Just saw it today. I really don't understand why the critics have been so harsh on the movie. It's called THE MUMMY: TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR. From that title alone, you don't go in expecting THE GODFATHER PART II. This third installment in the recent MUMMY frachise is nothing more than an over-glorified, big budget B-movie.... and that's what I LIKE ABOUT IT! It ain't Oscar worthy, high art cinema. And neither were THE MUMMY'S HAND, THE MUMMY'S GHOST, or HOUSE OF FRANKNSTEIN. It's action packed, and entertaining camp. As a huge fan of the first film, who hated the second, I have to say that this is a HUGE improvement over the first sequel, and certainly different from the first one in its own unique way. It's like the TEMPLE OF DOOM to the first one's RAIDERS. A unique adventure with its own tone and story, that takes the series into a different direction.
Overall, it had its flaws: The script could have been better. It wasn't the best, the dialoque was pretty weak, and alot of random stuff hapened, but it wasn't as God-awful as some other genre films. Plus, it was peppered with WTF moments. Like random Yetis: WTF!? Jet Li turining into King Ghidorah and CGI Harryhausen monsters: MASSIVE WTF??!! But, it fits in this fictional universe. Basically, this third installment was like INDIANA JONES meets RAY HARRYHAUSEN meets JAMES BOND meets ARMY OF DARKNESS. It's LEGEND OF THE SEVEN GOLDEN VAMPIRES, or rather MUMMIES, for the CGI generation. I went in with extremely low expectations due to the harsh reviews, and found myself enteratined. The costumes and sets were spectacular, and really give the film a great pulpy feel.
Maria Bello was a suitable replacement, but there's no reason why Weisz shouldn't have been in this film. It would have made it fit in better with the other two, but as a stand alone film, she works. Luke Ford as the son was great. He was likable, charismatic, and kicked alot of ass. Basically, he was the anti-Shia. If they did furture installments with him as the lead, I would be totally fine with it. Michelle Yeoh was great, and is kind of the Ardath Bey (1999 version) of this sequel. She is very attractive, and plays her part well. Of course Jet Li is bad ass as the Dragon Emperor, and is certainly the most evil of screen mummies. Where as Kharis and Imhotep were all about love, this guy just wants power and total control. Despite being a small guy in reall life, on screen, he has the presence of someone seven feet tall.
The film had plenty of fun, non-stop action, but I agree, the editing was a little muddled, and too fast at times. I saw it in a packed theater, and the audience reaction was superb. People were laughing, cheering and having a good time throughout the whole thing. Unlike THE DARK KNIGHT, where loud audience reactions were few and far between. That isn't to say this is a better movie than TDK, but it is certainly more fun.
Overall, a MUCH better experiece than the dissapointing INDY 4 (and the original RAIDERS is my favorite movie of ALL time), the lame MUMMY RETURNS, and of course VAN HELSING. Go in with low expectations, and you should have a good time. If you love monsters and martial arts, and pulpy B-movie style mixed with summer blockbuster action, this is definitely worth seeing. I certainly hope it does well enough at the box office to warrant a 4th one, maybe a darker film that introduces Kharis to modern audiences...