The Mummy (2017) - Review

The movie starts with a prologue set in England in 1127 A.D. -  A body is buried in a coffin along with a red gem/ruby/some sort of movie guffin.

To present day in England, these coffins have been discovered. Dr Henry Jekyll (Russell Crowe) gives us a quick rundown about Princess Ahmanat (Sofia Boutella), who is ruthless and beautiful. Ahmanat's dreams of succeeding her father on the throne are dashed when her mother gives birth to a boy. Ahmanat strikes a deal with Set, the God of Death. She kills her family members and is about to transfer Set's spirit into a human body when the process is interrupted. Ahmanat is mummified and then buried in then Mesopotamia (today known as Iraq).

We are then introduced to Nick Morton (Tom Cruise) and his friend/sidekick, Chris Vail (Jake Johnson). Nick and Chris specialize in stealing rare artifacts and selling them in the black market. But this time things take a bad turn and Nick and Chris are in mortal danger. Chris calls in an airstrike (much against Nick's wishes) and unwittingly sets in motion the chain of events that will change both of their lives forever.

The airstrike unearths the aforementioned tomb of Ahmanat. Turns out that Nick had stolen a map from Jenny Halsey (Annabelle Wallis), an archaeologist with whom he had an one night stand. Jenny is furious at the deception and further warns Nick to leave Ahmanat's coffin alone.

Like any self-respecting and self-assured blockbuster movie male lead, Nick proceeds to ignore her and does the exact opposite. The next is the plane sequence featured in the trailer. Chris is bitten by a spider. If this had been a superhero movie, he would have become Spider-Man. But since this is a horror movie, he becomes the undead and is forcibly shot dead by Nick.

The plane crashes and Nick is killed. He wakes up in the mortuary and is surprised to see Chris walking around advising him. If this reminds you of the Max Landis werewolf classic (An American Werewolf in London), then you are a certifiable horror movie geek.

 

Jenny deduces that Ahmanat has chosen Nick for some specific purpose. Ahmanat is sucking the life force out of people and creating her own army of zombies. She also has mind control over Nick and almost captures him after an inane action sequence.

This is where we meet Dr Jekyll makes his re-entrance in the movie. His team rescues Nick and Jenny and captures Ahmanat. This is when the movie starts losing momentum. Crowe's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde brings the whole movie down. Crowe looks bored in the role and Hyde's “transformation” is so inane that it has to be seen to be believed.

Universal Studios makes no pretensions about it's plans for a new movie franchise to rival that of Warner Bros. and Disney. But this would-be franchise starter is even worse than Man of Steel let alone be half as good as Iron Man. RDJ is perfect casting for Tony Stark and his alter ego. Henry Cavill is a bland Superman and an OK Clark Kent. But Cruise is thoroughly miscast in the role. He looks lost for the most part and his attempts at comedy fall flat.

Plus he looks too old to play the leading man. The makeup applied to make him look younger often distracts us from everything else on the screen. At 54, he is more than twice the age of his co-star Jake Johnson who plays his buddy character. Annabelle Wallis is 22 years younger than Cruise!

The movie is confused as to whether it is a Tom Cruise vehicle or is it a part of horror movie franchise. Director Alex Kurtzman seems to be part of the problem as Cruise seems to have had a free hand in the production. If this were Mission Impossible 6 or the next Jack Reacher movie, that would not be a problem. But a Mummy movie needs to be focussed on the Mummy. Brendan Fraser was able to do this successfully - he was a strong lead but at the same time did not hog all the limelight like Cruise does here.

The movie does not have fun factor of the Stephen Sommers/Brendan Fraser 1999 movie. Director Sommers made an enjoyable popcorn movie which I can rewatch any number of times. Unfortunately, sitting through this movie even once is a chore.

Rachel Weisz gave us one of the most memorable female leads in the form of Evelyn Carnahan. She also had a good chemistry with Fraser's Rick O'Connell. In this movie, Annabelle Wallis' character has no chemistry whatsoever with Cruise's Nick.

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Sofia does her best with a role that despite being titular is forced to play second fiddle to Tom Cruise.

Brian Tyler's score makes no impression at all. The action sequences are boring. We have seen similar scenes executed much better in other Tom Cruise movies.

Coming back to the plot of the movie, Cruise acquires superpowers of Set, destroys Ahmanat and rides into the desert with Chris. No one expects Cruise to leave this franchise anytime soon.

Only time will tell if the next movie will be a Wonder Woman and save this Dark Universe or will it be like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and sink the ship further.

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Image Sources: Universal Pictures, Dark Universe, Dentsu, Perfect World Pictures,  Sean Daniel Company, Secret Hideout

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Sinister (2012) - Recap and Review

Sinister remains one of the best horror movie I have watched. The emphasis on the word “horror” is because most movies that are supposed to be a horror movie tend more to be torture porn nowadays.

