The Mummy 1999 Vs The Mummy 2017: Which Is Better?

12. Narrative

The Brendan Fraser-starring Mummy knew exactly what it was and succeeded at delivering a fairly brainless but charming action adventure caper, topped with just enough self-awareness to fend off the eye-rolls. The plot isn't super coherent if you dig into it, but as a fun film with entertaining characters, exotic locales and gonzo effects-driven action, it delivers.

To its credit, 2017's version actually has a lot of ambition and potential behind it, what with its attempt to establish Universal's Dark Universe and the unexpected journey that Tom Cruise's protagonist Nick Morton takes over the course of the film. Sadly, these intriguing ideas aren't capitalised on in particularly memorable fashion, leaving them half-baked at best.

Winner: Neither excels much in this department, but the 1999 movie is so much more coherent and successful at what it sets out to achieve.