John Hannah: 70%

This film goes to show that it's not what you know, it's who you know. Or rather what your parents know. My Dad's a teacher and I remember once accompanying him on a geography field trip when I was nine. The most exciting thing that happened was someone lost their welly in a stream. If you're Alex O'Connell though, son of treasure-hunting Rick and Evie, you get to start a chain reaction that could trigger the end of the world. Just how cool is that?!

This film is a carbon copy of The Mummy except for more special effects and even more bad guys. The plot is, to borrow a line from the original, "a flim-flam". Evie's a reincarnation of the Pharoah's daughter Nefertiri. So why didn't Imotep recognise her first time round? And what's all this stuff about Rick being a Magi? And wasn't Hamunaptra completely destroyed after the first film?

I'm just being picky. You should simply let this 4WD of a blockbuster take you over the plot holes and enjoy the view. Anyone who survived the carnage of last time reappears in the sequel. As Rick's brother-in-law, John Hannah is once again the King of Blustering. He gets some fab squabbling scenes with young Alex, saves the day with his shooting (unlike the first film) and even gets some treasure this time round. That's what I love about the director Stephen Sommers, he lets the heroes get something for their trouble.

Brendan Fraser doesn't even have seemed to have changed britches let alone stride since the last film, but there's no complaints from this quarter! I particularly enjoyed some groovy editing near the end alternating darkness with the fire-illuminated chiselled features of our hero. Move over Indiana!

The biggest transformation is Rachel Weisz as Evie Warrior Princess (quite literally). I suppose it's testament to Buffy and Lara Croft, but it's so great to see the girlie getting to do more than whimper in a corner. The only complaint is the fight scenes are executed at such a pace that you can't focus properly on what's happening. In fact the film as a whole could have done with a bit more simplicity and room to breathe, but it's certainly one hell of a magic carpet ride.

Bonuses: Watch out for the meta-cinematic references - E.T., Jurassic Park, Imotep doing a Darth Vader impression and surely the pygmy mummies on the log is straight out of that computer game Lemmings?