USD ($)
EUR (€)
The Mummy is a fresh reanimation of the cult-classic monster movie first seen in 1932 and the first installment of Universal's Dark Universe. The Mummy reboot follows new characters as they battle a new mummified evil set to destroy the fabric of existence.
The Mummy Unearthed
In present-day Iraq, a soldier-of-fortune Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and his comedic partner Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) accidentally discover the tomb of Ahmanet after calling in an airstrike on a village. Together with archaeologist Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis) they investigate the tomb and discover Ahmanet's sarcophagus; ignoring hieroglyphic warnings they extract it from a pool of mercury and put it on a transport plane bound for England.
During the flight, Chris becomes possessed by Ahmanet and tries to open the sarcophagus before attacking the group which forces Nick to shoot his friend. The plane is then bombarded by a murder of crows causing it to crash and kills everyone on board except Jenny who manages to parachute off the plane with the help of Nick before he perishing in the crash.
A day later, Nick wakes up in a morgue after encountering Chris's ghost who informs him that he has been cursed by Ahmanet and that she plans to seek Nick out to use him as a vessel for the Egyptian god, Set. During this time, Ahmanet (Sophia Boutella) escapes from her sarcophagus, feeds on rescue workers turning them into her zombified minions and manages to recover the Dagger of Set, the blade needed to transfer Set's spirit.
Soldiers from a secret organisation called Prodigium suddenly arrive and subdue Ahmanet. The soldiers' leader, Dr Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe), explains that Jenny is an agent of Prodigium, who are dedicated to hunting supernatural threats based under the Natural History Museum of London.
He confirms that Nick was cursed when he unlocked Ahmanet's tomb and reveals his intention to complete Ahmanet's ritual and allow Nick to be possessed by Set in order to destroy the Egyptian god and end his evil forever.
A Reminiscent Tale
The Mummy reboot is supposed to be a direct remake of the 1932 story line, however, fans of the 1999 Brendon Fraser version will find a lot in common with this simple story line. Three main characters unleash an unspeakable terror on the world, work out how to stop that said terror whilst trying to stay alive and somehow bring the dead back to life- sound familiar?
The two movies have similar archetypes that characters follow; there's the charming rogue male lead, the comedy relief sidekick, the smart female love interest, the newly-awoken ancient villain trying to destroy the world and finally, a leader of a secret organisation no one knew existed.
The slight differences in the new film are the modern setting and that the characters have different back stories that blend well into the narrative to create a stand-alone remake that is entertaining in its own right.
A Reminiscent Tale
The Mummy reboot is supposed to be a direct remake of the 1932 story line, however, fans of the 1999 Brendon Fraser version will find a lot in common with this simple story line. Three main characters unleash an unspeakable terror on the world, work out how to stop that said terror whilst trying to stay alive and somehow bring the dead back to life- sound familiar?
The two movies have similar archetypes that characters follow; there's the charming rogue male lead, the comedy relief sidekick, the smart female love interest, the newly-awoken ancient villain trying to destroy the world and finally, a leader of a secret organisation no one knew existed.
The slight differences in the new film are the modern setting and that the characters have different back stories that blend well into the narrative to create a stand-alone remake that is entertaining in its own right.
Digging in Deep
Director, Alex Kurtzman has taken the lead in trying to not only re-create a monster classic but to also successfully launch the first installment in yet another movie universe, Universal's answer to the MCU, DCEU and the Monsterverse - Dark Universe.
On the surface, The Mummy is an action/adventure movie with some horror elements thrown in which give this film a strange mix that does work in a simple and nonchalant story line. The 'launchpad for the Dark Universe' theme thankfully does not overwhelm this film and instead, the use of Dr Jekyll and Prodigium are clever devices to move The Mummy forward and set up the foundation for upcoming installments, without the narrative losing focus on this film.
