Rating of
2/4
The Mummy - Review
Matthew Brady - wrote on 06/15/17
"The Mummy" isn't a bad movie, just a "blah" one. Didn't hate it like everyone else, but liked it on a enjoyment level.
There were many promising elements here that I wouldn't call "great", but ideas that were visible in it's presentation. I must admit that plane crash scene was pretty intense and had my heart racing. Good thing that Cruise screaming from the trailer wasn't in the final cut, because that would easily ruin the scene. Sofia Boutella did a decent job playing the Mummy. And that's really it for me when it comes to positives.
The Dark Universe? Holy crap dose that feel forced. Especially with the logo at the beginning. I know the old monster movies did a shared universe, but the way this was executed was pretty embarrassing. And with "The Mummy" being the first installment for a possible franchise wasn't really a solid start. Making an old classic horror film into a summer blockbuster is the first big mistake the film made. Would have been better if made as a low budget horror movie by A24, but I guess that doesn't sell in foreign markets.
The amount of explanations in here is so abused, it feels like a first time director made this. Again, would have been better with a little visual storytelling for us to pick up on. Like Cruises character is a thief, but instead of showing him doing some thieving, they literally have to tell us loads of times just in case we didn't get it. And it doesn't end there, as we get flashbacks narrated by Russell Crowe for more explanations. Yeah!
Now I've got nothing against Tom Cruise and I never understood why anyone would dislike him. I mean, we've seen him deliver great performances and the level of dedication he puts into the work is unbelievable. But here, he feels so missed cast and it painfully shows. He was just basically playing Tom Cruise and not a character. He wasn't that good in the comedy and intense scenes.
Annabelle Wallis didn't really do anything to stand out. Her and Cruises characters are both morons who do things for shake of pressing the plot. Shes basically damsel in a distress and the worst type.
Even the tone of movie is all over the place. One minute it's trying to be funny with the characters saying one liners and making goofy faces during long pauses, as the audience are suppose to laugh. Then towards the second and third act, it completely takes a tone swift and goes for a serious version of "UNCHARTED".
Overall rating: "The Mummy" is exactly what you expected it to be from the trailers. A mash up of "Mission Impossible" and the 1999 version. Not awful, but nothing that's going to stick with me after a week.
