The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)
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In 1946, a family of adventurers must stop a resurrected emperor from using a mystical artifact to unleash a cursed army.
The story
In 1946, Rick and Evelyn O'Connell, along with their son Alex and a professor, discover the tomb of the Dragon Emperor in China. While the O'Connells are tasked by the British government to retrieve a mystical gemstone called the 'Eye of Shangri-La,' they discover that a rogue military faction is also seeking the artifact to resurrect the Emperor. The Emperor, a warlord who sought immortality, was turned into a mummy and his army into terracotta soldiers by a sorceress. The O'Connells must navigate a dangerous landscape to stop the Emperor from using the mystical waters of Shangri-La to regain his power and conquer the world.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In ancient China, the warlord Qin Shi Huang, known as the Dragon Emperor, sought immortality and was cursed by the sorceress Zi Yuan, turning him and his army into terracotta. In 1946, Rick and Evelyn O'Connell and their son Alex find the Emperor's tomb. They are joined by Lin, the daughter of Zi Yuan. The O'Connells must stop a rogue military faction led by General Yang, who intends to use the 'Eye of Shangri-La' to resurrect the Emperor. After the Emperor is revived and gains supernatural powers, he transforms into a three-headed dragon and seeks to unleash his terracotta army. The O'Connells, Lin, and Zi Yuan travel to the Himalayas and eventually to the Great Wall. In a final confrontation, Zi Yuan sacrifices her immortality to raise an undead army of the Emperor's enemies. The O'Connells ultimately defeat the Emperor with a cursed dagger, destroying the terracotta army and ensuring the Emperor's defeat.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English; Mandarin
- Directors
- Rob Cohen
- Writers
- Alfred Gough · writer; Miles Millar · writer
- Cast and characters
- Brendan Fraser · Rick O'Connell; Jet Li · Qin Shi Huang; Maria Bello · Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell; John Hannah · Jonathan Carnahan; Russell Wong · General Ming Guo; Liam Cunningham · Mad Dog Maguire; Luke Ford · Alexander Rupert "Alex" O'Connell; Isabella Leong · Lin; Michelle Yeoh · Zi Yuan
- Genres
- action; adventure; fantasy
- Themes
- immortality; sacrifice; legacy
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; supernatural
- Premise and plot tags
- sequel; mythology; historical fiction
- Franchise connections
- The Mummy
- Reception
- The film received negative reviews from critics and was considered the lowest-grossing film in the trilogy.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 13% · scale: percentage · review count: 174; Metacritic · score: 31 · scale: 100 · review count: 33
- Production trivia
- The film was originally reported to be titled The Mummy 3: Curse of the Dragon.; The film's score features various Chinese and Middle Eastern ethnic instruments.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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