By Renee’ Collins
Rating: 2 (Out of 5 Reels)
Though safely entombed in a crypt deep beneath the unforgiving desert, an ancient princess (Sofia Boutella), whose destiny was unjustly taken from her, is awakened in our current day bringing with her malevolence grown over millennia, and terrors that defy human comprehension (IMDB).
I was cautiously optimistic about this film because I thought it might have potential. Alas, even though the storyline is solid, my optimism was unfounded. Sure, enormous amount of money were spent on the special effects but that alone could not make up for the lackluster, flat and empty acting. Watching this film feels like everyone involved goes through the motions with several scare tactic thrown in along the way.
Although, I definitely do not think Tom Cruise makes much sense with his choices in real life, he has made some entertaining films in the past. Unfortunately, this film definitely is not one of them. Another problem with this film is the addition of Russell Crowe as Dr. Henry Jekyll, a truly odd combination to this genre. Although, I heard the filmmakers are trying to merge disparate comic storylines to create a new genre. Well, it makes no sense here because they did not really do anything with his character.
I would wait for this one to run on cable or at the dollar cinema. And, seeing it in 3D does not make this film better. In fact, your time would be much better spent watch the version with Brandon Frasier and Rachel Weisz that was released in 1999.