Tom Cruise into the universe of monsters

Film review: The Mummy (2017)

MANILA, Philippines - The Tom Cruise-led The Mummy is the first of Universal Pictures’ Dark Universe intended to be a series of films which will revive/reboot a universe of monsters for a new generation of moviegoers. As such, a lot is at stake with this film, with Universal Pictures having pulled out all the stops when they introduced the Dark Universe. Besides Tom (as soldier of fortune Nick Morton), an impressive Dark Universe photo release had Johnny Depp (Invisible Man), Javier Bardem (Frankenstein’s Monster), Russell Crowe (Dr. Henry Jekyll) and Sofia Boutella (title character in The Mummy) posing together to demonstrate the kind of commitment Universal has placed in this series of films — after The Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein is due for release in February of 2019.

Directed by Alex Kurtzman (who also produced and is listed as co-writer of the story), this The Mummy brings a fresh approach by placing it firmly in today’s world — the 1999 reboot with Brendan Fraser successfully treated the film as a period piece (1920s) and gave it an Indiana Jones vibe. After the opening sequence which is set in England and has to do with the Crusades ransacking Mesopotamia in the 16th century, and how coffins unearthed while building a new underground line may be these same Crusaders; we shift to Iraq and fortune hunters Nick Morton (Tom) and sidekick Sgt. Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) who stumble upon and “awaken” an ancient Egyptian princess, Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), who was mummified and buried alive in exile on account of the heinous murders she had committed — killing her father, baby brother, etc. This double dose of historical flashbacks allows the film to tie in why, when “awakened,” Ahmanet will head for London and retrieve a jewel which adorned the hilt of her ceremonial dagger, and was stolen by a Crusader — I surmise that multiple locations, along with running scenes, are now a staple of Tom Cruise films.

Without giving much away, this is the premise for the new Mummy treatment; and while on paper, it may seem straightforward enough, Kurtzman also wants to load the dice, as the archaeologist Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis), who is Morton’s love interest, works for Dr. Henry Jekyll (Russell) and Prodigium — and yes, the name Jekyll is no coincidence, as we will get our Hyde moment. And while the action sequences may deliver, the clunky storyline and heavy-footed script get in the way of the film’s fluidity. The romance angle between Morton and Halsey doesn’t quite ignite; so when their “moments” come into play, we don’t really feel invested. The comedic repartee between Morton and Vail similarly fell weighted down — badly timed, or just mediocre lines.

Tom gives his all as Morton; and Boutella could have been given more to do — a former dancer who worked with both Michael Jackson and Madonna, she impressed as Gazelle in Kingsman — and it would have been great to have made more use of that. So many flashbacks resulting in the exposition getting weighed down and buried. If you’ve never seen a Mummy film, this is serviceable and a fair introduction, but it isn’t likely to dislodge Wonder Woman from the top of the current US box-office.