The Mummy

[Keth]

 

This looks pretty damn fun. Tom Cruise is batshit crazy, but he has been making some fun movies in the past few years.

[Little Nemo McFly]

Last thing I've seen Tom Cruise in is 'War of the Worlds' - got it on blu. This? I'd Redbox out of boredom instead of curiosity - I actually might end up just steering clear of this one altogether - it looks like one of those Mission Impossible / Fast Furious movies - (over-the-top, nonsense action) - not my cup o' tea. I hope this ain't a sign of things to come for the Universal Monster shared universe-thing. I kind of dread what Dracula and Frankenstein are gonna be like. I'm still hopeful.

 

'The Mummy' does kinda lend itself to that action-y animal...that 90s Mummy remake and it's sequel (Returns) were great. Sooo...yeah - Mummy looks cool, tho. (shrugs)

[Keth]

Does it though Nemo? Does it?

 

Seriously go watch Edge of Tomorrow. It's the second best video game movie ever made.

[Little Nemo McFly]

I have no idea what Edge of Tomorrow is. LOL - but, yeah - it does! Half that trailer was an action scene - if it didn't have 'The Mummy' name attached to it - I'd have normally just hit 'skip ad' as soon as I could. That stuff don't grab me. I know there's an audience for it - LOL - don't get me wrong. I'm just not into those Jason Bourne movies.

 

I don't know what I was expecting - they're updating the 1930s Universal Monsters for 2016 audiences. Ah dunno. Maybe a second trailer will seduce me - but, so far - it's not looking like my kinda thing. (shrugs) More power to ya if you love it! Just two-cents comin' from a Universal Monster fan.

[Da Cap'n 2099]

Yeah, watch Edge of Tomorrow and it might change your mind on The Mummy.

 

I'm going to give it a try for that reason.

[Iambaytor]

A female Mummy? Are the bandages for when she gets her period? I won't allow the gynocracy to ruin my childhood dreams, Arnold Vosloo isn't even that old he totally could've done this one but Hollywood has to push its feminazi agenda! I will not watch this, I will not review it. I refuse!

[Little Nemo McFly]

That is one hardcore Mummy fan.

 

[Visitant]

So this is the beginning of the new Universal "expanded" universe. Dracula Untold or whatever was supposed to be the first of the titles that would link all the movies together but I guess it performed so badly, they kicked that idea.

[Drifter]

As long as they end the entire franchise with a remake of The Monster Squad, I will support their efforts... it's time to once again establish if Wolfman's got nards or not!

[Little Nemo McFly]

As long as they end the entire franchise with a remake of The Monster Squad, I will support their efforts... it's time to once again establish if Wolfman's got nards or not!

 

I actually belly-laughed at that - awesome!

 

Is this thing supposed to culminate in a huge slobber-knocker w/ all the Monsters? Like, in 2025 - we get a poster w/ all the Monsters and the tagline 'Place your bets'? Or 'Are you ready for the Graveyard Smash?'

[Drifter]

They're making a Universal Monster Cinematic Universe: an inter-connected world of all the classic Universal Monsters; so the only logically conceivable conclusion of such a series is The Monster Squad... of course the monsters can escape their fate for sequels.

 

So the answer to your questions are YES

Edited December 9, 2016 by Drifter

[Little Nemo McFly]

[Little Nemo McFly]

[Little Nemo McFly]

 

 

No longer hopeful. Ah, well.

 

I know the 90s Mummy already did the 'period-piece' thing - it'd be cool if they set this whole Universal Monster thing in the 30s. Costumes, sets...that'd be awesome. Keeping the whole look / aesthetic in it's Gothic roots...'cept 'Black Lagoon'. That had more of a 50s vibe...but, hey - bring that into the 30s!

 

I guess these 'reboots' would end up coming across as 'remakes' - but...eh. A 're-imagining' set in the 'same 30s world' w/ a 'modern take' would be a crazy-unique look / vibe compared to the ginormous pool of ultra-modern, high-tech action-flicks out today. This feels - 'just like another one'.

 

Dr. Frankenstein w/ an iPad and S.H.I.E.L.D. support is gonna be weird. I guess I don't like the 'modernizing' - but I can see how aiming at a broad, modern audience who will never see these movies again makes more 'business sense'. I blame decreasing attention spans and fear of risk.

 

Coppola's 92 Dracula was the shit. I would've pushed for that kinda thing. Classics re-imagined as true horror films...but they wouldn't make as much money - and that's kinda the whole point, idn't it?

 

Again, two cents coming from a big 'Universal Monster' fan. I know this is right up sum people's alley - and ain't nutin' wrong w/ dat.

