When Katie Cannon (Emily Mitchell) disappears for 8 years and eventually returns home — after spending all that time inside an Egyptian tomb, she re-emerges wrapped in bandages, physically scarred and mentally broken. The poor girl is not quite the Mummy monster you expect – and perhaps it invokes memories of another iconic horror creation – and here lays the problem.
But let me start.
The mummy genre — unless we’re talking about a young man named Norman running a quiet little motel — has never really been one I’ve found particularly scary.
Despite the many interpretations of the wrapped-up monster, it’s always felt more iconic than terrifying.
Even when I was introduced at a young age to the Hammer Horror classics, it was Boris Karloff’s legendary turn as Frankenstein’s monster that pulled me in far more than the 1932 Egyptian tale.
That said, there have been moments.
Fred Dekker’s version of the Mummy in The Monster Squad has always stuck with me — and of course, the ‘90s, Indiana Jones-inspired adventures led by Brendan Fraser still hold up remarkably well to this day. So much so, that Radio Silence are now set to reunite the old gang for a fourth film in the near future.
Now, Lee Cronin steps into the tomb, confidently stamping his name on the title in an attempt to wipe away memories of the 2017 Tom Cruise misfire.
Taking over from Leigh Whannell, Cronin looks to steer the franchise back toward horror — as Blumhouse Productions continue their trend of reworking classic monsters for a new generation, following the success of The Invisible Man and Wolf Man.
Bizarrely though, coming off the success of Evil Dead Rise, Lee Cronin seems to have missed the blueprint of what makes a true “Mummy monster movie.”
Instead, this often feels like a continuation of the Evil Dead franchise — the only thing missing is a cabin in the woods.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of horror on show here — and I mean proper nasty moments that will satisfy fans and get those horror juices flowing. But seasoned viewers may find themselves questioning exactly what kind of film they’re watching.
At times, it’s less ancient curse… and more deadite chaos — to the point where you half expect Bruce Campbell’s Ash to show up, shotgun in hand, muttering “Groovy” before taking the monster down himself.
Look- there is enough going on to make this an enjoyable trip to the cinema – grisly moments will linger – but with a bloated running time – don’t be too surprised when a thought hits you as the final credits roll – “that was fun – but where was the mummy?”
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