Universal’s classic but bandaged monster, the Mummy, experienced a rapid life explosion in 1999 with the Stephen Sommers film of the same name. “The Mummy” understood that combining old-fashioned action with the charismatic performances of Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz was a recipe for blockbuster fun. Sadly, Universal would ruin this series on several occasions, with the first example of this coming in 2008 with “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperorâ€. Weisz’s absence here was keenly felt, as franchise newcomer director Rob Cohen filmed the action with a noticeable lack of excitement.
But “Dragon Emperor†practically looks like the original “Mummy†compared to the reboot of Universal 2017, also called “The Mummyâ€. Titled by Tom Cruise and intended to launch a shared world of films called Dark universe, this version of “The Mummy” was plagued by far too much world-building, unintentional bursts of comedy (like when Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll turns into a Scottish Mr. Hyde), and, more importantly, a tiresome lack of both personality and fun. With lousy installments like these, Universal has sent the once-thriving “Mummy†franchise back to its grave.
