Walking into the theater aisle with a tub of popcorn in hand, anticipating Lee Cronin’s rendition of The Mummy, you might find yourself pondering a significant query: “Who exactly is Lee Cronin?” Besides this, you may also be wondering about the absence of Brendan Fraser, the connection to the 1999 film The Mummy, or the failed 2017 Dark Universe reboot. How did this Warner Bros. production come into being without ties to Universal’s past Mummy franchise or its upcoming revival? And once more, who is Lee Cronin?
Lee Cronin serves as both the writer and director of the movie, but let’s set aside the backstage complexities for now. Instead, let’s delve into the various intricacies Cronin has chosen to unveil on screen — because there is an abundance of challenges to navigate in this undead narrative.
The storyline commences with an Egyptian family exuding joy and merriment, except for a resentful mother displaying inexplicable hostility towards her children’s happiness, seemingly unfazed by their pet bird ominously bleeding from its beak.
Or perhaps, we are following an American family residing in Egypt. Among them is Charlie Cannon, an aspiring journalist striving to secure a better future in New York for his family, which includes his pregnant wife Larissa and their young children Sebastián and Katie — who mysteriously vanishes amidst a convenient Cairo dust storm.
Then again, the focus might shift to Detective Dalia Zaki, a tough investigator assigned to locate the missing Katie, despite her disenchanted superiors abandoning any hopes of genuine police work. But no, the narrative still revolves around the Cannon family, albeit eight years later, now populated with a fresh ensemble of actors, adding to the sense of following a new set of characters arbitrarily.
The tangled plot involving human trafficking, ancient curses, and a lead-lined sarcophagus culminates in the return of a traumatized and nearly catatonic Katie, exhibiting eerie behaviors like a chilling scream, a penchant for crawling inside the walls of the family abode, and a bizarre craving for insects and slime.
This sets the stage for an unsurprising possession tale intertwined with the trappings of an Egyptian mummy story, occasionally hinting at themes of familial loyalty, distrust, and abandonment in a vague manner.
Originally, Cronin promised a unique take on The Mummy, distinct from any prior iterations. However, the movie’s association with Blumhouse and Warner Bros. hints at a potential crossover, despite lacking direct ties to Universal’s monster movie legacy.
The 2017 reboot starring Tom Cruise failed to revive Universal’s Dark Universe, leading to a shift towards collaborative ventures with Blumhouse for more budget-friendly adaptations of classic monster tales. Despite rumors suggesting a connection between Cronin’s film and Universal’s Mummy franchise, no tangible link exists, fuelling speculation and enhancing the film’s promotional buzz.
The current confusion coincides with Universal’s renewed interest in reviving The Mummy with Brendan Fraser, further adding to the ambiguity surrounding Cronin’s project. Allegations of a troubled production history resulting in a lackluster possession narrative camouflaged as an Egyptian-themed horror experience persist, prompting skepticism among viewers.
While Cronin refutes claims that negative test screenings influenced the film’s direction, the final product fails to deliver a cohesive and engaging storyline. The movie’s reliance on shock value, unsettling imagery, and gratuitous gore detracts from its potential to explore deeper themes of familial terror and existential dread effectively.
In essence, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy falls short of its aspirations, relying heavily on shock tactics rather than substantive storytelling to captivate its audience.