The Mummy

This review may contain spoilers!

This is probably not the start to the Dark Universe that Universal was hoping for. I would give The Mummy a 4/10.

This film has some good moments of comedy scattered throughout, it keeps the tone light and makes it pretty easy to like a lot of the main characters. When it comes to the story The Mummy is really at it's best when it's embracing the horror element; seeing zombies staggering about, rats swarming the main character and Ahmanet herself throughout the film really sets that otherworldly element the film strives for. The big twist at the end when Nick makes the choice to stab himself and take on the power of Set is a great twist, it's only topped by the effect of the twist in which we see Nick turn monstrous after resurrecting Jenny. The cinematography for the film looks pretty good, especially in the action and chase sequences. The special effects likewise add to this, with the animations for Ahmanet's mummified form and the great sandstorms being particularly impressive. The score for the film is quite haunting and adds to that dark tone, it also has the a mysterious quality to it which draws you into the otherworldly realm they've constructed.

Russell Crowe, who played Dr. Henry Jekyll, is quite an enigmatic figure who really introduces you to the Dark Universe quite well; Crowe also does a good job in capturing his character's dual personality of Hyde in a particularly intense and violent scene. Sofia Boutella, who played Ahmanet, really makes her mark as the film's antagonist; her bone-chilling line delivery makes her a figure out of a horror film. Jake Johnson, who played Chris Vail, is quite a strong comedic presence despite the circumstances around his character; Johnson develops a really hilarious chemistry with Cruise that's entertaining to watch.

However the best performance came from Tom Cruise, who played Nick Morton. Cruise really pulls out all the stops to bring to life a really likeable leading role that carries the film for most of the time. You can't help but enjoy his cocky self-assuredness that lead him into the middle of a Taliban fortress or that has him barrelling into an army of undead. Cruise isn't playing a role that is outwardly very moral, in fact he's a bit duplicitous and without a doubt a con man; however by the film's end you'll see how Cruise develops his role to be a very moral and caring figure. The scenes in which he wrestles against Set's control over him are well done, especially once he realises he has gained the ability over life and death.

This is a film that is very exposition heavy, it's worn down by long detailed descriptions of backstory and plot points without a lot in between. This form of storytelling largely comes from the Dark Universe franchise that is being built up around this feature, sadly because there's too much time spent creating a franchise feeling and not enough attention given to the main storyline you don't feel as invested as you could. The film tends to rush through the most exciting aspects and doesn't understand how to execute the more interesting twists; such as Vail as a hallucination, the relationship between Ahmanet and Nick, Nick's transformation into a godlike creature and Jekyll's dual personality: Hyde. Overall it's a film that should have stayed with Ahmanet for longer and built her up as a threat rather than just lace so many extra plot points between the moments of conflict with her.

Annabelle Wallis, who played Jenny Halsey, was such a stiff lead with no chemistry next to Cruise; Wallis had a lot of importance placed on her role in this film and didn't rise meet the expectations that come with that. Courtney B. Vance, who played Colonel Greenway, gives one of the most stereotypical military leader performances that you could expect; Vance is in this film to justify the setting at the beginning of the feature and he's very quickly killed off once he's served his purpose.