The Mummy stories (Hammer or Universal) have never done it for me like Dracula and Frankenstein have. So because of that I enjoy the Brendan Fraser film from 1999 the best. Good mix of comedy, action, adventure and horror.
1:00 The one that started it all! Still an absolute classic. The opening scene is truly iconic, Karloff is at the top of his game & the story is timeless 25:14 You can never go wrong with Hammer Horror. Their Gothic tone & aesthetic still holds up over 60 years later. Plus the unbeatable duo of Cushing & Lee is an act that you can't top. I absolutely love the set designs, the color is gorgeous & overall it's a great update to the original while fitting in with Hammers M.O. Seriously one of their top 5 films ever 52:45 Basically everything you said i agree with. Just a totally fun action/adventure/horror film that has now become itself pretty iconic. Honestly i have very little complaints 1:14:42 lmao i havent even bothered with this one. Theres a reason why its so infamous. Although i must say Sexy Mummy does makes me feel some type of way.. not sure what it means but thats for my therapist to sort out
It makes me very happy to hear you're also a fan of the Hammer Mummy! I can't really give you any reasons to watch the Tom Cruise film, Sexy Mummy doesn't even make it worthwhile hahaha
You definitely need a lot more views on this channel. As a person who only watched the Brendan Fraser films, I enjoyed hearing your takes on each four of the Mummy films as honestly and thoroughly as possible. I liked 1999 Mummy film because it does have a great blend of crowd pleasing elements, but the romance between the two leads makes it a really strong film for me. Part of the reason why The Mummy 3 failed was because of the departure of Rachel Weisz. Which disrupts the chemistry of that film. Also, I do agree with your comparisons to Indiana Jones. Since Indy wasn’t afraid to show its violence in its film, whereas The Mummy was a lot lighter. Save for the flesh-eating bugs. Someday, I may watch the Hammer Mummy film - especially since I’m only familiar with the Christopher Lee Dracula films.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Good point about The Mummy 3 - that casting change does make the while film feel 'off'. As you can probably tell, I absolutely recommend watching the Hammer version if you enjoyed Dracula (and definitely watch their Frankenstein as well too Haha!) Thanks again.
Totally. If kids could handle Jaws, Indiana Jones and Terminator back in the 70s and 80s, kids in the late 90s and 2000s could handle a more violent Mummy. But it's still a fun film.
I watched the Hammer version and you know it wasn't bad at all? It was entertaining, I liked the set pieces, and the guy who played kharis had very expressive eyes. I felt bad for him. Thanks HB.
I like to think the 99 Mummy and Van Helsing are in the same universe since they share the same director/writer and even share some of the actors like Kevin J O'Connor and Tom Fisher. They also have the same kind of style imo, although it is a little more refined with regards to Van Helsing.
I'm open to that theory, for the reasons you specified, they've always felt loosley connected. In our reality, Van Helsing certainly felt like an attempt to re-create the magic of The Mummy.
Congrats on your first feature length video! I enjoyed it a lot. I remember seeing an ad for the 1999 movie in a film magazine that used to float around my classroom in primary school. It was a picture of the dust-storm face and it scared the hell out of me, I didn't want anything to do with it. One day my dad was watching a really cool flick on TV so I joined him about halfway trough only to discover it was that very movie. I totally loved it though.
Haha I love when that sort of thing happens. Just recently I stuck on The Devil's Own (because Harrison Ford, why not?), and then quickly realised in horror that I'd seen part of the opening as a kid and been really upset by it. That memory had been locked away for two decades then came searing back lol. And thank you! It was a huge undertaking but it's good to know I have it in me to create long-form content. That said, I dread the day when I get to Frankenstein or Dracula... hahaha
this was a very fun video, I enjoyed how long it was as we got to cover a lot of ground. I also enjoy the signature comedic brilliance ya have. The johnny depp as invisible man that Disney took literally was hilarious
as for which I think is best, I ain't watched more than every single original universal monster film. So I cannot really fairly judge it. To be honest I didn't even like the original series of mummy films universal did. The ones with Boris are highlights obviously but I wouldn't exactly call them great. It didn't really stand strong aside dracula and Frankenstein.
Thanks again Nattie! I am quite proud of this video in particular. I'd like to cover the other big Universal Monsters in as much (or more depth) but that would be such a huge undertaking hahaha
@@nattiedraws I think that's a fair statement on the original run of Mummy movies. Frankenstein is easily the gold standard there and yeah, they just don't compare. But as you could probably gauge from the video, I do recommend the first Hammer Mummy film if nothing else!
Watched this with my mom of all people. She is now a fan as well. Hope you are in good health. It's been a while. I agree with your final assessment wholeheartedly
Honestly...she has been recovering from covid AND pneumonia, so she is practically bed ridden. She is EXTREMELY lucky this far, and is going back to work as of Monday. Definitely happy for her., And glad I could stay and take care of her this time around....seeing as I am the only child and all that jive. Oh well. It is worth it. After all ....she DID cram me out of her being some 30 odd years ago....so I can't complain too much. As for the video......Holy cats, Batman! Great change of pace. My mom is a HUGE Anglophile, so now it's you and Dark Corners for anything remotely classic and horror (she isn't a "new horror" fan at all....plus I had to literally force her to watch this channel. She was thankful I did after the first 10 minutes). AND.....She ranks this channel slightly above DC....which I tend to agree with. It's very complicated to get her in to my type of films, unless it has David McAllum, or is related to Doc Martin or Midsummer Murders......oh and anything to do with Holmes (a staple in my household growing up....with LOTS of books) I'm just thankful she holds Lee and Cushing in such High regard. Otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed to watch them as a child. Also (again), my love of all that is kung Fu was ALMOST squashed, since it was "too violent". Thankfully, she had the hots for Yul Brynner, and let me watch any movie with Gordon Liu in it on local TV....no matter how violent. Ma had the hots for Yul, big time. I'll admit ...she had to put up a lot with me growing up and being such a fanatic....and it was worth it., even with being a single parent and all. Would you ever cover Island of Terror with Cushing? She just watched that one this week and now loves it. I enjoy it as well, for obvious reasons. Sorry for the ramble. I just owe it to her to be around and get her healthy again. She has done the same, and tenfold. Hope you are finding more success with it as it is maturing and heading in to all the right directions. This is just super awesome to watch this channel grow, and also see you gain more confidence in your style as this channel forges ahead. You definitely deserve the success it has been receiving (and will continue to, as well). Hope you are in good health, too. It's been downright fucktastic out there in terms of germland, and I'm trying like hell NOT to catch anything that will set me back from studies (pursuing masters degree and new job) Not gonna miss an episode from now on. Hang in there, my good man . And yes ....I'm putting my money where my mouth is and actually finishing my channel here this coming month. I'll send it to you right away
Well shit, covid and pneumonia is a bitch of a combination. But sounds like she is on the mend, which is great news - sounds like she's very lucky to have you in her corner. Not everyone in your position would do the same sadly, so good on you. You're right about the sickness going around this year; I've been struck with three separate bouts of feverish hell in 2023 already. Everyone's immune systems seem to be screwed from not leaving the house for years, which I guess is to be expected. Thanks for the comments on this Mummy video, and the channel; it was a massive undertaking (and wouldn't have been possible if I wasn't made briefly redundant. Free time did wonders for my RUclips schedule!). But really, it hasn't gained the views/wider response I hoped it would trigger, for the insane amount of work I put in. So I gained confidence in the channel... and promptly lost it all again hahaha. Still, I'm very happy with it. I love the Universal Monsters and The Mummy (in all its forms) has always held a special connection to me, for better or worse. Island of Terror... almost certainly one day. Honestly I'd be very content making a Cushing review every week, but realistically it wouldn't give the channel the boost it needs right now. From your comment, I'd say your mom has very good taste though (even if she still needs some convincing on the merits of kung fu cinema lol). But yes, good to see you back. Just remember to take it easy through all the madness - Masters degree alone requires such dedication, let alone everything else!
