Inside Universal Studios Hollywood's "Revenge of the Mummy" Ride

First published May 25, 2004

By C. W. Oberleitner

Now that the Orlando version of this Universal Studios thrill ride is open for business, JHM turns its attention to the West Coast edition of the attraction. So join Chuck Oberleitner as he goes on a behind-the-scenes tour of this soon-to-be-open USH attraction.

What would you get if you combined Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean dark ride with the equally dark thrills of Space Mountain? Answer, about a third of the thrills, chills and eye-popping special effects visitors to Universal Studios Hollywood (USH) theme park can expect early this summer when the park opens its newest attraction, Revenge of the Mummy the Ride.

Currently under construction in the old ET Adventure building on the lower level of USH, Revenge of the Mummy (RTM) is nearing final completion. According to RTM's creative director John Murdy, despite all the banging and testing still going on inside the show building it will open as scheduled on June 25.

Whether you've seen Universal's last two Mummy films, 1999's The Mummy and 2001's The Mummy Returns, or not you'll have no problem picking up the story line. Your adventure begins as soon as you enter one of RTM's three queue lines. In addition to the main entrance RTM will have a queue specifically for handicapped and disabled riders and a first ever "single-rider" line.

A word of caution to the squeamish, if you did see the Mummy movies and were at all bothered by those creepy, crawling, flesh-eating scarabs featured in both movies. Well let's just say you might want to carry an iPod loaded with heavy metal tracks cranked up to full volume while your in the show building.

There are actually two RTM attractions. At Universal Studios Florida, in Orlando, the first of these new thrill rides is already in operation. According to John Murdy, "Each ride has unique features, because they each went into an existing building." The result being that everything had to be custom designed for each attraction.

"The shows (within each RTM building) have variations." Said Murdy. "We have things that don't have and they have some things we don't. But, the basic idea is the same."

You enter the tomb of Imhotep hot on the heels of tomb robbers who have broken into the Imhotep's final resting place. Passing through a bronze door that the tomb robbers have pried open you find evidence of their desecration.

"The tomb is a sacred place never to be violated." Murdy said. "If you enter the tomb of Imhotep you set off the curse."

The queue features a series of what Murdy referred to as "interactive gags" all designed to promote the idea that we're venturing deeper into a mysteriously dangerous place. Mind the scarabs.

Soon we run into the charred smoldering remnants of two of the tomb robbers. Obviously they didn't survive their encounter with Imhotep. As John Murdy said, "now we know we're in trouble."

The three queue lines converge in the Chamber of Curses for RTM's pre-show. Here even the safety spiel captions are a special effect. Watch the walls above you as the sands morph into hieroglyphs then English text.

John Murdy explained that, "for us, the key thing that we focus on is this time of darkness… During this solar eclipse, this time of darkness, the Mummy can come from the land of the dead into the world of the living and get us. We have to get out of the tomb before he can get us." To do this you exit the chamber, enter the load station and board a ride vehicle that, hopefully, will get you out of the tomb before Imhotep catches up with you.

Of course, as with any good adventure story something goes horribly wrong. Instead of taking you out to safety your ride vehicle carries you deeper into Imhotep's tomb. Mind the scarabs.

Controlled by a sophisticated motion and braking system you slowly make your way past the bodies of those who came before you seeking riches. Your ride vehicle fills the chamber with the sounds of the terrors that await you.

Immersed in a sea of audio, visual and sensory effects you finally you come face to face with The Mummy himself, Imhotep!

Now there is only one way out. A high-speed race with the forces of evil to see who will out last the eclipse that has thrown the world into darkness and chaos. Suddenly your ride vehicle is launched at incredible speed out of the burial chamber and into the darkness.

As you race against the moon you face still more perils. Your ride vehicle flies forward then backwards along an unseen path. All along the way, The Mummy's minions pursue you.

This is the basic storyline and just a smattering of what riders can expect from USH's new Revenge of The Mummy ride. The finishing touches were still being put on this thrilling ride's special effects. So, I can't tell you exactly what they'll be like. I can tell you they will include a long list of state of the art animatronics, digital visual and audio effects as well a number of gimmicks guaranteed to send chills up your spine. The entire ride promises to provide the maximum in sensory input overload.

There is, however, more to the story behind RTM than just hi-tech FX. John Murdy and his crew put in hours researching every detail used to set the theme and scenes throughout the show building. Right down to the hieroglyphics, yes that's authentic text on the tomb walls, and they even consulted the real Book of The Dead.

Return of The Mummy composer Alan Silvestri worked on the ride score. Arnold Vosloo, who played Imhotep in both films, recorded the storyline dialog heard in the queue. Speaking first in ancient Egyptian he transitions to English. He does not, however, read the safety spiel.

"We worked very, very closely with the filmmakers." John Murdy said. "This has been the most intense collaboration ever for us. Stephen Sommers, who wrote and directed the (Mummy) movies has been working with us since the first film came out in 1999."

Murdy went on to say that he's still surprised at how many Hollywood directors don't feel that they've made it until they have a feature film turned into an attraction. He said Stephen Sommers once told him, "Now I can tell my mom I've made it in Hollywood because I have a ride based on my movie."

Revenge of the Mummy the Ride opens at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park Friday, June 25. A little later on our own Rick Gutierrez will have a more in depth look at the ride. Until then if you just can't wait, check out the ride features and videos at the USH website.

C'ya real soon!