The Mummy needs a burial

A thin script topped by weak performances makes this a forgettable film

Alex Kurtzman’s The Mummy is an experience the mind buries quite swiftly. The much talked-about Tom Cruise-starrer marks the revival of the bandaged monster, a character last seen in a series of movies launched in the 1990s, and before that, played by Boris Karloff in a 1932 movie. But unlike those classic titles, the new age version lacks drama and depth.

The film pulls various stunts over its course of two hours, and checks many boxes that will ensure the crowds come — Cruise, Russell Crowe, Monsters, Action, Beautiful women. It unfolds in ancient Egypt, war-torn Iraq, and present-day London. What is absent, however, is a drive to add value to the existing universe of blockbuster films.

Kurtzman has previously written or produced a number of fantasy and superhero films including The Amazing Spiderman, Star Trek and Mission Impossible. His one other directorial effort has been a nondescript drama called People Like Us. This first major feature is interesting only in fits and starts. 

Cruise plays US military man Nick Morton, while Jake Johnson is his unwilling sidekick, Chris Vail. They are posted in Iraq, where they also steal and sell antiquities, although their seniors don’t seem to mind this much. The only person to complain is Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis), an archaeologist, who has been recently called in to identify and carry artefacts to safety.

After a series of unexpected events, they discover a 5,000 year-old Egyptian burial. Through flashbacks we know it is that of Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), an ancient princess whose chances of succeeding her father had been dashed by the birth of a son in the family. Enraged, she turns to the evil side, killing off her family to be able to summon the God Set. But she is captured mid-ritual and buried alive. “This is not a tomb, it is a prison,” one character in the present spells out for the benefit of those who have not kept up. 

The film inadvertently makes statements in favour of gun control. With a reckless shot near her coffin, Nick sets free Ahmanet, who then believes him to be the “chosen one” that can help her achieve eternal, evil power. Another character rains ill-advised bullets on spiders in an archaeological site. He also calls for a targeted air strike just to get rid of some angry locals.

Amidst all this, there is also Dr Jekyll (Crowe), consumed by a desire to trap and control evil. He is also eager to uncover links between ancient Egypt and England. Ahmanet, despite having created an army of brittle zombies to do her bidding, ends up stumbling often. The way the generously-tattooed princess is chained and harnessed feels obviously and needlessly sexual at times. She might have been a fascinating character, if not reduced to grey make-up and growling.

It is a thinly-written film, and the performances match. The love story of Nick and Jenny develops in unconvincing ways. Cruise fans will have something to cheer. Johnson, who recently delivered a splendid turn in Win It All, is wasted for the most part, playing a kind of friendly ghost. He brings in some humour, albeit at irregular intervals. 

At moments, the film breaks form and appears to laugh at itself, channelling the zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead. This is fun but it weakens the overall horror vibe, as do the frequent action sequences and hollow banter. Your buck might be better spent on a second viewing of Wonder Woman.