Indeed, I think this is very likely an influence. The author's works were certainly on their mind at that time, as it was the same year Hammer adapted Hound of the Baskervilles too!
For horror, the original is hard to beat; black and white films allow for great use of shadow, and Karloff was brilliant. Although known as a horror actor, he played an enormous variety of characters over the years. The hammer version would be in second place, on one hand you've got Lee and Cushing, but on the other it lacks the atmosphere of the earlier version. As you noted, the Brendan Fraser version isn't really horror, it's action-adventure with some horror elements. So it can't really be compared to the first two versions. I haven't seen the 2017 version, but based on this and other reviews I don't think I'd like it very much. The Dark Universe was an interesting idea but they needed a blockbuster success to lead off (like the MCU's Iron Man), and they didn't make one.
Well said. I'd probably agree that the original has the atmosphere nailed down the best, even I prefer the Hammer film overall. And yeah I'd recommend giving the 2017 film a miss; each subsequent re-imagining strays further and further from the roots, and that movie was the step too far.
Overall issue with Mummy movies was they all tried to take on other franchises; first ones Dracula, Brendan Fraser's ones Indiana Jones and Tom Cruise's one MCU and DC, so they lagged originality and uniqueness. These were the most known ones or The Mummy franchise but there were many more others, amongst them afaIr I liked the Charlton Heston's one called The Awakening (1980) even it has low IMDB score it had originality and the classic mummy curse story signature combined with Heston's acting and slow paced thriller horror movie... There is even another Christopher Lee one called Tale of the Mummy (1998) with Gerard Butler, it was cheesy but like I said there are more : The Aztec Mummy (1957) The Mummy's Revenge (1975) Dawn of the Mummy (1981) Under Wraps (1997) Legend of the Mummy (1998) Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) The Pyramid (2014) and so on :) ... oh let's not forget to mention the Orgy of the Dead (1965) of course :P
That's a very good point about The Mummy films all somewhat mimicking other properties, almost always to their detriment. I'd say I'd be curious for a Mummy film with more of it's own identity but your list there certainly provides such movies. A fair few there I haven't seen so thank you, I'll try seek them out!
@@HauntedBlowfish yeah def Mummy needs a new approach more darker and historical; full of Egyptian lore and mysticism like Lovecraft approach to eastern lore and occult but I think its too late Tom Cruise already hit the last nail on its coffin, and its already feel cliché and cheap/second-hand, shame that Cruise formula didn't work but who know mummies always rise back :P... Anyway here is a list u can use en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mummy_films There are more but most of them are cheap-flicks, here is most recent ones: 2018 How to Keep a Mummy (Miira no Kaikata)-Ani 7.2 2018 Rage of the Mummy 4.3 2019 The Mummy Rebirth 2.3 2019 Mummy Reborn 2.0 2019 Ouija Mummy 3.8 2021 Mummy Dearest 2.3 2021 Rise of the Mummy 2.4 2022 The Mummy: Resurrection 3.1 2022 Tad the Lost Explorer and The Curse of the Mummy -Ani 6.0 I found more older ones also. If u need them let me know. U can easly make another two video from franchise squeals and others like these...
The only Mummy movie that's worth seeing is the original with Boris Karloff. It had a story (though its plotline is essentially Dracula with a "King Tut's curse" twist), and the Mummy was a character in his own right with his own motives and who has suffered for thousands of years because of his actions. Plus, it was the first film that really demonstrated Karloff's acting chops. The female lead (Zita Johann's Helen Grosvenor) is more than just a helpless victim of the monster, which was rare in those days. Shame they cut out the sequence showing Helen's past lives - that would have been fascinating to see (although I read that the reason they did so was because Zita Johann refused to sleep with Junior Laemmle, and Junior was an a___le). The Kharis films don't even give the Mummy a character, and it is just a pawn of whatever priest controls the tana leaves in whatever movie. The movies themselves are so short, at least half of each are flashbacks to the earlier films. Lon Chaney absolutely HATED the Mummy films, but he wound up playing a Mummy more than any other actor (including a Mexican film called La Casa del Terror). And the Christopher Lee Hammer film took its lead from the Kharis movies and, as I recall, didn't really bother to do much with him, which is a pity because Lee would certainly have done justice to an adaptation of the original. The Brendan Fraser movies were ridiculous action films and changed so much that you realize it didn't have to be a Mummy to start with. The monster was nothing but a force of nature without even a hint of the mystique of ancient Egypt. (And if there was such a thing, it was easily overlooked in the barrage of CGI.) Hated those films. Just hated them. And the less said about the Tom Cruise film, the better. Word was Cruise demanded he have more scenes than the Mummy, which was stupid and turned the film into a vanity project that destroyed any chance of the doomed "Dark Universal" project from succeeding. I still have NO idea why the Mummy had two eyeballs in each socket. When was THAT a facet of Egyptian mummification? I think it would be very hard to do a really good mummy film now that accomplished with the 1932 original did. Universal simply doesn't understand what MADE their classic horror films work so well and survive the test of time: the gothic horror style that seems almost impossible to recreate today. Universal just wants CGI extravaganzas just like every other studio, and CGI without purpose or legitimate plot is utterly useless.
Our opinions on the 1932 and 2017 films seem perfectly aligned. The former is a classic that I'll continue to rewatch as long as I live, while the latter I'll never go near again (even editing jokes for that section of the video became a chore hahaha). However, I do love the 1959 film. Kharis may be a pawn but it's a strong credit to Lee that he was still able to portray such menace and tragedy where required. And Cushing is just wonderful of course. In general I'm a sucker for those early Hammer Horrors. As for the 1999 film, while it is a completely different beast, I think they achieved a successful balance of the horror and the blockbuster spectacle. Compare it against the 2017 film for example as well, it contains a lot more soul and character even through the CGI and epic scale. Thanks for commenting, always fun to hear others' opinions on these matters!
