Film Review: ‘The Mummy’ is a Marvel of a Muddled Mess

CHICAGO – Universal Studio’s “Dark Universe,” which is centered around its stable of classic movie monsters, isn’t a bad idea. But in the darkly inauspicious debut feature called “The Mummy,” everything unravels. This is a mixed, muddled, marvel of a mess that contains an assembly of special effects, but precious little life. Someone apparently forgot to tell those involved, in this exercise in building a blockbuster, that monsters can be fun.

Rating: 1.5/5.0

Tom Cruise’s character of Nick aims for irresistible rogue, but can’t quite hit the mark. He’s an American soldier with a profitable side job ripping off antiquities to be sold on the black market. After an airstrike in modern day Iraq (played for laughs) he uncovers an ancient Egyptian tomb. Turns out an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella) went on a murderous spree when she learned she wouldn’t get to be queen, and massacred her father, half brother, and stepmother in a quest for power. There’s also some silliness about a magic dagger that will bring about an ancient Egyptian god of ultimate evil. As punishment she was mummified alive, until the soldier of fortune Nick and his deeply annoying sidekick Chris (Jake Johnson) set her free.

”The Mummy” opens everywhere on June 9th, in 3D and regular screenings. See local listings for the 3D theaters and showtimes Featuring Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella, Annabelle Wallis, Russell Crowe, Jake Johnson and Courtney B. Vance. Screenplay by Dylan Kussman, David Koepp and Christopher McQuarrie. Directed by Alex Kurtzman. Rated “PG-13”