back his beloved princess who helped him kill the Pharoah.

It is a great popcorn flick.

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Excellent BD release!

This movie is one of the few movies made before the HD era that has actually blown me away with its graphics and sound. The graphics look EXCELLENT, details are amazing at 1080p! Clear, crisp, live-looking images in which you can actually even appreciate the texture of the walls, the stones, the sand and the special effects simply look awesome. Overall one of the best transfers I've seen so far in Blu-ray, a definite must-have for any fan of the franchise and High Definition movies.

Excellent Release!

If you love The Mummy - you will love this release in all it's HD goodness! Go, buy it now - listen to the voices in your head :)

Excellent picture - Excellent sound!

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Be Aware...

I haven't yet been able to view what is supposed to be a beautiful transfer onto blu-ray. This release by Universal will not currently play on Samsung players (I have tested four different Samsung players; it plays fine on other manufacturers' decks), beyond the FBI warning, opinion disavowal, film rating, and opening menu. Instead it locks in a "Slide Show" mode with a dark screen which is not responsive to your remote. There is a recent firmware update from Samsung dated 6/20, which may resolve this problem.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, page 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14

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