Intro: God love a movie about ancient Egypt, pyramids, mummies and old curses. So when I heard about this film - from an Irish director, nonetheless! - I couldn't wait to go to the movies to see it!
Film 2465: "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" (2026), Lee Cronin
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: Ok, let's be honest here: I didn't have big expectations for this one. I mean, I do have a fascination with ancient Egypt, I always have, so stories like this one are always a go for me. That said, I have to admit that, given the production budget ($22 million), the lack of star power (Jack Reynor is really the only recognizable face for English-speaking audiences) and the very demure marketing approach, I was expecting "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" to be an absolute abomination of a movie. And don't get me wrong, it isn't great, but it's also better than I expected, which genuinely surprised me.
First of all, the scope of the story is surprisingly big: we start in Egypt - first Aswan, then Cairo - before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We move around, we chase some people, we relocate... and none of the locations ever feel cheap. It's not just an ugly green screen and a fake background. So I was quite impressed. Additionally, the visual effects aren't too bad and really help convey the story and its visual elements, especially when it comes to the little girl turning into the mummy (no spoilers here, it's literally on the movie's poster). I mean, you can tell they had to keep an eye on the budget, because some elements of the story are simply told to the audience rather than shown, but I understand the limitations and respect the effort. With what they had, they did a great job.
But I was mostly impressed with Lee Cronin. I have no idea who this man is, but he managed to:
Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Verónica Falcón, Hayat Kamille.
Box Office: $90 million
Worth a watch?: I've seen better movies, but I've also definitely seen worse. The story works well enough up until the end, when the whole ritual just sort of happens and you're not quite sure how or why. But I mean, do we really need to know? No. You can perfectly enjoy the crazy ride that is "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" and move on with your life without any problem.
Awards: /
Key word: Nectarine.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
Watched: At the movies
Language: English
Watched with: Niamh
Thoughts: Ok, let's be honest here: I didn't have big expectations for this one. I mean, I do have a fascination with ancient Egypt, I always have, so stories like this one are always a go for me. That said, I have to admit that, given the production budget ($22 million), the lack of star power (Jack Reynor is really the only recognizable face for English-speaking audiences) and the very demure marketing approach, I was expecting "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" to be an absolute abomination of a movie. And don't get me wrong, it isn't great, but it's also better than I expected, which genuinely surprised me.
First of all, the scope of the story is surprisingly big: we start in Egypt - first Aswan, then Cairo - before moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We move around, we chase some people, we relocate... and none of the locations ever feel cheap. It's not just an ugly green screen and a fake background. So I was quite impressed. Additionally, the visual effects aren't too bad and really help convey the story and its visual elements, especially when it comes to the little girl turning into the mummy (no spoilers here, it's literally on the movie's poster). I mean, you can tell they had to keep an eye on the budget, because some elements of the story are simply told to the audience rather than shown, but I understand the limitations and respect the effort. With what they had, they did a great job.
But I was mostly impressed with Lee Cronin. I have no idea who this man is, but he managed to:
- Put his name on the poster before the title of the movie in true horror style - I mean, I'm sure it was mainly because of trademark reasons, but hey, it is what it is.
- Secure funding for this crazy story about a cursed girl who turns into a mummy, possesses her siblings and, together, they desecrate their grandmother's corpse. Not the easiest pitch to sell to a studio.
- Produce this movie on a decent budget, put it out there and even open to $13.5 million and #3 at the American box office!
Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Verónica Falcón, Hayat Kamille.
Box Office: $90 million
Worth a watch?: I've seen better movies, but I've also definitely seen worse. The story works well enough up until the end, when the whole ritual just sort of happens and you're not quite sure how or why. But I mean, do we really need to know? No. You can perfectly enjoy the crazy ride that is "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" and move on with your life without any problem.
Awards: /
Key word: Nectarine.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
