When it comes to big-screen monsters, mummies normally get left by the wayside and forgotten, while their bigger and better brethren such as vampires and werewolves take center stage. Perhaps it's because mummies aren't as global as some of the other creepy creatures out there as they originate in Egypt, as well as mummies being sparse in general in the real-world.
That's not to say there aren't some stellar mummy movies out there and some of the representations of the bandage-wrapped baddies are perfect, though others don't hit the mark as much. Mummies definitely need some more love so we take a look at some of the best and the worst. Though be warned, some spoilers ahead.
Best: The Mummy's Curse
The Mummy's Curse released in 1944 and was the third sequel to The Mummy's Hand from 1940. The plot follows an engineering company in their stalled attempts to drain a swamp, as superstitions about a mummy and his bride surround the area. Unsurprisingly, during the film the mummy, Kharis, is resurrected and goes in search of his bride Ananka.
The interesting thing about this film is the idea of a mummy who doesn't retain its memories. Ananka is resurrected due to the sun and appears human, she has no idea who she really is but does remember a lot of knowledge about Egypt. As a result, she is afraid of Kharis when he comes looking for her. If your brain rotted away you might forget too.
Worst: Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy
The 1964 film Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy isn't quite what you'd expect from the title and instead presents a team of women wrestlers mainly taking on Prince Fujiyata and his own female wrestlers. However, the film does contain two mummies, Tezomoc and his lover Xochitl.
Forgetting the odd storyline for a moment, Tezomoc doesn't make for the best mummy material. While at first glance he seems the part, this mummy somehow manages to transform into a snake and a bat, something more often attributed to Dracula. Has someone got their monsters mixed up here?
Best: The Monster Squad
The Monster Squad is a comedy film released in 1987 that follows a group of kids known as "The Monster Squad" battling it out against Universal's band of monsters led by Count Dracula. Of course, one of these monster minions is none other than the mummy.
While this family-friendly film is not true horror, the mummy certainly looks the part and adds a new level of realism with the way in which he is defeated. The kids unravel his bandages, exposing his fragile corpse that breaks away into dust and eventually leaves his skull rolling into the road.
Worst: Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum is a family-friendly comedy film that released in 2006 and although it's not a horror film, it still includes a mummy in the form of character Ahkmenrah. While Ahkmenrah shows promise when trapped in his sarcophagus and screaming through his bandages, once he's let out he's actually nothing much like a mummy at all.
Herein lies the problem; the tablet of Ahkmenrah brings everything in the museum to life - but as they are. For example, the wax models are still wax and can be fixed back together when decapitated. So why does the decaying corpse of an ancient Egyptian become full flesh and blood? Most likely not to scare the kids in the audience, but this mummy cop-out still bothers fans.
Best: Bubba Ho-Tep
Bubba Ho-Tep released in 2002 and is based on Joe R. Lansdale's novella of the same name. It stars Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead fame as an elderly man who claims to be the real Elvis Presley. Together with his friend Jack, who claims to be the real John F. Kennedy, they seek to destroy the mummy that is plaguing their retirement home, who Presley dubbs Bubba Ho-Tep.
Cowboy outfit aside, the clever thing about this mummy interpretation is that Bubba Ho-Tep goes after the elderly. Not only are they incapable of out-running the also slow-moving mummy, but when he sucks out their souls it is simply dismissed as the elderly residents dying from old age.
Worst: The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
After the resurrection of The Mummy franchise in 1999, it's success went on to spawn a couple of sequels as well as many spin-off movies in the form of The Scorpion King series, which always chose a wrestler or fighter to star in.
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was the third installment to the O'Connell's adventures and decided to shake things up by leaving Egypt behind and taking on a Chinese mummy instead. The problem for fans was that this new mummy, the Emperor, wasn't mummy enough for their tastes. Viewers rarely see him in actually decomposing mummy form as he's trapped inside a stone body.
Best: The Mummy 1932
Inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 and the curse that was supposedly upon it, producer Carl Laemmle Jr. decided to commission a mummy horror film to add to his growing repertoire of horror films, including Dracula and Frankenstein. The Mummy follows the story of resurrected Priest Imhotep searching for the reincarnation of his long lost love.
Boris Karloff took the leading role of Imhotep after his successful portrayal of Frankenstein's monster. Karloff's Imhotep has become synonymous with the legend of the mummy monster and interestingly, his make-up for the mummy was based on the appearance of Ramses III for authenticity.
Worst: The Mummy 2017
The 2017 reboot of The Mummy didn't fare well with audiences or critics, with the film and actors being nominated for various Golden Raspberry Awards and Tom Cruise walking away with the Worst Actor award.
In keeping with the disappointing film, the mummy also ranks as one of the worst mummies on this list. Despite mixing things up by using a female mummy, it was hard for audiences to believe that Princess Ahmanet managed to become fluent in English so quickly, despite her reasoning for this being that the language was "simple".
Best: The Mummy 1999
In 1999, fans were given a fresh take on The Mummy, with it being a loose adaptation of the 1932 film. With modern-day special effects, the film was able to do justice to an authentic-looking, gooey and gross mummy, and actor Arnold Vosloo, who played Imhotep, made a memorable and commanding performance even when fully flesh.
Another great thing about this film is how believable the mummy is, shown when Imhotep is approaching Benny who is reciting prayers in various languages. Imhotep only recognizes when Benny speaks Hebrew, calling it "the language of the slaves" and lets Benny live to help with translation for Imhotep.
Worst: Blood from the Mummy's Tomb
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb released in 1971 and follows the story of an expedition who discover the ancient tomb of the evil Egyptian Queen Tera. The film progresses with people trying to reanimate the deceased queen, as well as various body double antics as the lead Professor's daughter, Margaret, looks exactly like Tera.
The problem with this mummy film is that Queen Tera isn't a mummy at all; she's been in suspended animation and as a result looks perfectly normal and healthy. The only time we see anyone in bandages is during the end scene when the sole survivor of the whole debacle is being unwrapped, leaving viewers wondering whether it's Tera or Margaret.