By Jack Bottomley
Another in a recent line of animations converted over for an English speaking audience, this Spanish made animated adventure is fun fodder for the kids.
Mummies tells the story of an underworld where ancient Egyptian mummies are still very much alive and kicking, but when a special marriage ring is stolen by an obsessive archaeologist, begrudging to-be-weds Thut (The Inbetweeners’ Joe Thomas), his younger brother Sekhem (Noddy, Toyland Detective’s Santiago Winder) and Nefer (Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson) must head to modern day London to get it back.
This is a story full of elements done before and better of course (ancient characters meet the new world, forced love becoming true, “lets go to blighty” plot) but Mummies thunders along like a chariot race and is a colourfully animated ride, with a decent soundtrack (even the handful of songs are pretty good) and some great sight gags (the mistaking of a card machine for a tablet, an art mishap fix echoing a real life catastrophe).
It passes along agreeably, and the English voice cast (that includes the likes of Hugh Bonneville, Celia Imrie and Sean Bean) are well placed in this cross-cultural animation. Plus, the mummy croc sidekick to our heroes is very cute too.
From the plot’s wild turns from fiery phoenix chosen partners, to Egyptian adventure, to culture clash comedy, to song star dreaming, to an odd gimmick where electric lights show the true undead form, this one certainly bounds about from one thing to another. Yet, kids’ll have a good time. And undoubtedly click with some of the TikTok banter here, while adults may enjoy some of the more inventive gags the film thankfully does occasionally throw their way.
It may not re-build the pyramids but it won’t make you ‘king tut either. Inoffensive, child friendly, holiday, globetrotting, animated family fun.
Mummies is in cinemas now
