IR Film Review: LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY [New Line/Warner Bros.]
The intent of any "Mummy" film is to try to find the angle of perspective making it intense while mixing in certain elements of adventure. With "Lee Cronin's The Mummy", Cronin leans in more to the horror aspect. While he was really able to make the tone work in "Evil Dead Rise" which was wonderfully done, this film more skirts the edge of taste but also what the concept should be. Even though Natalie Grace as Katie Cannon is quite good as the central character in question, it still, in comparison to the adventure of Stephen Sommer's PG "The Mummy" pales. It is a completely different approach of course and Cronin gives it an interesting international flavor setting it in Cairo (shooting in Spain) initially before moving to Albuquerque (also shot in Spain). The cast here is mostly unknowns which gives the audience the ability to sink into the characters. Jack Reynor, known as one of the leads in Apple TV's "Slow Horses" is one of the recognizable aspects. The most effective performance, beyond Grace, who has a very specific MO in May Calamawy as Detective Dalia Zaki. She provides more of the heart because the Cannon family itself is out of its league. Reynor as Charlie Cannon does his best and the film is not badly scripted.
There are some vicious elements especially with Charlie's mother-in-law Carmen (played with gusto and a sadness by Natalie Falcon) because its intent and integration to the main character is a bit much. The film does reach a fever pitch and the mythology surrounding it makes sense but its execution is a little light on the periphery of logic (even though it tries to wrap it all up together). The set up in Cairo, especially the disappearance of Katie, works very well but the eventual climax is kept fairly small in certain ways in the claustrophobia of the home. While this worked well in the pressure cooker of "Evil Dead Rise", that film was perfect in tone to the absolute end even though it was very bloody. "The Mummy" here tries but, like the Tom Cruise film, was definitely missing something. Granted with the new "Mummy" film coming from Universal with the original stars from 1999, that might work but even that one doesn't have original director Sommers returning, instead moving with Radio Silence. That might work considering "Ready Or Not" but it also might miss the mark. However this "Mummy" of Lee Cronin though specific in its darker approach might have worked better in a "Conjuring" setting instead of using the mythology of this specific Mummy idea to reflect the implosion of family. It is a tricky theme, even more so finding the stakes versus the heartstrings. B-
By Tim Wassberg