@@HauntedBlowfish Have you ever seen the three Aztec Mummy films from the 1950s? Kinda weird, but fun to watch. The first one plays on the "past life regression" that was popular at the time and revives a mummified Aztec who was cursed to forever protect the princess who reincarnated into the modern day heroine, along with the jewelry she wore. The villain is a lovely pantomime mad scientist that Jim Carrey would consider over the top. And then things get a wee bit on the stranger side. The second movie transmutes into a masked wrestler movie that Mexican films would specialize in a few years later with El Santo and Blue Demon. And the third ... confronts the mummy against a "human robot" that Bela Lugosi probably had in his attic. The last film was justifiably riffed by MST3K. Tom Servo: "Wait, a HUMAN robot? There's your flaw right there!" No arguments, Tom. Still, the films are goofy and fun in the best Mexi-horror tradition. I think you'd like them.
@@bezoticallyyours83 Good idea. They are products of their time for better or worse, but generally their movies are well worth the watch. Plague of the Zombies is another Hammer highlight that I love
The first Mummy movie is the best. It's the most interesting as it's not bound to the trope of the "bandaged monster." Karloff's Imhotep is intriguing in its possibility. Not only was Boris Karloff brilliant but Zita Johann is very captivating and unusual as the heroine. She stands out from the usual scream queen. The lumbering unspeaking dusty bandaged monster get just so boring. Only Karloff's Mummy gives us a tragedy coupled with dialog and intelligence. The Brendan Faser version is simply too silly.
I do like the classic bandaged Mummy, but I still agree. It would have been detrimental to restrict Karloff in that way, and this sorcerer type interpretation allows him to really shine.
I first saw the 90s remake and its sequels, really liked em until the 3rd and Scorpion King. Felt very Indiana Jones-ish. Lol at Imhoptep the mummy bunny, and your unamused daughter. I watched the original a couple years ago and liked the sets and ambience. Haven't seen the Hammer version yet.
Yeah the 90s series started strong but burned itself out pretty quickly unfortunately. And as the video probably made clear, I highly recommend the Hammer version!
One of mine too! It became a staple of my teenage years (even trying and failing to adopt the Goldblum hair hahaha), I should really get around to covering those films in an Originals vs Remake video.
I’ll be honest this is one of a few times where I’ve actually seen all four of these films, and I actually enjoy every single one of them especially since none of them actually tried just to copy any of the others. The original film is more of a supernatural romance story, the hammer version is more of a remake of the mommies hand, and is more of a slasher flick. The 1999 version tries to copy the success of Indiana Jones in a very fun film. The 2017 version, is still the worst out of all four of them but it’s still enjoyable as a homage to all of universal classic monsters in someway well also trying to be original
I agree for the most part, in that I can easily enjoy the first three versions dependent on my mood, whether I want classic horror or adventure etc. However yeah, 2017 is just a misfire for me. I wish I enjoyed it as I can see the potential.
Dracula and King Kong have been on my to-do list for Originals Vs Remakes since I started the series, so they will definitely be coming in the future. The problem with Dracula in particular is that there are a substantial number of films that are adaptations of the novel, and I'd want to try cover as many of them as possible, so that would be a long and difficult video to produce! But a fun one I'm sure. I hadn't considered Invaders though, that would be a pretty fun one to do as well!
@@HauntedBlowfish I recommend only doing 1931 and 1979 because they were both made by Universal and based more on the stage play than the Bram Stoker novel. Less work, as well. LOL
That's a fair point, similar to how I only covered the two classic Universal versions of Phantom of the Opera instead of covering them all, as that would just be an ungodly task as well hahaha
Funny they didn't look hard enough seeing Arthur Conan Doyle's story "Lot No 249", published in 1892. Which is about an Egyptology Student at Oxford University, who was in procession of many ancient artifacts and a Mummy, which he starts to re animating the Mummy to do his evil bidding. I'm surprised Hollywood over looked this 🤣🤣 ImHoptep hahaha that had me almost choking on my hot drink 🤣🤣 How dare your daughter not be impressed you rightly so to disown her 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Now you mention it, that is strange that ACD's story was seemingly completely overlooked, especially given how many of his Sherlock stories were in constant adaptation rotation. And I think you appreciate my nerdy dad humour more than my daughter ever will hahaha
@@HauntedBlowfish 🤣🤣 I certainly made me laugh - do you still have ImHoptep. In time your daughter may develop your humour 👍 Maybe they over looked ACD thinking he had not written horror as his crime books overshadowed it? Just a thought lol
The mummy movies with Brandon or any mummy movie made today should not even be compared to the universal or the 4 hammer films ( plus the Pharoah's curse) because there is No monster, it's all a computer image. The human element is gone . Ouch! Don't waste your time.
The Mummy 2017 did badly mostly because Tom Cruise was THE Problem, Universal should've gone for either Justin Long or Sam Worthington instead of that Circus Midget Turkey Tom Cruise.
@@HauntedBlowfish I agree with you, because Justin Long is lovable and he is just 6 years older than Annabelle Wallis and he doesn't have any baggage like Tom Cruise does and also him being Annabelle Wallis' love interest was lame because Cruise is old enough to be her father being how Wallis was just 1 when Cruise was in Legend with Tim Curry and Top Gun with Val Kilmer. That thing I said about Tom Cruise being THE Problem is true, because he tailored The Mummy to be all about him as well as changed it from horror into action and The Mummy was to be about Sofia Boutella THE Real Star and I am not surprised that Tom Cruise did her dirty for The Mummy wasn't the 1st film he wrecked with his ego. According to R. Lee Ermey in an interview from 2006 it was Stanley Kubrick's last film Eyes Wide Shut. But yeah, Justin Long would've been a better choice than Tom Cruise and he would've had great chemistry with Annabelle Wallis since they are close to age and chemistry was why Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz did so well together because they are close to age. But yes, Justin Long is one of my choices that I would've picked for Nick Morton as well as Sam Worthington who Universal wanted to be Dracula back when Dracula Untold was called Dracula: Year Zero. Both Justin Long and Sam Worthington are just 2 of the 60 choices that I would've gone for over Tom Cruise, I can tell you the other 58 if you want me to.