The plot goes like this: Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) is a True crime writer, who is coasting on his past glories. He yearns to return to the public eye by churning out another bestseller. Ellison moves in to a new town to write his latest book about a murder of a family.

Oswalt's family consists of his wife, Tracy (Juliet Rylance) and their children, Ashley (Clare Foley) and Trevor (Michael Hall D'Addario). Ashley likes to paint on the walls and Trevor suffers from nightmares.

The local Sheriff (Fred Dalton Thompson) is not a fan of Ellison's works. He also does not approve of the fact that the writer has moved into the very house, where the murders took place. Ellison has hidden this fact from his family members.

Soon, things start to unravel at the Oswalts. Trevor starts to have nightmares quickly. Ashley is drawing very macabre paintings on her wall. Ellison himself starts losing his mind, as the brutality of the murder he watches in the Super 8 mm films starts to overwhelm his senses.

The only person to show some kind of understanding for Ellison's current predicament is Deputy So and So (James Ransone). After coming face to face with Mr. Boogie himself, Ellison decides to pack up things and leaves the house right away with his family.

This is where the movie shines. Usually in haunted movies, we tend to ask the question: Why don't they just move out of the house and be done with it. This movie, scripted by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, addresses this significant question.

Scott, who also directed the movie, deserves credit for delivering one of the best horror movies in a long time. The cinematography by Chris Norr and the music by Christopher Young add immensely to the atmosphere. Christopher's work especially merits mention and is probably the most influential aspect of the movie, even eclipsing Ethan Hawke's acting and Scott's direction.

The acting is pretty solid, considering that this is a horror movie. Ethan is an ace at playing this kind of every man role and this movie is no exception. He receives able support from Juliet Rylance and Clare Foley as the hapless family members. 

But the best casting decisions are reserved for the supporting roles. There are three supporting characters and all of them have been cast exceptionally well. 

In addition to the aforementioned Deputy So and So (James Ransone) and the Sheriff (Fred Dalton Thompson), there is Vincent D'Onofrio in a very brief role as Professor Jonas. Jonas is an occult expert and has a couple of scenes, in which he explains about Bughuul to Ethan Hawke's character.

It is quite telling that Vincent has a far better screen presence and leaves quite an impression, despite having just about five minutes of screentime. Compare this with Henry Cavill, who gets to carry an entire movie by himself and still manages to leave zero impression.

James Ransone provides most of the lighter moments in the otherwise grim film. He also shares an excellent chemistry with Ethan, especially in the scene where he requests to be included in Oswalt's upcoming book.

Same goes for Fred Dalton Thompson as the Sheriff. His early encounter with Oswalt boasts of some sharp dialogues and the actors pull it off with great aplomb.

Last but not the least, the villain himself, Bughuul / Mr. Boogie (Nicholas King). Bughuul is one of the most memorable horror movie villains. The director deserves credit for making him a truly scary and creepy character.

This is a movie that fires on all cylinders and is highly recommended to fans of the horror movies.

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Image Sources: Alliance Films, IM Global, Blumhouse Productions, Automatik Entertainment (as Automatik), Possessed Pictures 

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Movie Review: You're Next (2011)

The movie opens as most horror movies usually do: The initial set of victims making out and getting killed by the movie's villain/monster. In this case, the killer is a man wearing an animal mask.

Continuing the usual horror tropes, the main set of victims arrive right next door to the aforementioned killings. Paul Davison (Rob Moran) and Aubrey Davison (Barbara Crampton) are looking forward to this family reunion. Their 3 sons and a daughter arrive shortly and the hunt begins just as the family members are catching up over the dinner.

What separates You're Next from other run-of-the-mill horror movies is the screenplay (credited to Simon Barrett) and the black humor. The character building moments have been executed very well and they make sense as the movie reaches its climax. I enjoyed the plot twists and am sure fellow horror fans will do too. Simon Barrett also plays the Tiger Mask killer.

Another strong point of the movie is the excellent soundtrack, which is made up of three different recordings of "Looking for the Magic" performed by Dwight Twilley Band. While movies of any genre depend on the soundtrack for increasing the effect and ensuring maximum immersive experience for the viewers, this is especially true for horror/suspense movies.

Another example is Sinister, which had one of the best soundtracks that I have heard so far.

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Last but not the least, the tone of the movie is another strong point. The kills are good and there is no gore involved. I personally like such horror movies, that focus more on building the suspense, rather than take the lazy route of over-the-top violence.

There are some scenes in which characters deliver lines about killing other characters. The actors did a good job with the deadpan delivery and deserve credit for taking the movie to a level above the usual cut.

Speaking of the cast, special mention must be made of Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci and A J Bowen. As good as the rest of the actors are, these three make the best impression.

A highly recommended watch for fans of horror movies.

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Image Sources: Lionsgate, HanWay Films, Snoot Entertainment 

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Movie Review: World War Z (2013)

UN Investigator, Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family, wife Karin Lane (Mireille Enos) and daughters Constance Lane (Sterling Jerins) and Rachel Lane (Abigail Hargrove) are out driving on the streets as zombies are let loose all around them. Being the lead protagonists, they (obviously) survive the odds.

