Summary

• The Mummy franchise has deep roots in classic horror, with sequels and reboots establishing it as an iconic monster in cinema.
• While some Mummy movies struggle with recycled plot ideas, others introduce fresh concepts and stylish presentation.
• The Mummy's complex history includes both successful and failed attempts at establishing it within shared universes and franchises.

Like many classic horror movie icons, The Mummy has shambled its way through a great many films, with some doing the concept better than others. One of Universal's classic movie monsters, The Mummy character enjoys deserved recognition as an icon of scary movies, having stumbled into many other genres since its first film appearance in 1932. Of course, while Egyptian mummies existed in real life, the supernatural properties of a sandy undead beast have taken many forms over the years.

After the success of the original The Mummy, Universal was sure to capitalize on the trend with a slew of sequels in the '40s. Eventually, The Mummy was resurrected once more in the continuity of the beloved '90s The Mummy franchise, which put a new action-adventure spin on the straightforward horror movie. In recent years, The Mummy was known for being the latest attempt to establish Universal's failed Dark Universe franchise. Luckily, the bandaged monster has more successful showings than duds overall, keeping it in the public zeitgeist as a Halloween staple.

13 The Mummy's Tomb (1942)

Director: Harold Young

One of many formulaic sequels to have sprung from the original 1932's The Mummy, The Mummy's Tomb offers shockingly few new ideas to incorporate into the franchise, existing as a comfortably familiar re-hash of the first film's script. Bringing back the undead Kharis from The Mummy's Hand to go on a vengeful murder spree due to the desecration of his lover's tomb, the film culminates in the kidnapping of a beautiful woman, par for the course for early Universal monster films. The Mummy's Tomb even re-uses footage from The Mummy's Hand and Frankenstein, leaving it a literal stock monster movie.

The Mummy's Tomb even re-uses footage from The Mummy's Hand and Frankenstein, leaving it a literal stock monster movie.

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11 The Mummy's Curse (1944)

Director: Leslie Goodwins

The final film of the original black-and-white run of Mummy movies from Universal's early days, The Mummy's Curse ends the series with a last dusty gasp of mediocre quality. With a plot that had already been heavily recycled by previous films by this point, The Mummy's Curse also steals from The Creature From the Black Lagoon with its Louisiana swamp setting. Featuring a female Mummy, Princess Ananka, is at least a novel concept, but undeniably another re-hashed idea inspired by The Bride of Frankenstein almost ten years earlier.

10 The Mummy's Ghost (1944)

Director: Reginal Le Borg

Striking while the iron was hot, Universal released The Mummy's Ghost the same year as The Mummy's Curse, bringing back Lon Chaney Jr. as the titular monster. This time, the presentation and cinematography are turned up a notch, presenting the spiritual possession and return of The Mummy with stylish flair. While the human victims of the reanimated Egyptian fiend are as stale and one-dimensional as ever, The Mummy's Ghost sucker-punches its viewers with a twist ending that makes up for its occasional lag in pace.

9 The Mummy's Hand (1940)

Director: Christy Cabanne

The very first follow-up to the original The Mummy spurned on by the success of other Universal monster sequels, The Mummy's Hand is able to re-capture the scares of the first film. Adding a surprising dose of comedy to the Mummy's formula as well, some of the jokes in The Mummy's Hand have aged so poorly that they actually become funny again, if for the wrong reasons. Even if it certainly isn't the best Mummy movie, the entertaining characters and fascinating humor make The Mummy's Hand worth a watch even today.

...The Mummy's Hand is able to re-capture the scares of the first film.

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7 Abbott & Costello Meet The Mummy (1955)

Director: Charles Lamont

If The Mummy's Hand injects a smidgen of humor into the premise, Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy goes all in on the comedic elements of the monstrous mummy concept. One of many Abbott and Costello crossovers with Universal's monsters, the iconic comedy duo gets plenty of hilarious gags out of the premise of being treasure hunters in Egypt. Unfortunately, the actual Mummy gets shockingly little time to shine despite being in the title, with neither Boris Karloff nor Lon Chaney Jr. returning to reprise the role.

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5 Scooby-Doo! In Where's My Mummy? (2005)

Director: Joe Sichta

Having had close encounters with mummies before, it's no wonder that the subject managed to snag a logline on one of the many straight-to-video Scooby-Doo movies produced in the mid-2000s. The vibrant Egyptian setting adds some color and character to the usual adventures of Mystery Inc., and seeing The Mummy chase the gang has a certain untouchable nostalgia that the film is sure to capitalize on. However, the plot is marred by one of the most astonishingly complex and convoluted Scooby-Doo villain plans ever, with a baffling explanation that provides more questions than answers.

4 The Mummy Returns (2001)

Director: Stephen Sommers

The second installment in the Brendan Fraser The Mummy continuity, The Mummy Returns brings back all the first film's trademark elements while making some interesting new revelations to the franchise's lore. Fraser and Rachel Weisz's on-screen chemistry is as electric as ever, and the introduction of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as The Scorpion King help shape both the series itself and the wrestler's early acting career for decades to come. Unfortunately, the plot and characters take a noticeable backseat to the relentless action and aged special effects this time around, sanding off some of the first film's charm.