Wow, the age difference between them is clear as day, but that fact that she was 1 during Top Gun sure puts it into shocking perspective. I did see a couple headlines about Cruise's demands - just another part of Universal's lack of vision and control with this whole Dark Universe "plan". Then the film flops and Cruise's reputation is unharmed thanks to his high grossing franchise releases, while Sofia's been left in the dust (no pun intended). Pretty grim
@@HauntedBlowfish IKR and this is long so bear with me, Tom Cruise is set for life because of his blockbusters from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s that keeps his reputation safe, his ego not only destroyed The Dark Universe but Sofia Boutella's rising star power all due to his ego like what R. Lee Ermey said about him when he gave Stanley Kubrick a hard time. Universal did make a mistake letting Tom Cruise have control over The Mummy and there was no need to get him since Sofia Boutella who is a woman would've made it okay. Universal should've stayed the course with Dracula Untold as THE 1st Film for The Dark Universe because Luke Evans did say it had flaws, but it was modest, and it should've been Rated R Horror with violence on par with Game of Thrones. As for those other choices that I mentioned besides Justin Long and Sam Worthington, I did some looking up on some actors that were born between 1976 to 1984 who is close to age with Annabelle Wallis. I have said Universal should've gone for either Jason Ritter, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paulo Costanzo, Diego Luna, Scott Mescudi, Matthew Lawrence, Rider Strong, Texas Battle, Mehcad Brooks, Edi Gathegi, Donald Glover, Cam Gigandet, Paul James, Steven Yeun, Ben Foster, Eric Balfour, Wilmer Valderrama, Zhu Yuchen, Takumi Saito, Eric Jungmann, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ryan Gosling, Mick Cain, Zachary Quinto, Topher Grace, Elijah Wood, Eric Ty Hodges, Darris Love, Andrew Lachey, Bruno Gagliasso, Jesse Metcalfe, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Charlie Hunnam, Vishal Malhotra, Lee Majdoub, Damon Lipari, Gang Dong-Won, Sam Riley, William Levy, Eoin Macken, Sunkrish Bala, Amin Joseph, Andres Gertrudix, Max Rhyser, Derek Magyar, Tongayi Chirisa, Nick Cannon, Brandon Jay McLaren, Alfonso Herrera, Worrawech Danuwong, Lee Joon-Gi, Sullivan Stapleton, Daniel Kountz, Jonathan Jackson, Nick Stahl, or Matthias Schweighofer as Nick Morton instead of Tom Cruise if Universal had auditioned them instead of just picking Tom Cruise, because if you are doing a shared universe why have a man who was pushing but is 60 as THE Face of your franchise when there are young actors for that role who were in their mid 30s to early 40s when they were working on The Mummy. Also, The Mummy should've been set in Egypt instead of Iraq and England like how Dracula Untold was set in Romania. Jekyll's group Prodigium should've been seen at The End Instead of The Middle and their HQ shouldn't have been revealed yet as well as showing Hyde. I liked Sofia Boutella as Ahmanet, Russell Crowe as Jekyll, Annabelle Wallis as Jenny, and Jake Johnson as Vail, but I would add another actor for comic relief such as Damon Wayans Jr. as a good friend to jake Johnson's character and I say that because those 2 did have great chemistry in Let's be Cops, so I would've had Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson there for comic relief as Abbott and Costello were in the originals. But yeah, any of those 60 actors would've been much better than Tom Cruise.
That's quite the list! But yes some great choices in there; now I'm mad we don't have Elijah Wood playing in his slightly-weird mode against a Mummy. There's also a fair few names in there I'm not familiar with - seems I've got some research to do (but that's what happens when you don't watch a lot of newer films/shows anymore haha). Very good point on Tom's age though. He's no doubt spry for his age but you have to wonder how long Universal were planning this series to continue on for. Using Downey Jr and Iron Man through to Endgame as a basis, Cruise would be 70 by the end of the run. I mean, not totally unheard of (look at Ford with Indy 5), but not ideal haha. I didn't like Vail but that could be related to Cruise's lack of chemistry with his castmates in this instance, but I love the concept of an updated Abbott and Costello type duo for a new Universe. Ah well.
He was indeed, inside and out by all accounts! I do wonder what the Universal Monsters catalogue would have been like if Chaney Sr had lived longer. He no doubt would have played Dracula as the studio intended, but who knows if he would have also portrayed Frankenstein and so on. Interesting to think about, but I'd hate to lose Lugosi and Karloff in those roles!
@@HauntedBlowfish exactly! Even though it’s sad I believe god or fate needed Lon in heaven and we down here needed our beloved characters. I’m just happy I finally got to hear lon speak in his final role. He reminds me of Heath Ledger! Great channel thanks for the entertainment!
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one! I love the classic appearances / style from the Universal days, but some days I'm in the mood for a nastier approach. Lee and Hammer's takes (Frankenstein especially) really scratch that itch!
The sequels to the original Mummy are brilliant.
I've been itching to watch them again for some time! Might do so in the future and also create another video focusing on them specifically too.
The Mummy stories (Hammer or Universal) have never done it for me like Dracula and Frankenstein have. So because of that I enjoy the Brendan Fraser film from 1999 the best. Good mix of comedy, action, adventure and horror.
That's fair, 1999 is easily the most "crowd-pleasing" of the bunch. As you say, it's got something for everyone in there!
@@HauntedBlowfish Yep and The Mummy Returns, Van Helsing and the first two Scorpion King films were guilty pleasures to me.
1:00 The one that started it all! Still an absolute classic. The opening scene is truly iconic, Karloff is at the top of his game & the story is timeless
25:14 You can never go wrong with Hammer Horror. Their Gothic tone & aesthetic still holds up over 60 years later. Plus the unbeatable duo of Cushing & Lee is an act that you can't top. I absolutely love the set designs, the color is gorgeous & overall it's a great update to the original while fitting in with Hammers M.O. Seriously one of their top 5 films ever
52:45 Basically everything you said i agree with. Just a totally fun action/adventure/horror film that has now become itself pretty iconic. Honestly i have very little complaints
1:14:42 lmao i havent even bothered with this one. Theres a reason why its so infamous. Although i must say Sexy Mummy does makes me feel some type of way.. not sure what it means but thats for my therapist to sort out
It makes me very happy to hear you're also a fan of the Hammer Mummy! I can't really give you any reasons to watch the Tom Cruise film, Sexy Mummy doesn't even make it worthwhile hahaha
Cushing gets throttled by a pissed off jedi when he's old, and throttled by a pissed off mummy when he's young.
Some people can't catch a break!
You definitely need a lot more views on this channel. As a person who only watched the Brendan Fraser films, I enjoyed hearing your takes on each four of the Mummy films as honestly and thoroughly as possible.
I liked 1999 Mummy film because it does have a great blend of crowd pleasing elements, but the romance between the two leads makes it a really strong film for me. Part of the reason why The Mummy 3 failed was because of the departure of Rachel Weisz. Which disrupts the chemistry of that film.
Also, I do agree with your comparisons to Indiana Jones. Since Indy wasn’t afraid to show its violence in its film, whereas The Mummy was a lot lighter. Save for the flesh-eating bugs.
Someday, I may watch the Hammer Mummy film - especially since I’m only familiar with the Christopher Lee Dracula films.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Good point about The Mummy 3 - that casting change does make the while film feel 'off'. As you can probably tell, I absolutely recommend watching the Hammer version if you enjoyed Dracula (and definitely watch their Frankenstein as well too Haha!) Thanks again.
Totally. If kids could handle Jaws, Indiana Jones and Terminator back in the 70s and 80s, kids in the late 90s and 2000s could handle a more violent Mummy. But it's still a fun film.
