Review of The Mummy (2017) by Callum Y — 07 Jun 2017

From the Outset of The Mummy, Universal wants you to know that they have big plans for their gang of monsters. Their recently announced 'Dark Universe' franchise even sports its own logo and credit before the film commences. It's understandable that Universal would want to capitalise on the success of tentpole franchises such as the Marvel cinematic universe and Star Wars by bringing some of their better known characters to the forefront, the proof of concept is evident when you look at the juggernaught that Universal's Fast and the Furious franchise has become. Unfortunately, as was the case with other recent attempts at jumpstarting a shared universe, The Mummy often focuses too much on what lies ahead instead of providing a film that stands on its own.

The Mummy centres around Nick Morton (Tom Cruise), an adventurer of sorts in the vein of Indiana Jones who inadvertently uncovers the tomb of princess Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella). Ahmanet was mummified thousands of years ago after murdering her family and attempting to undertake a ritual which would help her bring about the god of death and destroy mankind. By removing her sarcophagus Morton becomes tied to Ahmanet, who begins a quest to track him down and complete what she sought to do all those years ago. Accompanying Morton are Jenny (Annabelle Wallis) and Vail (Jake Johnson).

Once the film kicks into gear we do get a sequence of very white-knuckled and fun to watch action scenes, it's never boring to watch and tries its best not to drown you with unnecessary and complicated information. Tom Cruise does a lot to earn his pay check here, selling every moment of adrenaline and sheer fear. You can tell why Universal spent the big bucks on landing an A-list talent as Cruise continuously lifts the energy of the film. As for Morton himself, he's not a very likeable guy which makes it harder to feel for him when stuff does hit the fan. Characters like Indiana Jones (Who The Mummy films have always tried to replicate in some way) are selfish and condescending, but they do it with a certain charisma and playfulness that shows you there is a heart beating underneath that shelled exterior. Morton is just blunt in his attitude, often times being flat out rude to those around him. If it weren't for Cruise in the role then the whole movie would've fallen apart, as it's his presence that evokes an inkling of empathy for the character.

Jake Johnson's Vail acts as the comic relief and more often than not completely misses the mark. Most of his role in the film is to direct Morton or simply jump around and scream for his life, thankfully his part is not big enough to be too annoying, but he does somewhat overstay his welcome. Annabelle Wallis plays Jenny, an employee for Prodigium who seeks to uncover and destroy evil. What starts as a promising character, dishing out insults to Morton and holding her own, eventually reverts to a series of scenes in which her life depends on Cruise's selfish troublemaker. You'd think that someone whose profession involves dealing with monsters would be a bit more capable around them, instead her role is disappointingly just to be a bit of eye candy for Morton and let him do all the hard work.

As mentioned earlier, the film tends to spend a little too much time trying to plant the seeds for a larger (or darker) universe. This is where Prodigium comes in, an organisation focused on finding, analysing, and destroying beings and objects of evil. The outfit is led by Dr. Jekyll (Russell Crowe), who most monster movie aficionados will be pleased to see making an appearance. Jekyll spends most of his screen time making expositional monologues with the aim to get you excited for the potential of future films. Crowe is great in the role, especially when given a few moments to go wild, but ultimately he feels like a catalyst for the future of the Dark Universe. The reason Iron Man worked so well in setting up the MCU was because we were first presented with a competent and well-made film void of any obvious set-up. Nick Fury only showed himself at the very end to get people interested in the prospect of the billion-dollar franchise we have today.

As for the titular mummy, Sofia Boutella is fantastic but under-utilised. She has proven time and time again how much of a physical presence she is, with films like Kingsman and Star Trek: Beyond showcasing her commitment to character. As Ahmanet she gets to take on a role that is both menacing and elegant, though her reasoning is sometimes flawed. This leads to the writing, which seems lost at times thanks again to the need for the next big franchise. The focus on future films actually ends up hurting The Mummy, which is forced to carry a plot that exists only to get Cruise from point A to B. The third act especially suffers because of this, offering no major climax at all. It's the type of ending that feels like a spit in the face of consumers, you get a rushed resolution and an ending that screams "get your tickets for the next one today!".

The Mummy definitely has its flaws; in addition to the capitalistic mindset the film's use of humour is pretty average, and the scares that are on offer feel cheap and have been removed of any tension. There are positives to take from the film though, the production design itself is fantastic and most of the action is great enough to propel you through to it's conclusion, Cruise's action-hero persona is also fun to watch despite the character's shortcomings. Overall, The Mummy is a very middle-of-the-road film. It's nothing to write home about and it certainly won't be something people will be talking about for years to come in terms of it's accomplishments, but it is enjoyable if you're willing to spend the money. Time will tell if Universal are really all-in on this Dark Universe, recent press releases and the announcement of several actors' involvement with future films appear to indicate so, but the reception of The Mummy both critically and commercially may warrant another trip to the drawing board.