Review of The Mummy (2017) by Epicladysponge T — 07 Jun 2017

Known for big action and romance films, Tom Cruise never usually strays from his wheelhouse. Apparently every actor has their day of change, because The Mummy is incredibly far from anything he has done in the past. That being said, that notion isn't what the surprising element of this film is. The Mummy is supposedly the beginning of an entire world of monsters that will be soon coming down the pike if this film is a success. At this point, all they can hope is that people flock out and give this movie some money based on the trailers, because it's an average film at best, but I honestly walked out of this movie not really caring about the future of this franchise. This franchise admittedly needs some work, but I didn't necessarily dislike this film. Let's weigh the pros and cons.

This is the type of film that goes from great to bad by the conclusion. When this film began, I was sucked right into it. It rapidly gives the backstory on the tale of The Mummy before dropping you right in with the main characters. Beginning as a film about hunting for treasure, I was loving the interaction between Tom Cruise and Jake Johnson, but that comradery is lost very early on in the film once certain events take place. Jake Johnson's character essentially becomes a tool to progress the story along, which became very annoying. I was completely engaged during the first act of this movie, but acts two and three progressively lose steam. This is where the film becomes very sloppy.

Look, anyone who is a hardcore fan went into this film already knowing that they are planning to expand this universe in the future, but it's the fans that didn't know who will find themselves lost. Becoming very unfocussed in its third act, there seems to be a lot of talk about other monsters out in the world, but it's never explained. Instead, it's mentioned and then jumps right back to the core story of this film, which is simply that The Mummy has risen and must be stopped, even though certain characters may hold the key to other plot elements. There are quite a few times where the thought crossed my mind that the screenwriters were slightly making things up as they went along, because the first act felt so much more focussed than the rest of the movie.

For a movie called The Mummy, there seems to be a lot of attention placed on Tom Cruise, who is really just a human that catapults the core story into motion. For the most part, I'd say the best part about this film is that it's only 105 minutes long and that it remains exciting throughout the majority of its length. That being said, the first two acts are so well-paced that the conclusion feels extremely drawn out. There are also many moments that feel confused as to whether or not they are trying to be funny or serious. On the other hand, Tom Cruise sells his performance very well, so I was able to forgive most of the character's decisions. I just wish the script was more focussed than it was.

In the end, if you are a fan of this genre, you will definitely get your money's worth in terms of spectacle. The story itself is very uneven and will leave many viewers scratching their heads, but Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella are surely the standouts here. Tom Cruise does feel slightly out of place, due to the fact that he is such a big name for such a strange role, but he sold it well enough. From the score, to the direction by Alex Kurtzman, to the overbearing story that held the film back, everything about The Mummy is incredibly average. I honestly can't say that I disliked this film, but it's also a hard one to recommend. For what it was, I had some fun so I can give it the slight edge for that. A lot of people have been hating on this movie, but it's really not that bad. The Mummy is probably exactly what you expect it is, which is actually a bas thing, considering it's trying to launch a franchise. Fun, but not enough fun.