I watched the Hammer version and you know it wasn't bad at all? It was entertaining, I liked the set pieces, and the guy who played kharis had very expressive eyes. I felt bad for him. Thanks HB.
Ah fantastic, great to hear that you enjoyed it!
I like to think the 99 Mummy and Van Helsing are in the same universe since they share the same director/writer and even share some of the actors like Kevin J O'Connor and Tom Fisher. They also have the same kind of style imo, although it is a little more refined with regards to Van Helsing.
I'm open to that theory, for the reasons you specified, they've always felt loosley connected. In our reality, Van Helsing certainly felt like an attempt to re-create the magic of The Mummy.
Congrats on your first feature length video! I enjoyed it a lot. I remember seeing an ad for the 1999 movie in a film magazine that used to float around my classroom in primary school. It was a picture of the dust-storm face and it scared the hell out of me, I didn't want anything to do with it. One day my dad was watching a really cool flick on TV so I joined him about halfway trough only to discover it was that very movie. I totally loved it though.
Haha I love when that sort of thing happens. Just recently I stuck on The Devil's Own (because Harrison Ford, why not?), and then quickly realised in horror that I'd seen part of the opening as a kid and been really upset by it. That memory had been locked away for two decades then came searing back lol.
And thank you! It was a huge undertaking but it's good to know I have it in me to create long-form content. That said, I dread the day when I get to Frankenstein or Dracula... hahaha
@@HauntedBlowfish Dracula will be your first Avatar-length video.
Lol most certainly. Dracula: The Way of Holy Water.
The 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” is the best remake of “The Mummy” and I’m willing to die on that hill.
Dracula and the old school Mummy are certainly two sides of the same coin!
The Scroll of *THOTH*
Everytime you said it I couldn’t help but laugh. Love this video 😂 wish there was more mummy content.
Haha thank you. I do still want to do some dedicated dives into the Universal and Hammer Mummy sequels... one day!
I loved 2017 mummy and was so disappointed when it was cancelled
I'm glad it has its fans. While I didn't like it all that much, I would have been curious to watch where the series would have gone next.
this was a very fun video, I enjoyed how long it was as we got to cover a lot of ground. I also enjoy the signature comedic brilliance ya have. The johnny depp as invisible man that Disney took literally was hilarious
as for which I think is best, I ain't watched more than every single original universal monster film. So I cannot really fairly judge it. To be honest I didn't even like the original series of mummy films universal did. The ones with Boris are highlights obviously but I wouldn't exactly call them great. It didn't really stand strong aside dracula and Frankenstein.
Thanks again Nattie! I am quite proud of this video in particular. I'd like to cover the other big Universal Monsters in as much (or more depth) but that would be such a huge undertaking hahaha
@@nattiedraws I think that's a fair statement on the original run of Mummy movies. Frankenstein is easily the gold standard there and yeah, they just don't compare. But as you could probably gauge from the video, I do recommend the first Hammer Mummy film if nothing else!
2:02, great to see Karl's alter ego "Bullshitman"
Any excuse to slip Mr Pilkington into a video, I'll take it!
Watched this with my mom of all people. She is now a fan as well. Hope you are in good health. It's been a while.
I agree with your final assessment wholeheartedly
Welcome back! I did think this video would be right up your street, glad to hear your mom was on board with my nonsense too haha.
Honestly...she has been recovering from covid AND pneumonia, so she is practically bed ridden. She is EXTREMELY lucky this far, and is going back to work as of Monday. Definitely happy for her., And glad I could stay and take care of her this time around....seeing as I am the only child and all that jive. Oh well. It is worth it. After all ....she DID cram me out of her being some 30 odd years ago....so I can't complain too much.
As for the video......Holy cats, Batman! Great change of pace. My mom is a HUGE Anglophile, so now it's you and Dark Corners for anything remotely classic and horror (she isn't a "new horror" fan at all....plus I had to literally force her to watch this channel. She was thankful I did after the first 10 minutes). AND.....She ranks this channel slightly above DC....which I tend to agree with.
It's very complicated to get her in to my type of films, unless it has David McAllum, or is related to Doc Martin or Midsummer Murders......oh and anything to do with Holmes (a staple in my household growing up....with LOTS of books) I'm just thankful she holds Lee and Cushing in such High regard. Otherwise I wouldn't have been allowed to watch them as a child. Also (again), my love of all that is kung Fu was ALMOST squashed, since it was "too violent". Thankfully, she had the hots for Yul Brynner, and let me watch any movie with Gordon Liu in it on local TV....no matter how violent. Ma had the hots for Yul, big time.
I'll admit ...she had to put up a lot with me growing up and being such a fanatic....and it was worth it., even with being a single parent and all.
Would you ever cover Island of Terror with Cushing? She just watched that one this week and now loves it. I enjoy it as well, for obvious reasons.
Sorry for the ramble. I just owe it to her to be around and get her healthy again. She has done the same, and tenfold.
Hope you are finding more success with it as it is maturing and heading in to all the right directions. This is just super awesome to watch this channel grow, and also see you gain more confidence in your style as this channel forges ahead. You definitely deserve the success it has been receiving (and will continue to, as well).
Hope you are in good health, too. It's been downright fucktastic out there in terms of germland, and I'm trying like hell NOT to catch anything that will set me back from studies (pursuing masters degree and new job) Not gonna miss an episode from now on. Hang in there, my good man .
And yes ....I'm putting my money where my mouth is and actually finishing my channel here this coming month. I'll send it to you right away
Post script.....midsummer has a Hammer Horror Homage episode, and it is quite entertaining. It held my attention to say the least
Well shit, covid and pneumonia is a bitch of a combination. But sounds like she is on the mend, which is great news - sounds like she's very lucky to have you in her corner. Not everyone in your position would do the same sadly, so good on you. You're right about the sickness going around this year; I've been struck with three separate bouts of feverish hell in 2023 already. Everyone's immune systems seem to be screwed from not leaving the house for years, which I guess is to be expected.
Thanks for the comments on this Mummy video, and the channel; it was a massive undertaking (and wouldn't have been possible if I wasn't made briefly redundant. Free time did wonders for my RUclips schedule!). But really, it hasn't gained the views/wider response I hoped it would trigger, for the insane amount of work I put in. So I gained confidence in the channel... and promptly lost it all again hahaha. Still, I'm very happy with it. I love the Universal Monsters and The Mummy (in all its forms) has always held a special connection to me, for better or worse.
Island of Terror... almost certainly one day. Honestly I'd be very content making a Cushing review every week, but realistically it wouldn't give the channel the boost it needs right now. From your comment, I'd say your mom has very good taste though (even if she still needs some convincing on the merits of kung fu cinema lol).
But yes, good to see you back. Just remember to take it easy through all the madness - Masters degree alone requires such dedication, let alone everything else!
Hammer's take on the Mummy reminds me a lot of Arthur Conan Doyle's cursed mummy story Lot No. 249.
