Lee Cronin's The Mummy Review: An unoriginally fresh flick
Going into this film, I had no reference point for either Lee Cronin as a director or for any of the previous 16 Mummy films (or the 5 Scorpion King spin-offs or the TV show... at least I did my research here). I know, I'm completely behind, I've just never truly had any desire to watch the previous films, but they didn't seem super up my alley. However, what I do have a desire for is to watch and review every film ever made, so I went to go check this out, even if it wasn't up my alley. So, did it break through and convince me to watch all the previous films ASAP (even though they're in a completely different genre), or did it leave me bored? That's what I, Brighton Nelson of The Reel Ranker, will be discussing today.
As usual, let's get a few negatives out of the way first. Some of the story beats here are completely and utterly all over the place. The characters make some rather dumb decisions, and many scenes feel cut together in a super odd manner. One example is that midway through the movie, Maud is possessed by The Mummy, and then, like, 10 minutes of the next day play out on screen before it goes back to that... It's super jarring. Additionally, the story was simply rather weak overall, and the mystery is so obvious to the viewer that the characters' slow-burn nature isn't particularly effective. These elements didn't break the film for me, but they did dampen the impact.
Another negative I've often heard about the film is that it has far too long a runtime. Honestly, I completely disagree. Of the 120-minute-plus movies I've watched this year so far, this was one of the better-paced ones. Heck, I've watched like ten new 90-minute movies this year that shouldn't have been a second over 75 (à la Undertone and The Mortuary Assistant). But here, I was entertained the whole runtime, even if to varying degrees of success on a scene-by-scene basis.
There are some other widespread criticisms that I agree with here, though. Firstly, the whole weird-voice-when-possessed thing is getting really old. I'd honestly have been far more scared if I were just hearing the innocent voice of a teenager saying creepy stuff. Also, for some reason, the film got way more stupid once Katie randomly gained telekinesis. The film was at its best when it was about a feral, gnarly teen, not some Alakazam-type crap.
Honestly, the malnourished, going-insane-from-isolation route alone probably would've been the more interesting way to go, even if that would distance the film even further from the previous Mummy films. Another repulsive element was the CGI coyotes that pop up a few times, likely representing Anubis. While I do like the idea of representing Anubis in this way, if that was even what they were going for, cutting them altogether and having Katie replace them in a certain grandma scene would've honestly been more effectively macabre and less shoddy on an effects level.
The only notable mixed aspects of the film are 1) if you want a slow, TP-esque mummy chasing after characters in an action-adventure flick, this isn't that—it's more of a demonic, mythical take on mummification... and 2) you might want to skip the popcorn for this film if you're typically squeamish, as this is a really gory and fluid-filled flick that won't be for the feint of heart.
While this film does many things in a mediocre manner, I do believe the good certainly outweighs the bad. First of all, I loved the performances from Natalie Grace and Billy Ray as Katie and Maud, respectively. Not to say everybody else was bad (even if Jack Reynor did feel rather miscast and Laia Costa is just solid), but these two were the standouts. Maybe it's my bias as an elementary and middle school teacher, but I always get more excited about the performances of younger actors.
Shylo Molina also does a good job, even though his character is underdeveloped and nearly inconsequential, and Verónica Falcón does a great job as the grandmother, even with her limited screentime. Hayat Kamille as The Magician was a small role, but a fantastic one... I'd love to see more of her story in a prequel or spin-off! Hopefully, this film does well enough to become a franchise. I don't think it has enough juice to become more than, say, a trilogy, but there's certainly a solid foundation for some more here, especially in the prequel realm.
The plot here isn't all that complex, but I was quite invested in Katie being saved. The film does a solid job of building a foundation that makes you care about her safety. Her parents' response to everything that happens is really sad. After the climax and falling action hit, there is a really satisfying payoff and conclusion that left me grinning.
This film also had insane, well-done gore and bile, and everything in between. My stomach was churning throughout, but I was sadistically enjoying it. It's all super well done, and it really elevates a movie that otherwise would've been far less of a rollercoaster ride. Katie's makeup was also a major standout! I thought it looked incredible, and really took her performance to the next level. The set design for the house was also really good. It was a great, elaborate setting that really carried over the Egyptian mood, even into the less unique New Mexico.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 72%
Letter Score: A-
Star Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Lee Cronin's The Mummy may be nothing like the previous films in the series, and it may be a mummified amalgamation of many things we've seen before. Yet, it commits to its visceral vision in spades; it's an awesomely gory, bile-filled, well-performed flick that'll stick with lovers of body horror and possession films for years to come.
Check out some other reviews for horror flicks below! These lists will be continuously updating as I review more of the films I've watched 😄
Brighton Nelson
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