The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Here’s ample proof of the unwritten rule that second sequels always suck. This time out, the husband-and-wife adventurers battle an ancient Chinese emperor revived from a curse that turned him into terra-cotta. Fraser and series newcomer Bello (replacing Rachel Weisz) have the romantic chemistry of a pair of bricks, which at least makes it believable that they spawned bland Luke Ford, who plays their “roguish” son. The pacing is ponderous, the action badly executed and the CGI indifferent at best. If action movies are thrill machines, Tomb is made from reject-quality parts. The DVD doesn’t offer any additional features, but the two-disc version ($34.98) contains a bunch of behind-the-scenes featurettes and a commentary track from the director.