Indeed, I think this is very likely an influence. The author's works were certainly on their mind at that time, as it was the same year Hammer adapted Hound of the Baskervilles too!
You cannot beat the power of the Cushing lol
Undoubtedly, unless you have an X-Wing of course!
@@HauntedBlowfish he got distracted otherwise his mighty slapping hand would of swiped those pesky shots out of the sky 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
For horror, the original is hard to beat; black and white films allow for great use of shadow, and Karloff was brilliant. Although known as a horror actor, he played an enormous variety of characters over the years.
The hammer version would be in second place, on one hand you've got Lee and Cushing, but on the other it lacks the atmosphere of the earlier version.
As you noted, the Brendan Fraser version isn't really horror, it's action-adventure with some horror elements. So it can't really be compared to the first two versions.
I haven't seen the 2017 version, but based on this and other reviews I don't think I'd like it very much. The Dark Universe was an interesting idea but they needed a blockbuster success to lead off (like the MCU's Iron Man), and they didn't make one.
Well said. I'd probably agree that the original has the atmosphere nailed down the best, even I prefer the Hammer film overall. And yeah I'd recommend giving the 2017 film a miss; each subsequent re-imagining strays further and further from the roots, and that movie was the step too far.
1999 was a fun action film, it wasn’t too scary to be horror, I would say it was more thriller, but 1959 is my personal favourite
Yeah '99 really is just a safe blend of every popular genre in one. And always glad to meet another fan of '59!
Overall issue with Mummy movies was they all tried to take on other franchises; first ones Dracula, Brendan Fraser's ones Indiana Jones and Tom Cruise's one MCU and DC, so they lagged originality and uniqueness. These were the most known ones or The Mummy franchise but there were many more others, amongst them afaIr I liked the Charlton Heston's one called The Awakening (1980) even it has low IMDB score it had originality and the classic mummy curse story signature combined with Heston's acting and slow paced thriller horror movie... There is even another Christopher Lee one called Tale of the Mummy (1998) with Gerard Butler, it was cheesy but like I said there are more : The Aztec Mummy (1957) The Mummy's Revenge (1975) Dawn of the Mummy (1981) Under Wraps (1997) Legend of the Mummy (1998) Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) The Pyramid (2014) and so on :) ...
oh let's not forget to mention the Orgy of the Dead (1965) of course :P
That's a very good point about The Mummy films all somewhat mimicking other properties, almost always to their detriment. I'd say I'd be curious for a Mummy film with more of it's own identity but your list there certainly provides such movies. A fair few there I haven't seen so thank you, I'll try seek them out!
@@HauntedBlowfish yeah def Mummy needs a new approach more darker and historical; full of Egyptian lore and mysticism like Lovecraft approach to eastern lore and occult but I think its too late Tom Cruise already hit the last nail on its coffin, and its already feel cliché and cheap/second-hand, shame that Cruise formula didn't work but who know mummies always rise back :P... Anyway here is a list u can use en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mummy_films
There are more but most of them are cheap-flicks, here is most recent ones:
2018 How to Keep a Mummy (Miira no Kaikata)-Ani 7.2
2018 Rage of the Mummy 4.3
2019 The Mummy Rebirth 2.3
2019 Mummy Reborn 2.0
2019 Ouija Mummy 3.8
2021 Mummy Dearest 2.3
2021 Rise of the Mummy 2.4
2022 The Mummy: Resurrection 3.1
2022 Tad the Lost Explorer and The Curse of the Mummy -Ani 6.0
I found more older ones also. If u need them let me know. U can easly make another two video from franchise squeals and others like these...
Ah perfect thank you again - quite right, more than enough material for 10 videos even haha!
The only Mummy movie that's worth seeing is the original with Boris Karloff. It had a story (though its plotline is essentially Dracula with a "King Tut's curse" twist), and the Mummy was a character in his own right with his own motives and who has suffered for thousands of years because of his actions. Plus, it was the first film that really demonstrated Karloff's acting chops. The female lead (Zita Johann's Helen Grosvenor) is more than just a helpless victim of the monster, which was rare in those days. Shame they cut out the sequence showing Helen's past lives - that would have been fascinating to see (although I read that the reason they did so was because Zita Johann refused to sleep with Junior Laemmle, and Junior was an a___le).
The Kharis films don't even give the Mummy a character, and it is just a pawn of whatever priest controls the tana leaves in whatever movie. The movies themselves are so short, at least half of each are flashbacks to the earlier films. Lon Chaney absolutely HATED the Mummy films, but he wound up playing a Mummy more than any other actor (including a Mexican film called La Casa del Terror). And the Christopher Lee Hammer film took its lead from the Kharis movies and, as I recall, didn't really bother to do much with him, which is a pity because Lee would certainly have done justice to an adaptation of the original.
The Brendan Fraser movies were ridiculous action films and changed so much that you realize it didn't have to be a Mummy to start with. The monster was nothing but a force of nature without even a hint of the mystique of ancient Egypt. (And if there was such a thing, it was easily overlooked in the barrage of CGI.) Hated those films. Just hated them.
And the less said about the Tom Cruise film, the better. Word was Cruise demanded he have more scenes than the Mummy, which was stupid and turned the film into a vanity project that destroyed any chance of the doomed "Dark Universal" project from succeeding. I still have NO idea why the Mummy had two eyeballs in each socket. When was THAT a facet of Egyptian mummification?
I think it would be very hard to do a really good mummy film now that accomplished with the 1932 original did. Universal simply doesn't understand what MADE their classic horror films work so well and survive the test of time: the gothic horror style that seems almost impossible to recreate today. Universal just wants CGI extravaganzas just like every other studio, and CGI without purpose or legitimate plot is utterly useless.
Our opinions on the 1932 and 2017 films seem perfectly aligned. The former is a classic that I'll continue to rewatch as long as I live, while the latter I'll never go near again (even editing jokes for that section of the video became a chore hahaha).
However, I do love the 1959 film. Kharis may be a pawn but it's a strong credit to Lee that he was still able to portray such menace and tragedy where required. And Cushing is just wonderful of course. In general I'm a sucker for those early Hammer Horrors.
As for the 1999 film, while it is a completely different beast, I think they achieved a successful balance of the horror and the blockbuster spectacle. Compare it against the 2017 film for example as well, it contains a lot more soul and character even through the CGI and epic scale.
Thanks for commenting, always fun to hear others' opinions on these matters!
@@HauntedBlowfish Have you ever seen the three Aztec Mummy films from the 1950s? Kinda weird, but fun to watch. The first one plays on the "past life regression" that was popular at the time and revives a mummified Aztec who was cursed to forever protect the princess who reincarnated into the modern day heroine, along with the jewelry she wore. The villain is a lovely pantomime mad scientist that Jim Carrey would consider over the top.
