It's difficult to write about the new The Mummy movie without comparing it to Indiana Jones, which returned and disappointed earlier this summer. When The Mummy series started back in 1999 it, surprisingly, stood up well against the rival archeologist. Brendan Fraser, who had been such a loveable oaf in George of the Jungle, brought his goofy charm to the role of a British archaeologist and a franchise was born. The Mummy 2, like Indy 2, was a disappointment. This third instalment however is not half-bad, although I did wonder if this positive reaction was just relief that Rick O'Connell's first atomic age adventure didn't make the same mistakes that Indiana Jones 4 did when venturing deeper into the 20th century. Thankfully The Mummy doesn't forget its history and remains a tomb-raiding yarn without attempts to break genre conventions. For better or worse we get exactly what it says in the title: a mummy, a tomb and a dragon emperor.
However, like Indy 4, this new film is far too obsessed with setting up the protagonist's son as an action hero worthy of carrying the franchise forward. And seeing Fraser, who is yet to turn 40, playing a retired adventurer is a bit bizarre when Harrison Ford can still believably crack the whip in his sixties.
There is some updating. The action has moved from Egypt to China, but the biggest change is the decision to replace Rachel Weisz with Maria Bello as Evelyn. This switch is cleverly acknowledged when Evelyn is asked at a book reading whether the character Scarlett O'Keefe who appears in her books The Mummy and The Mummy Returns is based on her. With tongue firmly in cheek Bello's first words directly to camera are, "I am a completely different person". And she is. Bello is known for playing characters with fight and her Evelyn is less prissy, more gregarious and pushier than Weisz's English rose.
Playing Rick and Evelyn's 21-year-old-son Alex is the newcomer Luke Ford and his square jaw and tall stature make him look much more of a hero than his screen father. It's an impression borne out in a story that sees Alex try to come out of the shadow of his father and make his mark on the world of archaeology. He goes a long way to doing this by discovering a terracotta army in a tomb housing evil Emperor Han (Jet Li). Han, as Alex soon finds out, is a super-charged Mummy and so dad still needs to help out when the villain inevitably escapes. and in one spectacular sequence, everyone is grateful for the help of some outlandishly powerful Yetis. It's after this that things get a little silly with the director Rob Cohen making the mistake of thinking that bigger and more spectacular special effects make for a better entertainment. Yes, the reincarnated Chinese armies look great but they're a faceless bunch that we don't care for. Indeed, the failure to create satisfying villains is the film's major, but not quite fatal, Achilles heel.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
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HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
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Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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RACE CARD
6.30pm Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.40pm Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m
8.15pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m
The%20specs
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5