Brendan Fraser returns to the role of intrepid explorer Rick O’Connell in The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the third in the popular series. The actor is also starring in another of this summer’s big blockbusters, the 3D spectacular Journey to the Center of the Earth. He chats to Bryan Cairns about his latest adventures.

After his last two adventures, has Rick O’Connell fully embraced his action hero status in Tomb of the Dragon Emperor?

Before he was like, “What did I do to deserve this? Why do I have to be the guy who has to take on the undead? I have to get a real job!” The thing with Rick this time around is all that success has caught up and he has become his own worst nightmare, a gentleman of leisure who can’t find a hobby to keep him satisfied because he misses the old days. He has hung up his guns reluctantly. Evelyn is a very successful author and they both can’t come to admitting they miss the good old days. The news that their son has made a discovery comes to a surprise to them.

Rick’s son Alex is now all grown up and getting into a world of trouble. What’s his relationship with his parents like now?

The average family dynamic of “You are supposed to do what I told you to do because I am your father!” It’s that old bull/young bull locking horns. Then Mom steps in and says “Both of you knock it off!” and throws a bucket of cold water on top of them. All of this goes on and gets played out throughout the film, while all these huge film set pieces are moving around with all this whiz bang CGI excitement of what cinema has to offer right now. It is really about a family reuniting and growing to be a cohesive loving unit again. They pull together and you can’t predict what happens, but this third one kept me busy.

What makes Emperor Han such a worthy adversary?

Well, it is pathetic in a way. If you remember Imhotep, he was just trying to reunite with his lost love who betrayed him in the end. This movie is about good and evil and with Jet Li’s global appeal and recognition, he has a real sense of playfulness. And when he wants to take over the world, who are you going to call but the O’Connells? Just like in the first two pictures, we rarely met on screen just because we are always busy chasing each other until the climatic ending. We will see who prevails and at what cost.

You developed a strong chemistry with Rachel Weisz in the previous Mummy movies. Did it feel strange to have Maria Bello replace her as Evelyn?

When I read the draft, I could only see Rachel. I could hear her voice. I knew her delivery, I just knew her rhythm of how she did Evelyn and I did Rick. It would be remiss of me not to admit that her absence is felt. But I thought back 20 years ago when I was in training in a conservatory, we were taught a role is a role. It could be played by anyone…I digress only to make the point that Evie is a role and there are many fine actresses out there. Maria Bello is certainly one. She is transformational and able to employ dialogue. She was also mindful of the character established in the previous two pictures. She not only owns it for herself, but also steps in to those knee-high boots to meet the expectations of the audience. But Maria is a different actress and she puts her signature on the role.

It came clear to me that as a new movie, it has to stand independently of the previous ones and since seven years have gone by, it kind of works. It has changed from being Egyptian, and now that it is in Asia and China, we can take those liberties. We have a new director, Rob Cohen, who brings something new to the picture. It almost feels like this isn’t really a franchise piece anymore.

In Journey to the Center of the Earth, your character Trevor is also on the adventure of a lifetime. Are Rick and Trevor built from the save mold?

No. Trevor is a professor of physics and geology. We learn his brother went on an expedition which he didn’t return from. Trevor has not by any means been trained to navigate as a mountaineer. He hasn’t done the field work; he was the information technology guy. His brother did all of that. Out of necessity, Trevor has to find it within himself to step up, get that backbone, and take on that alpha dog position. There is a nice transition that gets made in Journey. If there are shades of similarity, it is a genre and type of character that I am comfortable with and enjoy playing.

One of the big draws of Journey is its groundbreaking 3D effects…

Computer generated imagery is something we have come to expect. Anything is possible. So what can really dazzle and capture the imagination, the way it used to when we first started seeing this imagery in film? The new direction the industry is headed towards is 3D. I happen to be on the tip of the sphere with that technology with Journey to the Center of the Earth.

[Director] Eric Brevig worked with James Cameron on The Abyss. We cobbled together a film that follows Jules Verne’s classic novella and sends these modern characters on a similar adventure using the novel as a guide book. In my view, not all films should be seen in 3D or should be shot that way, but I predict that we will have an option to flip a switch on the remote and watch the Super Bowl in 3D if we want to.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is released in UK and US cinemas on 11 July 2008. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is released in US cinemas on 1 August 2008 and in UK cinemas on 8 August 2008.