Images courtesy Universal Pictures.
3/10 The Mummy is the first entry in a series that had exciting potential, but instead turned into a pandering cluster that proves quality filmmaking isn’t a priority here.
While looting in Iraq, reconnaissance officers Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and Chris Vail (Jake Johnson) accidentally discover the tomb of Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), an ancient Egyptian princess who was buried alive 1,000 miles away from her homeland and wiped from its history books for murdering her family. Ahmanet had turned to worshipping Set, Egyptian god of chaos and violence, and was trying to bring him into a living body when she was captured. After being dug up 5,000 years later, she chooses Morton as a sacrifice to complete the ritual.
Ever since Marvel proved they could be a thing, studios have been looking for properties they can spin into cinematic universes. It’s viewed as a neat trick to guilt audiences into seeing movies they may not be particularly excited for so they’ll be up to date when the big crossover they are excited for hits theaters. Marvel’s actual neat trick, of course, is consistently producing movies that almost everyone likes.
Reel Entropy 