Combining Past And Present Should Have Been A Hit For "Mummy"
- Starring Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis, Sofia Boutella, Jake Johnson, Courtney B. Vance
- Rated PG-13
- Action, Fantasy
- Run time: 1 hr, 50 min
- In theaters June 9, 2017
Myth and monsters go hand in hand. There's a story we don't understand. A story with roots in both the past and evil. A past that contains hints of a legend that is bigger than anything we've seen. It's intriguing, it's classic, and it's what The Mummy attempted to bring to the big screen in 2017.
Unfortunately, something about this one just falls flat.
It isn't the mythos itself. The flashes back to ancient Egypt are actually fascinating and quite beautiful to watch. Sofia Boutella plays every aspect of her role - in flashback and in mummified present - quite impressively and the aspects of the plot that surround her are easily able to draw in the audience.
When the plot circles around to the main romance, however, is when it - oddly enough - becomes unbelievable.
There is a lack of chemistry between Cruise and Wallis, as well as a missing backstory for their characters. It's a bit of a stretch to understand why they would care for one another, let alone potentially risk their lives to save the other.
This film has little to do with the original series of Mummy movies, there is a blink-and-you-miss-it nod within the props. The humor also is similar to the previous films though it is not conveyed nearly as well through Cruise, who still somehow looks like he's in a Mission Impossible movie rather than one that has both supernatural elements and himself, being slapped around pretty aggressively.
All this being said, the movie is actually an enjoyable action/fantasy romp. It's only when thought about too hard that the plot holes start forming. The modern history of the characters doesn't quite add up, Russell Crowe's character is never fully explained (perhaps in his own monster movie in the future?) and the ultimate fate of some make it obvious that this is a prequel, merely a setup rather than a standalone film.