Poster art for "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor."

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Avg. Critic Score: 31 out of 100 Generally unfavorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
12 Iffy for 12+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Now why did I like this movie? It was just plain dumb fun, is why. It is absurd and preposterous, and proud of it. Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    After an hour of inert exposition, a race through Shanghai gooses the movie alive. Then it plunges back into torpor. Read full review

  • 40
    Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan

    Though the new film has some good things, it does not have enough of them to make the third time the charm. Read full review

  • 30
    The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck

    Too much of the proceedings are silly rather than horrifying, with the nadir being the appearance of some particularly athletic Yetis who briefly pitch in to lend a hand. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post |

    Tiresome and messy. Read full review

  • 30
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    The kindest thing to be said for this frantic, cluttered mess of cheesy computer-generated action-adventure clichs is that at least you can see how the estimated $175 million budget was spent. Read full review

  • 25
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    The new Mummy is, how can I put it? Just freakin' awful. Read full review

  • 25
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    As for Fraser, his clumsy humanity is endearing, but by now, assuming he has invested wisely, he should have enough money saved so as to not have to waste his talent anymore. Read full review

  • 25
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    Remarkably, the plot has much in common with "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," yet that bundle of fun has enough vision to make even its Barry Manilow interlude seem appropriate. Read full review

  • 20
    Variety | Todd McCarthy

    Reheating the ingredients can't disguise how stale they are, as setpiece after setpiece strains to whip up excitement, only to fall flat while reminding of previous sequences that did such things ever so much better. Read full review

View more reviews for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 12+ Violent action sequel should've stayed buried.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this third installment in The Mummy series has plenty of action violence, which may be a big draw for kids. Only a few of scenes are actually gory -- faces melting off, men about to be decapitated or dismembered -- but most of the battle scenes involve explosions, sword fights, guns, and hand-to-hand combat. Be prepared for the vast hordes of skeleton warriors; they could be quite scary for younger viewers. There's relatively little swearing, although hero Rick does refer to two Chinese soldiers as "Ying" and "Yang." In addition to a few kisses, a woman appears in a long negligee, and two characters appear about to make love (passionate kissing lying down).
  • Families can talk about whether sequels are generally as good as the originals. Can you think of any that are? Does it matter when, as in this case, one of the main actors doesn't come back? Also, the bulk of the film is set in China: How is Chinese culture represented? How does that depiction relate to the time period in which the movie takes place? Did you learn anything about Chinese culture?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: The emperor is obsessed with world domination. Alex lies to his parents about attending college. Characters betray each other. Rick jokingly calls two Chinese people "Ying" and "Yang." The O'Connells act like their lives are only bearable when they're involved in some dangerous adventure.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: Lots of action violence and implied gore: faces melt, a man is about to be quartered, several shots of near decapitations, limbs are dismembered, bodies are stabbed and shot. Huge Yetis appear as scary CGI panther-like creatures. There are hordes of skeletal warriors (a la Pirates of the Caribbean).
  • sex false0 Sex: Evie appears in a nightgown to seduce her husband. Rick makes a joke about "inspiring" his wife in the bedroom. Two or three passionate kisses. A couple seems about to make love, but they're clothed.
  • language false0 Language: Words include "bastard," "ass," and "rot in hell."
  • consumerism false0 Consumerism: Not an issue
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Clubgoers drink champagne and cocktails; a character swigs straight from a liquor bottle; a couple has wine for dinner.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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