Writer: David Koepp
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Cast: Tom Cruise, Sophia Boutella, Jake Johnson, and Russell Crowe
Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) was an Egyptian princess with an insatiable hunger for power. Fate and black magic propel her to commit unimaginable crimes against her family. As punishment, the princess is mummified and imprisoned for eternity. Her slumber is interrupted by a soldier of fortune and relic robber, Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) in his haste to rob the tomb. Ahmanet The Mummy arises, determined to regain her strength, and create a new world with the Egyptian God of Chaos, Set. In order for Set to rule in the flesh a human life must be sacrificed. Unfortunately, for Nick, he is the chosen one. Tomb Raider Nick has no interest in being a sacrificial lamb and sets off on a wild adventure, hoping desperately to escape the mummy’s clutches and himself.
The Mummy is the hopeful beginning of a new franchise in the “Dark Universe”, a rumored Universal project that would breed several films from a shared universe. Unfortunately, this film falls short of expectations. We were excited about the rumors and anxious to see the film. With Tom Cruise in the lead and Russell Crowe supporting, we expected it to be epic. What we witnessed was an epic failure. There is an almost tangible lack of chemistry with the cast and the direction is sloppy. The introduction of Dr. Jekyll, for example, was supposed to be a big deal. Dr. Jekyll is expected to have his own standalone film in the “Dark Universe”. This film should have been the soft introduction to the franchise’s key players, however, the big reveal was awkward and clumsy, eliciting a collection of painful groans instead of joyful anticipation. The special effects were cheap and unimpressive. In a major scene, Ahmanet’s army of the undead reveals itself and should inspire fear or shock, but instead appear like the ghoul’s in a Michael Jackson video. We wouldn’t have been surprised at all if they had done a quick “Thriller” flash mob. In fact, we would have been delighted, a dance break would have added some much-needed excitement. One of the few bright spots in the film was watching Tom Cruise do what he does best. The stunts were classic Cruise, death-defying and impossible, but fun to watch. The fight sequences were the most enjoyable component of the movie. In a major showdown, we witness the true power of Ahmanet as she tosses a battle weary Nick like an unwashed rag. It takes more than a handful of decent scenes to make an enjoyable film. We sincerely hope “The Mummy” will be the one misstep in a new universe of monster movies and not the final nail in the sarcophagus of the monster universe we’ve been waiting for.
Check it out for yourself as The Mummy hits theaters this Friday!
P.S.
Brendan Fraser we miss you!!!