The Mummy Review: 4 Ups & 7 Downs

2. It Tries Too Hard To Build A Universe

The Mummy is the first installment in Universal's shared monster universe they're calling the Dark Universe, yet going by the brutal reviews and dubious box office so far, the studio may have regretted pursuing a cinematic universe so aggressively.

The movie itself is clearly trying way, way too hard to push itself as the start of something, despite the fact that the movie is neither good enough to spawn more inter-connected movies, nor does it feel remotely earned.

From the opening "Dark Universe" pre-title through to a mid-movie slump where the film basically stops to advertise some potential upcoming attractions, it all feels woefully calculated and over-confident, especially considering how embarrassing it'll be if The Mummy indeed ends up bombing.

Why couldn't this just be a standalone movie, maybe featuring a brief post-credits scene and nothing else? Instead it comes off as tacky and desperate.