Alex Kurtzman utilises jump-scares to add the horror to this film which does seem to be an afterthought over the heavy action proficiency this film boasts which does take it away from the original movies true genre. The film-makers sacrificed visual storytelling for clunky elongated dialogue that holds the responsibility to tell the audience the story. A good example of this is how the film uses Dr Jekyll, to hold the duties of narrating the prologue and the voice-over responsibilities that introduce The Mummy, the Dark Universe and Ahmanet herself.
A Fallen Quality
The biggest disappointment in The Mummy comes with the direction they take the with the villain, Ahmanet. It is such a shame that the story reduces the ancient Egyptian princess to a needy-man-chaser-stalker-ex-girlfriend as this seems to be a conscious decision made by the writers which I feel, was unnecessary and somewhat innapropriate.
Ahmanet's backstory is gripping and full of depth which starts off the film in good stead with the promise of a character arc that will develop and spellbind audiences with intrigue and captivation. The film's path leads this particular female villain to be sexualised as she chases Nick with this unshakeable conception that she has 'chosen' him to be a vessel for a promise to resurrect a powerful male deity made a millennia ago.
That being said, Sophia Boutella adds darkness, malignance and venomous grace to a character worth more than the superfluous stalker she is concluded to.
A Fallen Quality
The biggest disappointment in The Mummy comes with the direction they take the with the villain, Ahmanet.
It is a shame that the story reduces the ancient Egyptian princess to needy-man-chaser-stalker-ex-girlfriend as this seems to be a conscious decision made by the writers.
Ahmanet's backstory is gripping and full of depth which starts off the film in good stead with the promise of a character arc that will develop and spellbind audiences with intrigue and captivation. The film's path leads this particular female villain to be sexualised as she chases Nick with this unshakeable conception that she has 'chosen' him to be a vessel for a promise to resurrect a powerful male deity made a millennia ago.
That being said, Sophia Boutella adds darkness, malignance and venomous grace to a character worth more than the superfluous stalker she is concluded to.
The Team
Tom Cruise brings the compelling action stock to this film with all the running, jumping and slam-bang sequences that are very mission: impossible-esque. Cruise is in comfortable territory in this film and is solid in his former military man role although the character lacks freshness and dramatic depth, Cruise does what Cruise does best and makes for an enjoyable film experience.
Annabelle Wallis as Jenny seems somewhat of a modern replacement for Rachel Weisz's Evie from the 1999 Mummy film, as she is introduced into the film as a simple conquest of the main male lead. However, Wallis gives the character a good foundation as she develops on the screen portraying intellect and substance to contrast the violent and primitive Ahmanet. Wallis isn't given much to play with in terms of the script which leaves her stuck in the archetypal as a damsel in distress and the love interest of the male lead who inspires him to be good.
The Mummy's talking point will be Russell Crowe as Dr Jekyll, his grandeur is personified as he encaptures the leader of a secret organisation based below the streets of London battling the supernatural.
Crowe brings weight to the role and fans will be thrilled to witness a brawl between Crowe and Cruise as Dr Jekyll battles with his own inner demons trying in vain to keep them from breaking free.
The Mummy's talking point will be Russell Crowe as Dr Jekyll, his grandeur is personified as he encaptures the leader of a secret organisation based below the streets of London battling the supernatural.
Crowe brings weight to the role and fans will be thrilled to witness a brawl between Crowe and Cruise as Dr Jekyll battles with his own inner demons trying in vain to keep them from breaking free.
A Final Thought
The Mummy is a decent film that is entertaining but will fail to hold any stance against the calibre of releases this year. The film is a good retelling of a classic monster story being set in modern times with a star cast that is enjoyable to see on screen together.
It is Cruise's jaw-dropping stunts and action sequences that highlight this movie with a sturdy foundation made from Boutella's and Crowe's performances. It is a film with a bit of everything making with a clarity and clear flow that makes it an adequate film experience for audiences. The Mummy's ending promises more from it's Dark Universe connections and results in being the film's biggest success as simply being a launchpad for more to come.