In fact, this happens a number of times in the movie. By the time, Pitt's character escapes from a mid-air flight zombie attack, I knew the movie had lost me. The studio is aiming for a lucrative franchise and killing off Brad Pitt's character is an obvious no-no. That just does not make any sense from a business perspective.

This reminded me of the repeated close shaves for the lead characters from the movie 2012. Of course, the argument can be made that this is what usually happens in a disaster flick. At least with 2012, Columbia Pictures had the decency of not trying to build a movie franchise.

Coming back to the movie, the plot involves Pitt's character trying to find a cure for the global epidemic. There are a couple of scenes of massive zombie attacks that are executed competently.

The movie hits all the usual notes - Brad Pitt giving a lot of heroic/reaction shots, lots (and I mean lots) of screaming from Sterling Jerins and Abigail Hargrove as Constance Lane and Rachel Lane respectively, Mireille Enos as the stoic wife, characters thrown in peril and (most significantly) the main protagonist surviving even as supporting characters and tons of extras perish.

Speaking of supporting characters, it is the actors playing them who make the best impression. Fana Mokoena, James Badge Dale, David Morse and Daniella Kertesz breathe some life into this movie, that often embraces the spirit of the undead.

Marc Foster delivers another workmanlike product. It is no wonder that Quantum of Solace is the only dull entry to feature Daniel Craig's enjoyable turn as James Bond.

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I have not read the book, but by all accounts Max Brooks' book is a smartly written take on global geopolitics against the backdrop of zombie attack. The movie on the other hand, sacrifices such nuances and is content to being a generic summer blockbuster, with hopes of a profitable franchise. Very much like the recent Superman dud, Man of Steel.

Recommended only to die-hard fans of Brad Pitt and/or zombie genre. For readers looking for enjoyable zombie movies, I would suggest genre master George A. Romero's original movies, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, 28 Days Later and Dead Snow.

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Image Sources: Paramount Pictures, Skydance Productions, Plan B Entertainment

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Movie Review - Evil Dead (2013)

The opening prologue shows a father setting his possessed daughter on fire and then shooting her in the face at point blank range.

Cut to the present. Mia (Jane Levy) is trying to kick her drug habit and has her friends Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (Jessica Lucas) for support. Mia’s estranged brother, David (Shiloh Fernandez) and his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) are here too.

The 5 youngsters have chosen a cabin in the woods, away from human civilization. Of course, this is the same place where the previously mentioned burning and shooting took place.

Shiloh Fernandez as David

They discover a lot of weird stuff in the cellar. Eric is very curious about a book, "Naturom Demonto" covered by barbed wires and has been clearly labeled (in human blood) to be left alone. Eric disregards these warnings. We would not have a horror movie, if Eric did otherwise!

Following the same course of events as in the original movie, Mia faces the same ordeal in the woods (aka being violated by the trees in the woods).

Mia wants to leave the cabin and return to the city. Mia has failed in her previous efforts and her friends (especially Olivia, a registered nurse) are determined to see to it that she succeeds this time.

Lou Taylor Pucci as Eric

Soon, the others start changing one by one into deadites. David is still not convinced that supernatural forces are at work. Only Eric suspects that his chanting of the verses in the book might be the reason.

I am a fan of the original Evil Dead trilogy. Sam Raimi made the first movie on a shoestring budget and that movie is a certifiable classic. The sequels had as much slapstick humor as horror. The Sam Raimi-Bruce Campbell worked wonders.

In the latest movie, there is no successful replacement for Bruce Campbell’s Ash.

Jessica Lucas as Olivia 

The movie lacks the enjoyable humor and fun, that Raimi brought to the earlier movies. The aspects of the movie I enjoyed the most were the references to Raimi’s movies and the nail gun “fight” between a deadite and a character. Gore has become the trend with the horror movie genre these days and Evil Dead is only happy to continue this (unfortunate) case.

To give the movie credit where it’s due, the practical effects are very convincing and executed very well. The music by Roque Baños makes some effective use of sirens. 

The last 15 minutes were genuinely gripping. If only the rest of the movie had been as much fun…

Jane Levy as Mia

Jane Levy is the best of the bunch with an excellent performance. Lou Taylor Pucci and Jessica Lucas fare the next best. Elizabeth Blackmore is adequate.

The biggest disappointment is Shiloh Fernandez as David. He seems to be a student of the wooden faced school of acting. Hope he achieves the same level of success as other (equally unappealing but highly successful) contemporaries like Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner.

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Recommended to gorehounds only. Readers looking for a genuine horror movie are recommended to check out the original Evil Dead trilogy or the recent releases Sinister or Cabin in the Woods.

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Image Sources: FilmDistrict, Ghost House Pictures and TriStar Pictures

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