brayzie

So they're making a "universe" out of these iconic horror characters, but do they own the majority of them? Can't any studio make a "Dracula" film?

It sounds like they're trying to Marvel-ize whatever IPs they have in the horror genre, but it just feels weird.

I would assume that The Mummy, or Dracula, or Frankenstein should be stand alone films, and be scary. Not potential tentpole franchise films that introduce the Justice League of Horror Fiction.

I liked Bram Stoker's Dracula even if the love story aspect was lame. Was that Universal too?

E Unit

Columbia Tri/Star.

Hokeyboy

Almost all of these characters are public domain.

E Unit

As posted by Dex on Post 71 as well. Sounds like he had top-down control of everything. He really needs to just stick to acting at this point. I felt there could have been something really great and fun with this movie, but it just felt off. Would love to see whatever version could have been, sans his input.

RichC2

It sounds like he mostly had input on how to shoot action sequences, and frankly he should be a good reference to that for a first time action director. And it sounds like he brought in his own editor when it was evident they didn't have a good movie here.

EddieMoney

The Mummy: Maverick Free Edition.

E Unit

I'd be curious to know if he did have input there. Based on the article, it was nearly everything but the action. I would think if he had direct input to the action stuff, they would have called that out. I did like the action sequences, I thought they were done pretty well.

"Universal, according to sources familiar with the matter, contractually guaranteed Cruise control of most aspects of the project, from script approval to post-production decisions. He also had a great deal of input on the film’s marketing and release strategy, these sources said, advocating for a June debut in a prime summer period."

RichC2

"As Kurtzman struggled to adjust to scope of the project, it felt more like Cruise was the real director, often dictating the major action sequences and micro-managing the production, according to sources."

The re-writes though sound like they hampered it along with the inability to pick or sustain a tone.

Ash Ketchum

So they can blame Cruise for the film's failure, right?

RichC2

That's certainly the tone of the article

mattysemo247

That's about the only positive thing I have to say about the movie as well. In fact, the first 20-30 mins isn't too bad. But after the plane crash, the movie never recovers. There are entire segments that move at a snails pace. The movie is easily 20 mins too long and would have benefited by trimming, which probably would have helped with the pacing. And I think Crowe's character could have been completely cut out of the movie and it would have turned out better. It's obvious he was thrown in to try and "build" this Dark Universe bullshit, but his character was pretty awful and uninteresting. Tom Cruise felt miscast too. Overall I usually enjoy his movies, but he didn't really bring anything to this one. This whole thing just felt like a misfire.

TheHive08

Agree with most of the folks on here. I'm a fan of the Universal Monsters - I own the Blu-ray set with all of the original movies and also the Wolfman Legacy Collection (he was always my favorite). The Fraser movies were fine, entertaining enough, but I wasn't a fanboy for them or anything. So I was pretty excited about the prospect of the Dark Universe. But man, this one fell flat. I went to a Friday matinee and there were two other couples in there with us. One couple got up and left about an hour in and didn't come back. The other couple was grumbling leaving the theater about how the movie "didn't feel like what I expected" - whatever that means.

The pacing is what killed it for me. The middle felt like a slog, I checked my watch a couple of times which hardly ever happens. The constant bouncing from action to horror to comedy to action to comedy to horror was jarring. It was like they couldn't decide on a tone, so they went with all of them.

Some of the horror elements worked. I wish they would've stuck with them and nixed most of the comedy. Jake Johnson's character was useless and I usually like him. Cruise was fine but was playing "Tom Cruise - Action Star." I actually really liked Sofia Boutella in the Mummy role, and wish they would've spent more time on her backstory. That would've been far more interesting than Mummy Zombies chasing Cruise underwater. Crowe as Dr. Jekyll was fine - I think he could carry his own film pretty easily with a better script.

2 out of 5 from me. Just really disappointing.

Why So Blu?

Finally watched this and it's not all that bad for an adventure film. Hell, I think it's better than Brendan Fraser's version but what drags it down is the lack of horror. At least Dracula Untold and The Wolfman (yes, I know they're not part of the Dark Universe) had horror elements in droves -- this one hardly at all. If anything, it plays like a reboot of Fraser's Mummy more than standing on its own. The effects were great and so was the action, but it's still a tad bit on the mediocre side as a whole. It also had way too much comedy relief like Jake Johnson and Jake Johnson's ghoul character. He was annoying as hell and I like JJ. Sofia is still hot, though.

It's worth a rental.

JimRochester

Well said. I like Johnson but making him a such a cutup removed any element of horror. I'll rent this just for the airplane scene but I think I enjoyed the Frazer versions more.

Noonan

What are we suppose to assume Cruise turned into at the end?

This movie was garbage compared to the 1999 release.

james2025a

Watched this today and it was ok, nothing special. The chick in it was a horrible actress, and i am not sold on the chick who played the Mummy. Doesnt help she has a face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle. Story eas pretty uninspired and still surprised Cruise signed on to this. Not sure how this Dark Universe will pan out, but not off to a good start.

Original Desmond

if this was a low budget straight to video/bluray/streaming, it would have been ok

But as a big budget blockbuster, very ordinary, 3/10

Just not exciting at all, incoherrent story

No way to launch a series of movies

Original Desmond

The 1999 version had great cast chemistry, between Fraser, Rachel Wiesz and John Hannah

This one didn't

TheMovieman

Utterly forgettable. Not sure the last time I've seen such a disinterested Tom Cruise but felt like he didn't want to be there and the world building was out of place. Makes me appreciate The Mummy AND The Mummy Returns. Better than the third movie but that's really not saying a lot. There were aspects I did like, especially when The Mummy came to life, had an old school horror appeal, but otherwise I have zero desire to ever revisit this.

**¾/*****, (C, 5.5/10, 2.25/4)

Troy Stiffler

Yea, this was a dud. Though I'm still down for more Dark Universe. I'm confident they can get it right. Anyone remember the Marvel movies they swept under the rug and didn't let into the MCU?

And more Tom Cruise is always good.

TheMovieman

Well, they already swept Dracula Untold under the rug so...

Josh-da-man

At some point, Universal has to either shit or get off of the toilet with their onster universe.

They're kind of between a rock and a hard place, though. This old school gothic horror doesn't really work with Google Earth, smart phones, night vision glasses, and Navy SEALs. But mainstream and foreign audiences probably don't want to watch period pieces.

OldBoy

Do the WB execs moonlight for Universal?

james2025a

Not sure i get this. Prior to Iron Man, Marvel had been imvolved in a number of movies based upon their properties, but it was only at the point of Iron Man when they were looking to build a universe. Every Marvel/Disney release since then has been considered part of the same universe. Even The Incredible Hulk.

I know Dracula Untold was supposed to kickstart a new age of revisits to classic horror, but sure it was only when Kurtzman came onboard that they officially went with a Dark Universe building plan.

Orbi-Wan Techno

Finally watched this today. I was mildly surprised at how entertained I was. I liked the Easter eggs, especially the Gill Man claw. The ending lacked a real tie to a bigger universe, like Cruise actually going after some other monster. It had more humor in it than I thought it would...