How sad is this?

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Thirty years have gone by since the supposed destruction of the mummy in "The Mummy's Hand", and after a lengthy flashback to at least a reel of the first film, we get the news that George Zucco's Andoheb has survived his being shot and falling down a huge flight of cement pyramid steps and has been keeping the slightly burnt mummy in hiding for further revenge. Peggy Moran's character, seen in the flashbacks, has passed away (from natural causes we are supposed to believe), and her widower (Dick Foran) has told the story of what happened all those years ago to his sister (Mary Gordon), son (John Hubbard) and fiancee (Elyse Knox). But at that very moment, Zucco passes the mummy torch onto the sexy Turhan Bey who brings along the mummy to nearby where Foran, Gordon and Hubbard now live. Taking a job as a caretaker of a nearby mansion, Bey sets out to complete his task of killing off the remaining desecraters of Kharis's tomb, and that includes Foran's old friend (Wallace Ford), still wise-cracking, who happens to pay a visit to his old pal. Bey makes the mistake of forgetting Zucco's warning of not being distracted by anything by becoming obsessed with making Knox his wife and forcing her, along with himself, to take a potion made of the tana leaves so they can live together forever and be immortal.O.K., so thirty years has gone by, but nothing in society has apparently changed, so if this is supposed to be in the future, you wouldn't know it. Had this simply been a completely different film with different characters, it could have been so much better, because the story is fine. But in continuing the story from the previous film is where the writers make their mistake because that increases the number of plot holes. Foran and Gordon, supposed to be brother and sister, seem nothing alike, and Lon Chaney Jr., taking over for Tom Tyler in the mummy bandages, does nothing but skulk around and attack his victims, no recognition even with his eyes that it is Chaney. The fact that major characters from the first film become victims of the mummy here was an interesting choice, but the conclusion, where villagers storm the mansion where Bey is residing, seems straight out of a "Frankenstein" movie. It's silly fun, once again instantly forgettable, and proof that too much of a good thing can make that good thing not so good afterall.

This sequel in Universals' franchise takes place *supposedly* 30 years after the events of the previous sequel, "The Mummy's Hand". The people in that story are now being targeted for destruction for their foolhardy entrance into Egyptian tombs. A young high priest, Mehemet (Turhan Bey), travels with the still living mummy Kharis (Lon Chaney Jr.) to America to carry out the mission. John Banning (John Hubbard) must now deal with the mess created by his dad Stephen (Dick Foran) and his associates decades ago.It's just not the same seeing our slow and stubbornly determined mummy shamble his way through American suburbs. The atmosphere of African settings is sorely missed, and quite frankly the mummy really looks out of place in this sort of setting. The presentation lacks any sort of style or interesting features, although it's amusing to note the way that so many of these Universal horrors need to include torch bearing angry citizens. Also, this would be QUITE the short movie indeed if it didn't start with such heavy use of stock footage.The cast gives it some entertainment value. Lon Jr. is basically adequate as the title character; Bey leaves the bigger impression as the villain who changes his mission somewhat when he lays his eyes on the lovely Isobel (Elyse Knox) and decides that he must possess her. It's nice to see Foran, George Zucco (whose screen time is much too brief), Wallace Ford, and Frank Reicher, as always.Painless to watch for 61 minutes but definitely minor Universal horror from this period.Five out of 10.

There are a lot of good Universal Horror films and as someone who likes Lon Chaney Jnr, especially as WolfMan, I was all for seeing The Mummy's Tomb. The Mummy's Tomb is by no means an unwatchable, or even a bad, film, but it is rather disappointing and uninspired, as a sequel and as a film.Starting with the good things, some of the photography is very good and moody as is the shadowy lighting, the make-up on Kharis is cool and has an element of creepiness. A couple of the murders- the film killing off three of the characters from the previous film The Mummy's Hand was a very bold move for Universal and one of the film's interest points- do have a genuine eeriness and the climax is very exciting. The cast is largely uneven, too many not making an impression, but George Zucco is sinister and authoritative in his rather too brief appearance, Turhan Bey also doesn't have an awful lot to do but is suitably smarmy and Elyse Knox glows with charm on screen. John Hubbard is also more than able if ever so slightly bland. Lon Chaney Jnr's performance is uneven, there are times where he is genuinely intimidating but at other times, and too often, he lumbers his way through his rather characterless role as Kharis.However, The Mummy's Tomb starts off very ploddingly with a 10-15 minute stock footage introduction that while relevant took up too much of the film and was sloppily edited. And outside of the murders and the climax, the film never recovers from the plodding start with a corny, underdeveloped romance and scenes that were more silly and over-familiar than suspenseful. There was the feeling of too much filler that was either overlong or unnecessary, to stretch out a rather thin and increasingly meandering story. The music is stock and repetitive as well as forgettable, the script while darker in tone to The Mummy's Hand is stiff and veers on dreary, the film too often is flatly directed and the supporting characters are very thinly sketched to the extent that the actors just don't register, and that's including the more subdued role of Babe.In conclusion, not unwatchable but uninspired. 5/10 Bethany Cox

Harold Young directed this sequel to "The Mummy's Hand", now starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis the mummy, who is still alive and on his way to America with a young priest(played by Turhan Bey) who are pledged to kill off the survivors of the Banning expedition that brought Princess Ananka home to the Scripps museum. George Zucco also returns as Andoheb, who survived being shot in the earlier film, and sent them on their mission of revenge. Dick Foran and Wallace Ford reprise their roles as Banning and Babe. Strange and misconceived sequel picks up the story thirty years later(!) Why the long wait? No idea, no explanation is given. To see key characters killed by Kharis is surprising, but also bizarre. Largely ineffectual film has little credibility or atmosphere; mostly good for camp value.