A goofy, scruffy Indiana Jones adventure versus a DOA cinematic universe
First of all: Brendan Fraser is a national treasure and is having something of a renaissance right now. We love him, and he has all of our support.
Second, it’s hard to do a deep dive on these two films as an exercise in comparison because of the way they were produced. The Mummy (1999) was produced as a reboot of the original movie (1932) and a fun, goofy adventure with shades of Indiana Jones and classic horror. The reboot in 2017 has a few different elements conflicting with each other. It does pay homage to the 1999 film and shades of the 1932 film, but there’s also a LOT more going on here.
Wrapping Up a Cinematic Universe Mess
The 2017 Mummy is a product of its time, and that time is smack in the middle of the cinematic universe craze. Thank you, Marvel. Not only were comic book properties trying to get the universe treatment - establishing multiple movies that all tied into one larger story with its own lore and recurring themes and characters - but other intellectual property holders were trying their hand at it as well.
Enter The Dark Universe. It was meant to take all of Universal Pictures classic movie monsters - Dracula, Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde, the Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and The Mummy - and stitched them together in a series of movies. If this 2017 Mummy movie was any indication of the direction this now-defunct universe was going, Dr. Jekyll (also Mr. Hyde) seemed to be the anchor of the universe. Think Nick Fury for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And there were some big names attached: Russel Crowe, Tom Cruise, Javier Bardem, Johnny Depp, and Sofia Boutella.
But… alas - The Mummy (2017) tanked the plans in one cinematic false start.
I’m not really here, sitting at my desk, about to outline the confluence of events that brought us to that point. I’m not a hollywood insider, nor am I an executive for a studio, so I can’t really speak to how the business side of film production and the creative side clashed and - ultimately - imploded with the death of a cinematic universe.
But I love movies, and make a habit of talking about them on our podcasts (both I Freaking Love That Movie and Rebooted), so let’s talk about these two movies.
Party Like It’s 1999
The 1999 Mummy is a delightful retelling of The Mummy, a monster movie about a cursed Egyptian priest - Imhotep - trying to resurrect his lost love. On the other side, you have the protagonists, a trifecta of lovely charmers.
You have Evie, the bookish librarian with a clumsy streak, who falls in love with rakish Rick O’Connell, the charming, Indiana-Jones-esque mercenary. And Evie’s brother, Jonathan, who pickpockets his way into one unlucky score after another. They are played effortlessly, and their chemistry together is astounding.
In a lot of ways, watching it now feels like watching the blueprint for a Marvel movie. There’s the plucky comedic relief from cowardly Beni. The action set pieces gilded with near-superhero level action. A powerful villain, who isn’t quite as charismatic as the protagonist leads. This proto-Marvel film is a fun, raucous ride, that spawned an even more Marvel-ish sequel and one that a lot of folks don’t want to remember…
So, laughably, this Mummy film that didn’t set out to launch a cinematic universe did so, while the 2017 film that was made explicitly to do so couldn’t make it happen and killed its chances.
Trivia Time!
[1999 Edition]
Brendan Fraser almost died
Brendan Fraser almost died in the scene where he was being hanged. He was actually suffocating and had to be resuscitated.
Wardrobe Whoopsie 👀
The nightgown Evelyn wore became see through when it was wet and had to be digitally fixed.
They all fall Down… Perfectly
The library domino was done in one take.
Obi-Wan Never Told You About THIS
A cloak worn by an extra was actually one of Alec Guinness' Obi Wan costumes.
[2017 Edition]
Trying So Hard To Not Be What They Are
The director said there was no after credits scene since "that is Marvels domain"… 🤭1
Tom Cruise Strikes Again! ✈️
The plane crash scene was done using practical effects and having an actual plane dive, creating the zero gravity.
Hey, Wait A Second! 📒
One of the books in Jekyll's library was the Book of Amun-Ra from the 1999 film.
Keeping Score
This is a tale of two box offices and a series of sad expectations faltering on the operating table.
The Mummy (1999)
Director Stephen Sommers
Budget 80 Million
Gross 155.3 Million 🔥
Runtime 2hr 4min
The Mummy (2017)
DirectorAlex Kurtzman
Budget 125 Million
Gross 80.2 Million 😳
Runtime 1hr 50min
Ouch. A completely different audience reception for these two films. This clearly shows a franchise-starting trajectory (1999) and a franchise-killing one (2017).
Wrapping It Up
Get it. Like a Mummy. The Wraps. Juicy.
Sorry, it had to be done. The Rebooted Crew sounded off on the movies in our latest episode, so you can listen to us rant and Andrew genuinely gaslight all of us.
I think we all enjoyed parts of the 2017 film (some more than others), but the consensus was that the 1999 film is superior for its tone, action, and cast in a way that is so fun it’s hard to hate.
But if you want to be the judge for yourself, you can use these links to rent the movies.
(note: the buttons are affiliate links, so it gives us like a nickel maybe. If you’ve enjoyed the read and/or listen, we’d appreciate your support.)
Part Of The Journey Is The End
It’s hard to part, but maybe while you are down here, you’ll subscribe for more? The next Deep Dive, you ask???
Maybe they should’ve tried harder to stay out of Marvel’s domain? 🤫