 

[Drifter]

New trailer didn't seem that bad. Gave a bit more away too. Thom Cruz gets super powers and we get a matrix 3 fight. Also a bit of fun with zombies. Seems less dark in that trailer, all I'm saying.

[Keth]

Apparently Russel Crowe isaying Dr. Jekyll?

[Iambaytor]

I'm down for this, the last Mummy remake did the period piece thing and it is the only attempt to revive this material in a period setting that actually works. And even it only narrowly qualifies as "good." Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula is a shitshow and that Wolfman remake was a slog, period horror rarely works and trying to recapture that old Universal horror magic is a fool's errand. This trailer looked creepier than I expected and I think the comedy can work in the right context, mostly I just love the idea of event monster movies. Godzilla and Kong have really brought a type of movie that hasn't been a thing for a long time back to American cinemas and if this shared universe gets people in theaters watching monster movies then I'm down for it.

[Little Nemo McFly]

period horror rarely works and trying to recapture that old Universal horror magic is a fool's errand.

 

Agreed - but period horror (LOL - that suddenly sounds gross - LOL) can absolutely work. Also agreed - the charm of the old Universal 'horror' magic cannot be duplicated. Any attempt to recapture that would, indeed be foolish. That's why I think these classics should be re-imagined as true horror films - a'la what Coppola did w/ Dracula. (That movie's awesome! What the hell?! - LOL )

 

I just love the idea of event monster movies. Godzilla and Kong have really brought a type of movie that hasn't been a thing for a long time back to American cinemas and if this shared universe gets people in theaters watching monster movies then I'm down for it.

 

Also agreed, but Kong n' 'Zilla are different animals (zing!) Kinda 'apples n' oranges' - they aren't horror icons. That's where I fall off - it's the reinvention of Frankenstein's monster into Doomsday in BvS.

[Iambaytor]

Coppola's Dracula is well-directed and has pretty good costuming and special effects, EVERYTHING else about it is shit. The acting (Keanu Reeves gets a lot of shit but Wynonna Ryder isn't any better and Gary Oldman and Anthony Hopkins seem to think they're in Dracula Dead and Loving It), the dialogue, it manages to take everything about the book and make it look stupid. It's not as boring as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein but it's twice as wrongheaded.

 

There's no way to blaze new ground setting the universal monsters in their normal time periods, anything they try will be criticized for not sticking to the tone of the originals so a bold new direction is a good idea, especially if they intend to do a shared universe with these characters. Godzilla and Kong are totally horror icons that became something else through pop culture fame just like all of the universal monsters. I see no indication that they're going to turn Frankenstein's Monster into a giant CG Doomsday monster, besides they can do that in the classical era as well if Vanhelsing is any indication.

[Little Nemo McFly]

There's no way to blaze new ground setting the universal monsters in their normal time periods, anything they try will be criticized for not sticking to the tone of the originals so a bold new direction is a good idea, especially if they intend to do a shared universe with these characters.

 

I totally think 'new ground' could be achieved simply by putting these Universal Monsters in the 'horror' genre.

 

The tone of the originals is...an absolute product of the time. I hope people understand you can't duplicate that tone.

 

A 'bold new direction' would be - a 'Frankenstein' where the 'Creature' crushes Igor's skull like a cantaloupe with his bare hands...a 'Wolfman' swiping a claw at sum dude's gut and watching his entrails slowly spill out...then eating it. Make the monsters truly terrifying again. I refer to Coppola's Dracula - 'cuz he took it there. (Yeah - that reincarnated lovers thing was...yeah.)

 

Whether it's set in the 30s or in modern times - we haven't really seen 'em...really, really 'scary'. I think real horror - w/ these icons - in that 30s aesthetic - would really be something different than what's out there now. 'Specially a shared-universe thing - not a lot of horror-film franchises set in 30s goin' on.

 

90s Mummy re-imagined the classic as an action-adventure thing...and it worked! I love it! I'd also love to see it brought back to horror...expertly crafted, even more so. They have a massive legacy / brand...they should use it. I'd love to see cinema's original horror icons re-imagined...as horror films. In a world w/ no smartphones or internet would be a major plus - LOL

 

[Iambaytor]

Hammer did that in the 70s though, the put the Universal monsters in unofficial remakes which were gorier and more detailed and the only monster that hasn't been unofficial remake'd to death was The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

[Keth]

Man, apparently they have been trying to remake Black Lagoon for fuckin yeeeeears.

[Iambaytor]

You have no idea. You know that shitty Village of the Damned movie that John Carpenter directed? He only did it because the studio agreed to fund his Black Lagoon remake.

[The NZA]

having never seen a creature from the black lagoon movie: are any of them good?

[Iambaytor]

It's a lot more 50s-ish than the rest of the universal monsters and it was shot for 3D but it's pretty decent. I don't think any of the follow-up were any good, though.