The Mummy’s use of CGI in the plane crash sequence fails to create a sense of danger and inconsistency in stakes, undermining the real stunts performed by the actors. In contrast, other blockbusters like Mission: Impossible successfully blend practical set pieces with CGI to create a more genuine sense of scale and threat. Tom Cruise’s stunts in the Mission Impossible films, such as the HALO jump and hanging onto a plane, effectively engage the real-life environment, making the action sequences more convincing.
The Mummy’s zero-gravity sequence, while impressive in its real-life stunt work, is ultimately compromised by the reliance on CGI effects. The constant cutting between the real actors and the computer-generated plane makes the scene feel inconsistent and undermines the sense of danger. This is in contrast to Chris Nolan’s approach in Oppenheimer, where he chose to recreate explosions without using CGI, citing that computer-generated effects can feel “safe.”
A Still From The Mummy 2017 (Photo: The Mummy)
The Mummy’s attempt to launch the Dark Universe, an interconnected monster movie franchise, ultimately failed, and the film’s poor performance has led to a shelving of other planned projects. Alex Kurtzman’s direction and the film’s reliance on CGI effects may have contributed to its failure to create a believable and threatening action sequence.
Tom Cruise’s presence in The Mummy was meant to infuse the monster movie with his signature action stunts from the Mission Impossible films, but ultimately, the film’s use of CGI effects overshot and failed to capture the same sense of danger and scale. The Mummy is currently available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.
