After Universal tanked their attempt to bring back the classic creature it appeared that the fans would have to wait an eternity before any properly financed take on the wrapped warrior would return. Fresh off of his hit Evil Dead Rise, writer/director Lee Cronin gets a chance to bring the legend back from the sand with The Mummy. Will this new take on old lore resurrect a new wave of desert monsters, or will this be another sandstorm that keeps the legend dead and buried?
After working for years in Egypt, the Cannon family is gearing up for a big move back to the states for a fantastic work opportunity. Before the move, their daughter Katie is kidnapped. Eight years after the tragic event, the Cannon’s get word that Katie is alive but in seriously bad psychological condition. Once Katie is brought back home, her mental state goes from awful to supernaturally abysmal. The family, with help from a law enforcement agent back in Egypt, begin to put together the puzzle as to what has happened to Katie during her absence. When the pyramid of pieces comes together, the Cannon family must confront an ancient evil that is now cloaked inside of their precious daughter.
The tagline for this film is, some things should stay buried, that perhaps should have been the script for this jumbled mess. This film has a plot that jumps around so much that the audience may very well qualify for frequent flyer miles. Cronin is desperately stuck on the Evil Dead lore, as this adaptation is nothing but Deadites in the sand. The performers do what they can, with Natalie Grace putting in a strong physical portrayal of a possessed young woman. Cronin takes a bold swing in an attempt to bring fresh life to the lore but misses completely with an over redundant story that drags well over two hours. The artist behind this film cannot be totally to blame as Blumhouse has now put out a Werewolf film without a Werewolf, and a Mummy film without a Mummy. Better script selection is needed from the production juggernaut before horror fans begin skipping these bleak creature features.
Scream Score: 5/10