Today’s quick review: The Mummy. Nick Morton (Tom Cruise), a soldier and treasure seeker, puts the world in danger when he unearths the tomb of Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), an Egyptian princess with terrible power, in modern-day Iraq. With the help of archaeologist Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis) and her mysterious ally Henry (Russell Crowe), Nick must find a way to stop the undead princess before she can unleash the evil god Set upon the world.
The Mummy is a fantasy action adventure and a loose remake of the Brendan Fraser movie of the same name. The movie pits a thief and an archaeologist against an ancient evil with the power to control the dead. Decent special effects, a fair amount of action, and a dash of comedy make The Mummy a fine popcorn watch. However, the film’s uneven tone, thin characters, and generic plot keep it from working as anything more.
As far as fantasy adventures go, The Mummy sticks to the basics. The remake trades the early 20th-century setting of the original for modern-day Iraq and England, sacrificing much of the movie’s Egyptian flavor in the process. In its place is a serviceable but generic tale of awakened evil, mystic powers, and secret societies trying to contain them. The skeleton of the plot works well enough, but the film never carves out an identity for itself.
The rest of The Mummy follows a similar pattern: adequate pieces that never fit together into a cohesive whole. This is most noticeable with the film’s comedy, which centers around Nick and his misadventures. The jaunty tone the movie toys with works fine on its own but never quite fits with the scenes around it. The same goes for the film’s transparent attempts to tie Nick’s story into a larger universe of magic and monsters.
Perhaps most significantly, The Mummy is missing the heart needed to make its story stick. Nick is a selfish cad who never gets the chance to turn his character around, Jenny is single-minded in her devotion to archaeology, and the two of them lack the chemistry that they’re meant to have. Without heroes worth investing in, The Mummy’s conflict, and especially its ending, fall flat. The problem is exacerbated by a linear plot with few digressions.
In spite of its various flaws, The Mummy is a fine pick for viewers just looking for a bit of fantasy. The Mummy offers straightforward thrills, CGI-fueled action, and a few halting attempts at building something bigger. But what it does not have is a clear vision or the solid story needed to make it memorable. Those hoping for either the unfettered adventure of the Fraser version or a true horror movie will be disappointed.
For a more grounded adventure in a similar vein, try the Tomb Raider remake. For a more balanced and distinctive take on a similar premise, try the previous version of The Mummy. For a more fantastic take on the kind of universe The Mummy is trying to build, try Hellboy or The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. For a more modest, less action-oriented fantasy adventure in a similar world, try The Librarian and its sequels.
5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for fun action but little else.