by Mitch Rily and Martin Palicki
Based on one of the classic Universal monsters, the movies “The Mummy” and “The Mummy Returns” breathed new life into the monster film genre, both becoming international blockbusters. In the summer of 2004, the creative team of Universal Studios ride designers and the director of the two films, Stephen Sommers, turned that success into the newest addition to their movie themed entertainment attractions: “Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride.”
“Revenge of the Mummy” in now the newest attraction at both the Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando theme parks, but as you can expect, each park and each ride provide their own unique experiences.
Orlando
The Orlando entrance to “Revenge of the Mummy” is almost as imposing as the legendary creature itself. Upon entering the columned Museum of Antiquities you quickly realize that you are on the set of the next Mummy movie. The queue quickly takes you into the depths of the temple. Heiroglyiphics on the walls indicate the place you have entered is ancient, and self- reflexively reference the building’s former occupant, one big, hairy ape known as King Kong. Guests choosing the Single Rider Queue, though extremely more expeditious than its counter- part, will miss out on a large part of the theming, and virtually all of the pre-show set-up. They will, for instance, forego the opportunity to scare their fellow guests by activating an air blaster and watching their surprised result in a Candid Camera-like setup (though why the air blaster is placed shortly after the activator remains a mystery—certainly those who activate the prank will be less surprised when it happens to them moments later).
Upon arrival at the loading station, guests are directed to one of two cars on either side of the loading platform. Once secured, you are off into the Mummy’s lair, hopefully with a “Good luck…I think you’ll need it” from the ride operating hostess.
After a moment’s pause while the track splitter allows the car across from you to enter the ride, you find yourself in a creepy chamber, and if you blink inappropriately you might miss a shadowy figure pass by a stairwell ahead of you. A “traditional” mummy warns you to turn back, that this whole place is a trap, when suddenly Imhotep bursts forth from a sarcophagus to silence your advisor and beckon you further into danger’s path. Rounding a corner illuminated by a heiroglyphic representing Imhotep himself, you suddenly you find yourself in a large chamber filled with jewels and riches (careful observers will note a gilded statue of King Kong in the far left corner). Amidst screams and flames, warrior mummies pop up, ready for attack, and Imhotep closes a large stone wall which you deftly duck under.
Your vehicle picks up some speed as you enter another chamber, and brake swiftly before slamming into another wall. Thou- sands of scarabs begin to take over the room, spewing forth from skeletons and crawling across every surface. Your car lurches back- wards, down a small drop and into another room. While your car rotates around to face forward again, Imhotep again tells you just how doomed you are, and before you know it, you are being launched uphill into a fog-backed projection of Imhotep’s face, and the roller coaster ride begins.
The emphasis on this portion of the ride is the pulsating soundtrack, the cold wind rushing past your face, and the feeling of speed. Strobing black lights illuminate fluorescent spirits as you race by. Though the effect is not nearly as interesting as the rest of the three-dimensional ride, the well designed track layout allows the thrills to take front seat, with the narrative elements resuming shortly
Another quick stop places you back in the ride’s unload station…or so it seems. An attraction hostess’ silhouette can be seen up behind the operator’s booth glass. Suddenly, the glass is shattered and Imhotep takes control of the ride. The ceiling above you is engulfed in flames and you are sent moving once again.
In perhaps the best thrill of the ride, your car takes a steep and quick dive (while stopped in the “faux” station, you do not realize our relative height within the building) into a glowing pit of fire and smoke. After a few more dives and turns Imhotep makes one last effort to suck the life out of you, unsuccessfully. You then find your- self back in the real unload station, having survived the Southeast’s version of “The Revenge of the Mummy.”
Hollywood
Located at the bottom of their ride-in-and-of-itself escalator system that connects the upper and lower levels of the park, Universal Studios Hollywood has unearthed their newest and fastest attraction, “Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride.” Built within two huge sound stages on the spot that was once the home of the “E.T.” ride, “Mummy” is an indoor roller coaster in a league all its own.
The atmosphere of the ancient Egyptian-themed ride does not actually be- gin the moment you walk through the “Mummy” entrance way, but mysteriously enough the spirits of the riders are raised a notch by something unexpected and oddly welcoming- free lockers.
Once everyone’s treasures have been safely stored away, adventurers are engulfed into the Tomb of Imhotep, a dark and mysterious chamber surrounding them in hieroglyphs, skeletons, and plenty of pre-ride distractions, including actual props from the movies. “Death will come on swift wings to whoever violates this tomb”, the curse of the tomb, reminds the waiting riders of the danger of possibly (inevitably) awakening Imhotep and his vengeful wrath.
With those cheery thoughts, along with a likely hour-long wait, the tomb travelers load into a 16-passenger mine car in the hopes of escaping the temple unharmed. As the mine car makes its way into the depths of the tomb, Imhotep appears from the shadows and curses the trespassers, sending them hurtling through the darkness towards his minions of destruction.
Black-lit phantoms flash above and around the riders, threatening at every turn until the car stops dead in a temple room, which suddenly begins to fill with scuttling scarabs. Just before the creepy crustaceans have a chance to attack, the mine car and its passengers are yanked in reverse, traveling backwards through the dark and under more of the mummy’s deadly disciples.
The car ends its rearward plummet in what appears to be outside of the tomb. A sandstorm closes in, with the face of Imhotep decrying the doomed explorers. The sun above is eclipsed, and fire and smoke surround the car. As Imhotep unleashes his final curse, the smoke clears and the riders are moved forward once again, returning to the loading chamber of the tomb.
Imhotep’s various incarnations, as well as the countless creatures of the scarab chamber, are extremely high-quality CGI graphics, using motion picture technology and crystal clear imaging to give a close-up realistic look to the characters on the screens surrounding the ride track. Between speakers placed throughout the ride and within the cars themselves, the riders’ sense of sound is besieged from every direction.
The mine cars themselves are propelled along 1800 feet of twisting track, imperceptible to the riders on board, by high-tech linear induction motors. These new motors give the travelers a smooth and speedy ride, including rapid starts and stops without any major jarring effects. The absence of light for much of the roller coaster ride gives the passengers a feeling of even greater speed, as they have no true reference points by which to gauge their movement.
Unfortunately, the black-lit specters appear far too simplistic and stationary in comparison to the rest of the high-end technology in the ride. Reminiscent of a Scooby Doo cartoon, the flashing phantasms are the low point on an otherwise impressive endeavor.
At first look, “Revenge of the Mummy” is oddly reminiscent of a similar ride also inspired by a movie series fronted by an adventuring archeological explorer (think ‘fedora and whip’). In terms of overall technology, though, Universal has set a new standard for indoor roller coasters, creating a realistic adventure ride that exemplifies the merger of Hollywood special effects and amusement park engineering.
