Review of The Mummy (2017) by Troy C — 08 Jun 2017

Arriving not long after the bland Jack Reacher sequel, this remake gives Tom Cruise a one-two punch of misfires. It's hard to tell whether this movie falls flat because it has miscast the Cruiser, or because it fails to capitalise on his charisma by surrounding him with b-grade trimmings.

The first act is thrilling, opening with a rip-roaring set piece full of bullets and explosions before culminating in a spectacular free-falling aircraft sequence that sees Cruise and co-star Annabelle Wallis perform some mightily impressive stunts.

But from there it is all downhill, and at a rapid rate. The tone and atmosphere shift dramatically, going from Indiana Jones-esque perilous delights to non-spooky gothic terror that maximises its dreariness by hiding under a gloomy colour palette.

Going hand in hand with the awfully drab cinematography is a sudden over-reliance on cheap CGI, the herky-jerky undead are tremendously off-putting for all the wrong reasons, whilst the London-destroying climax is a pure mess of pixels.

The presence of a plethora of screenwriters is felt too, the main plot is disappointingly rote-especially considering Universal are hoping this kick starts their new intertwined monster universe-and the film's internal logic is flimsy at best, resulting in many of its own rules being broken for the sake of easy narrative progression.

Cruise is in default enthusiastic mode, which enlivens proceedings sporadically, and Wallis is a likeable hero full of pluck, however Russell Crowe is wasted as a shadowy task force leader and Sofia Boutella is reduced to hissing and shrieking as the eponymous ancient princess.

The promising start demonstrates the potential The Mummy had to deliver a rollicking good time; unfortunately it only serves to highlight just how dull and unsatisfying the rest of the movie really is.