We’re in the second half of the second decade of the twenty-first century, but Universal is betting heavily that movie-goers will want to see the sort of old-fashioned nonsense that the studio used to churn out in the 1930’s. The Monster Cinematic Universe has been in the works for a while; it’s Universal’s attempt to build a franchise of interconnected adventure films every bit as complex and hopefully every bit as profitable as Marvel’s. Encompassing classic horror staples like The Mummy, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man and Frankenstein’s Monster, but weirdly not including the Daddy of Horror Movie Characters, Count Dracula, the Monster Cinematic Universe has released the trailer (see below) for the first movie in the franchise: The Mummy.
The well-told tale of an ancient Egyptian high priest coming to life when pesky archaeologists disturb his tomb gets a modern twist: the Mummy is a girl! The official story: “An ancient priestess is awakened from her crypt beneath the desert, bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension.” Speaking of terrors that defy human comprehension, human Energizer bunny Tom Cruise is the star. He looks perfectly at home amidst CGI chaos and at 54 can still run around the place with the energy and enthusiasm of a man half his age. That energy will be much needed if Universal hopes to make a success of its monster films. The Mummy unwraps her bandages next summer.
