The Mummy Returns starring Brendan Fraser was an opinionated movie, to say the least. In the modern age of big-budget CGIs, the 2001 film surely lacked the technology. The bad graphics and janky-video game character style were disappointing for many, but not Brendan Fraser.
Following a retrospective of his career with GQ, the George of the Jungle actor talked about the bad CGI effects and how it all worked out in the end.
Brendan Fraser Feels The CGI Somehow Fit In The Narrative
If you feel the above image is from some Mortal Kombat game from the early 2000s, you are not the only one. The image is of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson portraying the character of Scorpion King in the movie. The bad CGI was a factor of disappointment for many and made the tone of the movie lower.
In his talks with GQ, Brendan Fraser was very upfront about the CGI used in The Mummy Returns. Although the actor admitted the terribleness of it, he claimed that it somehow fit in the narrative of the story. The spectacle went down at the premiere of The Mummy Returns where Brendan Fraser met the CGI team of the movie.
“I never met Dwayne until after the premiere because he was a piece of tape on a stick that we referred to. Of course, they put him in CGI later. I know, I know. Be kind! The guys who did the CGI of the Scorpion King, [I saw them] at the premiere and they were like, ‘Hey, how are you? We did the Scorpion King CGI. Yeah we needed a little more time. It was very last minute.’”
Although the last-minute reason has been listed multiple times in ways of bad CGI, it was of lower quality even during the 2000s. Brendan Fraser also stated how the solution could be fixed or for him…just let it be.
“Some of the charm of it now is…it could get remastered I guess, but it wouldn’t be as fun if you didn’t see this janky video game character of Dwayne. It’s somehow just perfect how it works.”
The Mummy Returns got a rating of 6.4/10 on IMDB and a low of 47% on Rotten Tomatoes. Many people loved the storyline and the action but the CGI was what hindered them the most. After starring in the 2001 film, Fraser went on to star in the third part of the franchise The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor which failed disastrously.
Brendan Fraser Returns To Hollywood After a Long Time
In 2018, Brendan Fraser accused the then-president of HFPA Philip Berk of sexually groping the actor back in 2003. Fraser faced many mental and physical health issues as the whole matter was dispersed quickly. Following the years-long absence from Hollywood, the actor is back with a bang.
Brendan Fraser will star alongside Sadie Sink in the upcoming movie The Whale. The movie depicts the relationship of an obese English teacher with his estranged teenage daughter as he tries to have a last chance at redemption. The early screenings of the film have proved to be much successful. There are even rumors of Brendan Fraser getting an Oscar for his acting in the movie.
The Whale is set for a release date of 9th December 2022 in the US.
Source: Variety
