The Mummy (1999) is a great film, the other films are great as well (yes even the third one). I’m not afraid to admit that they’re some of my favourite films. I can probably do a one woman show, just reenacting all three films. I love me some Brendan Fraser; a fun fact once I saw him at Eaton Centre many years ago. I love the terrible cgi mess of Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson as the Scorpion King. I love the ridiculous, campy feel of this Indiana Jones knockoff. I have watched the entire series each year since I was a kid. Why? Because it’s a comfort film for me. I always have fun watching it and never fails to cheer me up.
Some people may see this as a ‘bad’ film, but it has reached a certain level of cult status among a group of people who love how ‘bad’ it is. I admit, it’s not an Oscar worthy, amazing feat of cinema that will blow people’s minds. But I don’t think that’s the point of cinema. Now I can appreciate and admire films with artistic and technical merit, you know films considered great by the majority and award shows. Those films are great, but do I want to watch them when I’m sad, stressed, or just need a laugh? Not really and rarely will I watch In the Mood for Love (a Wong Kar Wai film and another favourite of mine), if I’m feeling done or need a laugh. Films such as The Room, Not Another Teen Movie, Showgirls, and Final Destination are considered ‘bad’, but it doesn’t take away the fact that they’re highly entertaining and are sources of good feelings.
Long story short, I love bad films. Bad films that are so bad, somehow they’re good. I may make fun of them and they may be ridiculous, but I stand behind a cheesy bad film. Bad films can create a sense of joy and wonderment. It can make you question why you choose to watch White Chicks over The Godfather, but you can watch whatever you want and like whatever you want. It’s a cliche, but art is subjective. So I don’t care if the film snobs look down on my favourite bad films, everyone has their own tastes, but I’ll always choose to watch The Mummy over Citizen Kane.
