20 Things You Somehow Missed In The Mummy (1999)
1. CGI Imhotep
Many moviegoers criticise how often mainstream movies rely on CGI. However, it shouldn't be an issue when special effects are indistinguishable to the human eye.
Speaking of which, there's one visual in The Mummy's prologue that the most eagle-eyed viewers mightn't have noticed. When Imhotep is fully bandaged for the first time, the character is played by Arnold Vosloo.
But when the guard throws the scarabs into the sarcophagus, the bandaged figure is 100% CGI.
The first question many people will ask upon learning this piece of trivia is why didn't Vosloo shoot this simple shot? It should be easy since the scarabs are digital, right?
Though creating a digital human is complex and time-consuming, it was necessary for the shot Stephen Sommers had in mind. Since the scarabs were computer-generated, it'd be easier for them to interact with another CGI effect. After all, the programmers can adjust the movements of the digital Imhotep so they correspond with the beetles scuttling around his body.
It may sound unnecessary but the finished product speaks for itself. The digital Imhotep moves so realistically in this sequence, that it's hard to believe he's nothing more than a bunch of polygons.