And then things get a wee bit on the stranger side. The second movie transmutes into a masked wrestler movie that Mexican films would specialize in a few years later with El Santo and Blue Demon. And the third ... confronts the mummy against a "human robot" that Bela Lugosi probably had in his attic. The last film was justifiably riffed by MST3K.
Tom Servo: "Wait, a HUMAN robot? There's your flaw right there!"
No arguments, Tom. Still, the films are goofy and fun in the best Mexi-horror tradition. I think you'd like them.
I have not seen these, but after this comment and descriptions, I'll definitely be seeking them out for a future b-movie binge. Thanks for the rec!
Everything besides the 2017 Mummy is is worthwhile lmao
I don't recall ever seeing Aristotle uttering those words in print. 👀
Ssh! ;)
@@HauntedBlowfish 😶
Great rankings at the end.
Thank you, and thanks for watching and commenting too - it is much appreciated!
Your commentary is great. Also, if my man throws that plan my way for consideration forget the counselor, I'm getting the hell outta there!
Thank you :) and yes that's the point to up and run to a new country lol
And now I've learnt there's a Scorpion King reboot in the works!!!! Also don't know how I hadn't heard of the music free mummy trailer until now
Turns out that endless Scorpion King movies were the last plague of Egypt after all.
The hammer one sounds like it could be interesting to watch.
Make a fun evening of it with Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula and The Mummy back-to-back! Can't have too much Cushing/Lee lol
@@HauntedBlowfish I'll do it for my October viewings. I'm only just starting to explore the hammer films
@@bezoticallyyours83 Good idea. They are products of their time for better or worse, but generally their movies are well worth the watch. Plague of the Zombies is another Hammer highlight that I love
The first Mummy movie is the best. It's the most interesting as it's not bound to the trope of the "bandaged monster." Karloff's Imhotep is intriguing in its possibility. Not only was Boris Karloff brilliant but Zita Johann is very captivating and unusual as the heroine. She stands out from the usual scream queen. The lumbering unspeaking dusty bandaged monster get just so boring. Only Karloff's Mummy gives us a tragedy coupled with dialog and intelligence. The Brendan Faser version is simply too silly.
I do like the classic bandaged Mummy, but I still agree. It would have been detrimental to restrict Karloff in that way, and this sorcerer type interpretation allows him to really shine.
Zita sounds like a pretty cool lady.
For sure!
While innocently testing the sponginess of Helen’s stomach…
Ol' Imhotep is nothing but a playful scamp I tells ya
I first saw the 90s remake and its sequels, really liked em until the 3rd and Scorpion King. Felt very Indiana Jones-ish.
Lol at Imhoptep the mummy bunny, and your unamused daughter.
I watched the original a couple years ago and liked the sets and ambience. Haven't seen the Hammer version yet.
Yeah the 90s series started strong but burned itself out pretty quickly unfortunately. And as the video probably made clear, I highly recommend the Hammer version!
Imhoptep made my day. 😂
Worth making the video just to spread the joy of that quirky rabbit.
I think my first body horror movie was the 80s remake of the fly
One of mine too! It became a staple of my teenage years (even trying and failing to adopt the Goldblum hair hahaha), I should really get around to covering those films in an Originals vs Remake video.
Feature length Hunated Blowfish! Better than Mummy 2017!
Hahaha thank you. It's hard to say what was more exhausting; day after day of gruelling editing for the video, or watching the 2017 film once.
I’ll be honest this is one of a few times where I’ve actually seen all four of these films, and I actually enjoy every single one of them especially since none of them actually tried just to copy any of the others. The original film is more of a supernatural romance story, the hammer version is more of a remake of the mommies hand, and is more of a slasher flick. The 1999 version tries to copy the success of Indiana Jones in a very fun film. The 2017 version, is still the worst out of all four of them but it’s still enjoyable as a homage to all of universal classic monsters in someway well also trying to be original
I agree for the most part, in that I can easily enjoy the first three versions dependent on my mood, whether I want classic horror or adventure etc. However yeah, 2017 is just a misfire for me. I wish I enjoyed it as I can see the potential.
Why would they blow it up? 😮
Typical English behavior when visiting another country haha
Here are some requests.
Dracula (1931, 1979)
Invaders From Mars (1953, 1986)
King Kong (1933, 1976, 2005)
Think you could do any of those?
Dracula and King Kong have been on my to-do list for Originals Vs Remakes since I started the series, so they will definitely be coming in the future. The problem with Dracula in particular is that there are a substantial number of films that are adaptations of the novel, and I'd want to try cover as many of them as possible, so that would be a long and difficult video to produce! But a fun one I'm sure.
I hadn't considered Invaders though, that would be a pretty fun one to do as well!
@@HauntedBlowfish I recommend only doing 1931 and 1979 because they were both made by Universal and based more on the stage play than the Bram Stoker novel. Less work, as well. LOL
That's a fair point, similar to how I only covered the two classic Universal versions of Phantom of the Opera instead of covering them all, as that would just be an ungodly task as well hahaha
@@HauntedBlowfish Exactly, your Phantom video inspired the idea.
I'm glad he wasn't Tony Stark.
Agreed, I can see why they considered him but I don't think the MCU would have succeeded as it did
Ah Yes! Nubian (I was waiting for that reference) 😂
Watto lives rent free in my head, it was always going to happen hahaha
Funny they didn't look hard enough seeing Arthur Conan Doyle's story "Lot No 249", published in 1892. Which is about an Egyptology Student at Oxford University, who was in procession of many ancient artifacts and a Mummy, which he starts to re animating the Mummy to do his evil bidding. I'm surprised Hollywood over looked this 🤣🤣
ImHoptep hahaha that had me almost choking on my hot drink 🤣🤣 How dare your daughter not be impressed you rightly so to disown her 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Now you mention it, that is strange that ACD's story was seemingly completely overlooked, especially given how many of his Sherlock stories were in constant adaptation rotation.
And I think you appreciate my nerdy dad humour more than my daughter ever will hahaha
@@HauntedBlowfish 🤣🤣 I certainly made me laugh - do you still have ImHoptep. In time your daughter may develop your humour 👍 Maybe they over looked ACD thinking he had not written horror as his crime books overshadowed it? Just a thought lol
Indeed, she still ignores it but I continue to place it at the top of the toy box haha. Perseverance is a common Mummy trait after all!
@@HauntedBlowfish nods sagely 🤣
The mummy movies with Brandon or any mummy movie made today should not even be compared to the universal or the 4 hammer films ( plus the Pharoah's curse) because there is No monster, it's all a computer image. The human element is gone . Ouch! Don't waste your time.
Even beyond the CGI, the concept of a Mummy feels so ingrained in the early 20th century, that a modern take is always going to feel off.
Only good mummy films. Are the universal original series
No love for the Hammer films?
I'll leave the 2017 movie unwatched.
A very wise decision!
The Mummy 2017 did badly mostly because Tom Cruise was THE Problem, Universal should've gone for either Justin Long or Sam Worthington instead of that Circus Midget Turkey Tom Cruise.
