The Mummy: A Dark Universe Kickoff That Stumbles but Shows Promise
The new “Mummy” film faced a daunting task: appealing to fans of the previous trilogy, classic horror aficionados, and casual moviegoers seeking a spectacular cinematic experience. While the result is uneven, it’s intriguing enough to warrant anticipation for future installments in the series.
The film introduces us to Nick Morton (Tom Cruise), a treasure hunter whose latest find – an ancient mummy’s sarcophagus – proves to be quite the handful for him and his team. While transporting the artifact, a flock of crows attacks their plane, leading to a catastrophic crash. Everyone on board perishes, including Nick, who inexplicably awakens in a morgue the next day. He soon discovers that he has caught the eye of the ancient sorceress Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), who intends to sacrifice him to a powerful god.
Officially, “The Mummy” marks the beginning of the Dark Universe. Unlike “The Wolfman” and “Dracula Untold,” it aims to establish a cohesive cinematic universe, much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Universal’s Monster Mash
Universal is forging its own “horror Avengers,” and while “The Wolfman” and “Dracula Untold” didn’t quite feel like parts of a unified cinematic world, “The Mummy” offers a glimpse into the future. A team of dark monsters led by the unpredictable Dr. Jekyll (played with apparent relish by Russell Crowe) could be a compelling alternative to the often-sunny comic book superheroes, if handled correctly. However, Universal seems to be struggling to find that “correct” approach. “The Mummy” itself seems torn by internal conflicts, much like Jekyll and Hyde themselves.
.jpg “A scene from “The Mummy””)
Echoes of the Past
Perhaps the main problem with Alex Kurtzman’s “The Mummy” is the shadow of Stephen Sommers’ “The Mummy” – a trilogy of teen-friendly fantasy action films that grew increasingly naive with each installment. The Dark Universe aims for a different style, but the producers seem unable to completely abandon Sommers’ films, which were formative for today’s twenty-somethings who drive box office revenue.
This leads to tonal inconsistencies in the new “Mummy.” A dark, gothic style infused with macabre humor, reminiscent of early John Landis films (Nick’s best friend returning from the dead with messages evokes Griffin Dunne’s character in “An American Werewolf in London”) and Sam Raimi’s “Darkman,” can be followed by a blatantly “pop” action scene in the vein of Sommers’ “Mummy” – complete with simple jokes and hordes of undead, like a video game arcade.
A Final Girl Twist
To be fair, the attempts to please everyone aren’t as intrusive or irritating as they could be, but this eclecticism doesn’t benefit the film. Viewers must also digest the somewhat unusual plot scheme of “Tom Cruise as the final girl,” where the ageless action hero plays the role of a victim, tasked with running away from his pursuer as fast as possible.
Nevertheless, “The Mummy” has something to offer. Its gloomy, deliberately pulpy, and daringly close to the PG-13 rating is refreshing, if only because it doesn’t resemble a typical summer blockbuster. In an era of endless sequels, remakes, and reboots that primarily reboot the names on the posters, this feels like a breath of fresh air. However, this feeling is somewhat illusory – after all, “The Mummy” comes from the same factory that churns out burger-blockbusters.
he future chessboard. Hence the somewhat awkward humor and lame third act, in which the authors seemed to be ashamed to demonstrate all the possibilities of the heroes. Cruise continues to unreservedly use his natural charm (although he already receives pins on the topic of his venerable age), Boutella, with her completely unearthly face, again skillfully rivets the viewer’s attention in each of her scenes, Crowe is unexpectedly convincing in the role of the Bad guy with a claim to exclusivity - but in general, the film looks like a prologue to something more. I really want to believe that something grandiose awaits ahead, but the fear of being mistaken is also great - there have already been a new “Dracula”, and “I, Frankenstein” and even “The Wolfman”. “Mummy”, alas, has not gone far from them, with all due respect to Cruise.