A Brief History
On June 8, 2017, we sit on the eve of the premier of the 2017 blockbuster monster movie, The Mummy. Lucky for us, we got to see an early screening of the movie on June 6, 2017, and in RealD 3D no less!
Digging Deeper
The screening audience filled the theater, and the film elicited an enthusiastic vocal reaction from the crowd throughout. Gasps, oohs, ahhs, peals of laughter and exclaimed comments were sprinkled liberally throughout the presentation, the type of experience that makes seeing a movie in a crowded theater so much more exciting than watching it at home.
There is no doubt the crowd loved the film. The comments and reactions were all positive, and at the end many of the theater goers stood and clapped. No surprise here, we also enjoyed the movie.
Tom Cruise as the main character played his part with more youthful vigor than you would imagine a man his age could. (He is 54.) Algerian born Sofia Boutella, age 35, played the title role of the mummy (based on the Goddess Amunet) though again, you would think she is much younger than either her actual 35 years or the character’s 5000 years! The other big name actor in the film is Russell Crowe, playing Dr. Henry Jekyll, the founder and boss of the Prodigium, a monster hunting organization. The headquarters of the Prodigium has a fascinating array of monster artifacts from creatures you may recognize from classic monster movies in jars and on display, hinting toward the direction Universal Pictures intends to go with sequels to The Mummy.
Unlike the recent Mummy movies starring Brendan Frasier, this year’s film is set in today’s time frame. Filmed in England for (ta da!) the English scenes and in Namibia for the Middle Eastern scenes (and a convincing Middle East Namibia is at that) the sets are richly done with lots of detail. Directing is good, as is the acting, though the style of the movie obviously allows for a certain level of campiness, with jokes and funny moments thrown in. (We were expecting a darker, more serious and sinister movie based on the trailer.)
Meant to be the first of a “Dark Universe” series of films that will include iconic monsters and villains from past films, critics have not been particularly kind to The Mummy so far, in spite of its $125 million budget spectacle nature. We think this reaction may stem from expectations of a more serious and darker film, but judging from the audience reaction and our own at the sneak preview, we think the film should make plenty of money and gain the popularity it deserves. Oh, and we feel the film is somewhat family friendly, at least for all but the youngest kids.
The Mummy opens Friday, June 9, 2017 across the country, and we can recommend the movie to fans of monster flicks past and present. Enjoy!
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Collins, Max Allan. The Mummy. Berkley, 1999.