Justin Long would've been an interesting choice, I do love how his horror film performances are going through a recent resurgence.
@@HauntedBlowfish I agree with you, because Justin Long is lovable and he is just 6 years older than Annabelle Wallis and he doesn't have any baggage like Tom Cruise does and also him being Annabelle Wallis' love interest was lame because Cruise is old enough to be her father being how Wallis was just 1 when Cruise was in Legend with Tim Curry and Top Gun with Val Kilmer. That thing I said about Tom Cruise being THE Problem is true, because he tailored The Mummy to be all about him as well as changed it from horror into action and The Mummy was to be about Sofia Boutella THE Real Star and I am not surprised that Tom Cruise did her dirty for The Mummy wasn't the 1st film he wrecked with his ego. According to R. Lee Ermey in an interview from 2006 it was Stanley Kubrick's last film Eyes Wide Shut. But yeah, Justin Long would've been a better choice than Tom Cruise and he would've had great chemistry with Annabelle Wallis since they are close to age and chemistry was why Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz did so well together because they are close to age. But yes, Justin Long is one of my choices that I would've picked for Nick Morton as well as Sam Worthington who Universal wanted to be Dracula back when Dracula Untold was called Dracula: Year Zero. Both Justin Long and Sam Worthington are just 2 of the 60 choices that I would've gone for over Tom Cruise, I can tell you the other 58 if you want me to.
Wow, the age difference between them is clear as day, but that fact that she was 1 during Top Gun sure puts it into shocking perspective. I did see a couple headlines about Cruise's demands - just another part of Universal's lack of vision and control with this whole Dark Universe "plan". Then the film flops and Cruise's reputation is unharmed thanks to his high grossing franchise releases, while Sofia's been left in the dust (no pun intended). Pretty grim
@@HauntedBlowfish IKR and this is long so bear with me, Tom Cruise is set for life because of his blockbusters from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s that keeps his reputation safe, his ego not only destroyed The Dark Universe but Sofia Boutella's rising star power all due to his ego like what R. Lee Ermey said about him when he gave Stanley Kubrick a hard time. Universal did make a mistake letting Tom Cruise have control over The Mummy and there was no need to get him since Sofia Boutella who is a woman would've made it okay. Universal should've stayed the course with Dracula Untold as THE 1st Film for The Dark Universe because Luke Evans did say it had flaws, but it was modest, and it should've been Rated R Horror with violence on par with Game of Thrones. As for those other choices that I mentioned besides Justin Long and Sam Worthington, I did some looking up on some actors that were born between 1976 to 1984 who is close to age with Annabelle Wallis. I have said Universal should've gone for either Jason Ritter, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Paulo Costanzo, Diego Luna, Scott Mescudi, Matthew Lawrence, Rider Strong, Texas Battle, Mehcad Brooks, Edi Gathegi, Donald Glover, Cam Gigandet, Paul James, Steven Yeun, Ben Foster, Eric Balfour, Wilmer Valderrama, Zhu Yuchen, Takumi Saito, Eric Jungmann, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Ryan Gosling, Mick Cain, Zachary Quinto, Topher Grace, Elijah Wood, Eric Ty Hodges, Darris Love, Andrew Lachey, Bruno Gagliasso, Jesse Metcalfe, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Charlie Hunnam, Vishal Malhotra, Lee Majdoub, Damon Lipari, Gang Dong-Won, Sam Riley, William Levy, Eoin Macken, Sunkrish Bala, Amin Joseph, Andres Gertrudix, Max Rhyser, Derek Magyar, Tongayi Chirisa, Nick Cannon, Brandon Jay McLaren, Alfonso Herrera, Worrawech Danuwong, Lee Joon-Gi, Sullivan Stapleton, Daniel Kountz, Jonathan Jackson, Nick Stahl, or Matthias Schweighofer as Nick Morton instead of Tom Cruise if Universal had auditioned them instead of just picking Tom Cruise, because if you are doing a shared universe why have a man who was pushing but is 60 as THE Face of your franchise when there are young actors for that role who were in their mid 30s to early 40s when they were working on The Mummy. Also, The Mummy should've been set in Egypt instead of Iraq and England like how Dracula Untold was set in Romania. Jekyll's group Prodigium should've been seen at The End Instead of The Middle and their HQ shouldn't have been revealed yet as well as showing Hyde. I liked Sofia Boutella as Ahmanet, Russell Crowe as Jekyll, Annabelle Wallis as Jenny, and Jake Johnson as Vail, but I would add another actor for comic relief such as Damon Wayans Jr. as a good friend to jake Johnson's character and I say that because those 2 did have great chemistry in Let's be Cops, so I would've had Damon Wayans Jr. and Jake Johnson there for comic relief as Abbott and Costello were in the originals. But yeah, any of those 60 actors would've been much better than Tom Cruise.
That's quite the list! But yes some great choices in there; now I'm mad we don't have Elijah Wood playing in his slightly-weird mode against a Mummy. There's also a fair few names in there I'm not familiar with - seems I've got some research to do (but that's what happens when you don't watch a lot of newer films/shows anymore haha). Very good point on Tom's age though. He's no doubt spry for his age but you have to wonder how long Universal were planning this series to continue on for. Using Downey Jr and Iron Man through to Endgame as a basis, Cruise would be 70 by the end of the run. I mean, not totally unheard of (look at Ford with Indy 5), but not ideal haha. I didn't like Vail but that could be related to Cruise's lack of chemistry with his castmates in this instance, but I love the concept of an updated Abbott and Costello type duo for a new Universe. Ah well.
Your joke about Ardeth getting any stiffer. Shame on you! 😆
Hahaha sorry, couldn't help myself!
The hammer movies were tasteless! Let's show them what real class is with ridiculous hair and elevated bosoms. 😅
Haha the hair was magnificent but the aggressive cleavage is a bit harder to defend
@@HauntedBlowfish 🤭
I think Boris Karloff was very handsome, and I’m glad he lived a long life unlike the irreplaceable Lon Chaney
He was indeed, inside and out by all accounts! I do wonder what the Universal Monsters catalogue would have been like if Chaney Sr had lived longer. He no doubt would have played Dracula as the studio intended, but who knows if he would have also portrayed Frankenstein and so on. Interesting to think about, but I'd hate to lose Lugosi and Karloff in those roles!
@@HauntedBlowfish exactly! Even though it’s sad I believe god or fate needed Lon in heaven and we down here needed our beloved characters. I’m just happy I finally got to hear lon speak in his final role. He reminds me of Heath Ledger! Great channel thanks for the entertainment!
@@lsimon343 Indeed, well said. And thank you for watching and commenting, much appreciated!
I hated Christopher lees take and look on all the monsters. I just didn’t love the aesthetic and I’d rather see Karloff!! And Bela!!
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one! I love the classic appearances / style from the Universal days, but some days I'm in the mood for a nastier approach. Lee and Hammer's takes (Frankenstein especially) really scratch that itch!