--- title: "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor" critics_score: 38 critics_reviews: 16 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008): what the critics said Critics' score 38 from 16 reviews: 1 positive, 5 mixed, 10 negative. Most critics find The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor a tired sequel, with spectacle doing little to compensate for weak dialogue and performances short on enthusiasm. Praise is scattered rather than sustained: Michelle Yeoh’s presence, the Chinese cast, the locations and costumes give some reviewers something to enjoy. Even several unfavourable reviews acknowledge moments of energy or effective effects work, but the prevailing complaint is that the adventure lacks its predecessors’ fun. The spread is wide, with disagreement over whether the absurdity entertains and whether the action is competently staged. The AV Club offers the clearest defence, enjoying the parade of outlandish creatures and Jet Li’s villain despite the mechanical plotting. Eye for Film also finds the action confident, whereas Variety considers it incoherent and poorly staged. Reservations otherwise cluster around laboured family banter, uneven effects and awkward acting; the more receptive reviews largely accept those flaws as the price of a light-hearted diversion. ## The AV Club — Nathan Rabin Rating B-. 31 July 2008. Rabin finds the film mechanically plotted but entertaining as an excessive, ridiculous spectacle. He singles out its parade of outlandish elements, including yetis, undead armies, and Jet Li’s memorable villain. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor-1798204644) ## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 31 July 2008. This is a review of the matching film, but the review text is hidden behind a paywall. The accessible page provides no verdict or specific praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor/4040072.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2008. The page could not be accessed, so the critic’s verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the supplied page text. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/01/movies/01mumm.html) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 63/100 (inferred from the text). The page could not be accessed, so its verdict cannot be established. No specific praise or complaint is available from the blocked text. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor-2008) ## Radio Times — Sue Robinson Rating 2/5. Robinson finds the sequel diminished compared with its predecessor. She singles out the loss of vigour in Brendan Fraser’s performance as a disappointment. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-d130s5/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 1 August 2008. Turan finds the sequel less enjoyable than its predecessors and says its spectacle cannot overcome its weak banter and uninvolved performances. He praises the epic scale and Michelle Yeoh’s commanding presence. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-aug-01-et-mummy1-story.html) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 22 March 2007. The critic finds the film competent but dull, lacking the memorable moments that made earlier entries fun. He singles out the clunky script and the charisma-free performance of Luke Ford as major weaknesses. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mummy-tomb-dragon-emperor-review/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Frank Scheck Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2008. Scheck finds the sequel tired and says it makes the franchise feel finished despite its action and effects. He praises the terra cotta soldiers’ CGI, while criticizing the silly tone and awkward performances. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mummy-tomb-dragon-emperor-movie-2008-116611/) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Rating 1/4. 30 July 2008. Schager gives the film a scathing verdict, calling it nearly unwatchable and empty-headed. He particularly condemns the chaotic action sequences, with their excessive effects, noise, and spastic camera movement. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor/) ## Time Out — David Jenkins Rating 1/5. 5 August 2008. The critic pans this phoned-in action sequel as farcical. They complain that it makes the recent Indiana Jones film seem dramatically and archaeologically sound. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 8 August 2008. Bradshaw pans the film as a lifeless, money-making exercise. He singles out Maria Bello’s unconvincing accent and the poor writing and direction for John Hannah. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/aug/08/actionandadventure1) ## Variety — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 30 July 2008. McCarthy pans the film as stale, low-grade franchise fare and says the time has come to end the series. He singles out the incoherent, poorly staged action and weak family dialogue as major flaws. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2008/film/markets-festivals/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor-3-1200508047/) ## Den of Geek — Sarah Dobbs Rating 3/5. 4 August 2008. Dobbs finds the film a silly, light-hearted adventure that works as a fun pick-me-up despite its flaws. She especially praises its gorgeous locations and fantastic costumes, while lamenting the limited screen time for Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor-review/) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 6 August 2008. Kermode finds the film watchable but uneven, saying it falls short of the rip-roaring adventure it should be. She praises the Chinese stars and confident action set pieces, while criticizing Maria Bello’s performance and the laboured dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Paste — Russ Fischer Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 27 August 2008. Fischer finds the film marginally better than the latest Indiana Jones, but ultimately a weak, inconsistent adventure. He praises the early setpieces’ energy while faulting the flat Jet Li–Michelle Yeoh confrontation and slapdash CGI. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/brendan-fraser/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 5 August 2008. The critic finds the film lifeless, trite, and a disappointing imitation of its predecessors. Michelle Yeoh’s swordplay showdown with Jet Li is singled out as the highlight, while the effects are criticized as lacklustre. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a119371/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-mummy-tomb-of-the-dragon-emperor.md