As they attempt to reboot what’s now known as the “Dark Universe,” Universal Pictures wants everyone to forget about their first attempt at bringing it to theaters a couple of years ago. Since everyone makes mistakes, I’m more than willing to do that. Plus, the way it’s looking in terms of the actors they’ve already brought on this time around, I’m actually open to what they have in store. Let’s just hope that whatever comes after it is an improvement over this updated version of The Mummy.
Tom Cruise stars as Nick Morton, an adventurer who has built a reputation of being reckless and dangerous. He can’t be trusted to always make the decisions that can be perceived as less risky, so it’s easy to see why he may have a tendency to aggravate those around him. With that being expected by those who associate with him, they shouldn’t be too shocked that he has now put their lives in grave danger after he accidentally opens the tomb of an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella) who’s looking to get back what was taken from her thousands of years earlier.
When you see Tom Cruise and an updated version of The Mummy being showcased, you’re thinking that there will be lots of running, jumping and all out action. Sure, there’s certainly some of that, but there’s also a good amount of exposition as well. You would obviously expect some talking and whatever, but we reach a point here where we are begging for more action at times.
Of course, you need some of this stuff in here. At the same time, people will be showing up see all the action that we’re anticipating. This is what Tom Cruise does in his typical summer blockbuster movies. What’s here is fine, but there’s a chance that you may find yourself wanting more of it while the characters are sometimes spending more time talking about a past romance than they are trying to survive and preventing an ancient antagonist from executing her evil plans.
Since they chose to focus more on conversation than they should have, some part of The Mummy had to be reduced significantly. Because of this fact, we end up actually getting less of the titular character than we should have. Although I understand that she’s not the focal point, they don’t treat her as if she’s very relevant to the movie overall. That’s bad since she is one of the better parts of everything that happens on the rare occasion she’s actually able to do something.
This causes an issue not only for the journey that we are asked to follow these characters on, it also prevents a good conclusion from being great one. There’s a twist that we get here that works well in establishing the future of this entire universe should everything work out the way Universal wants it to. However, not building up Sofia Boutella’s mummy up more also takes a little bit of the sensational nature out of the ending. Giving her more screen time and adding to her character makes what we witness cooler.
A part of me believes that this is why it’s difficult having someone like Tom Cruise in the lead of this particular type of movie. With him being the star that he is, I’m guessing they felt like he needed even more time in front of the camera. At the same time, you also understand why they would want someone like him in this role and as a part of their long-term plans. People like him, Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp add much-needed credibility to the whole thing.
The Mummy certainly isn’t what many would consider a great movie, but it will likely manage to generate interest in Universal’s Dark Universe for plenty of moviegoers. They already have some respected actors to go along with all of these properties. Now, they just need to make sure all of what they’re asking the public to buy is worth investing in. Since I like the concept and its potential, I don’t mind being patient as they put it all together even if I’m not too fond of what they gave us this time.
Rating: PG-13
Director: Alex Kurtzman
Cast:
Tom Cruise
Sofia Boutella
Annabelle Wallis
Jake Johnson
Courtney B. Vance
Marwan Kenzari
Russell Crowe
Film Length: 110 minutes
Release Date: June 9, 2017
Distributor: Universal Pictures
- Score - 4.5/104.5/10
