Universal is creating a new world of gods and monsters, called Dark Universe. The 2017 reboot of The Mummy is essentially the first movie planned in a series of movies that will see the likes of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula, The Invisible Man, and so on, come together. It is an interconnected franchise much like the DC and Marvel superhero movies. We watched The Mummy at Novo Cinemas, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dubai.
The film opens with us meeting paramilitary archaeologists Nick Morton (played by Tom Cruise) and Sergeant Vail (played by Jake Johnson), who have defied orders in an attempt to loot antiquities in northern Iraq. During the ensuing events between them and a bunch of militants, which ultimately ends in an air strike, the pair accidentally awaken Princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella) as they move her tomb from Egypt to London.
Ahmanet’s creepy spirit accompanies Nick back home where she is intent on getting her hands on a red jewel and a rusty dagger so that she can transform a man into a vessel for Set, the god of death. Nick’s plane crashes, giving him the opportunity for some Mission: Impossible-type midair acrobatics.
Having said that, however, the airplane crash scene was possibly the best scene in the entire movie. It did keep everyone on the edge of their seats. Princess Ahmanet is not a pleasant person to be around with – once she is awakened, Ahmanet is ready to wreck some havoc after being denied her destiny many centuries ago.
You also get to see Russell Crowe playing Dr Jekyll – this is certainly an introduction to the new Dark Universe. While the makers intended to make an awesome entry in to the Dark Universe, The Mummy feels like a poorly bandaged monster film from start to finish. The movie does get things off to a so-so start; it tries to be a crowd-pleaser, but it seems its makers never decided exactly what kind of movie they really wanted to make.
The Mummy is definitely an extremely grim welcome to a new world of gods and monsters. However, it also tries to juggle a number of different tones, often alternating between action, horror, and comedy within the span of a single scene. With Tom Cruise’s name attached to a movie, you would expect it to be an awesome watch. Sadly, The Mummy disappoints, when it comes to execution (no pun intended).
