Mummies review: An animated adventure that’s fun for the kids but lacks laughs for the grown-ups
MUMMIES
(U) 88mins
★★★☆☆
By Josh Saunders
MUMMIES have been the fodder of horror movies for years – and now they turn the tables in this fun animated adventure.
British archaeologist Lord Sylvester Carnaby (brilliantly voiced by Hugh Bonneville) is the big baddie who finds a way back to ancient Egypt and steals a wedding ring from its royal family.
But his plans to exhibit it in modern-day London are threatened by three young mummies and their pet crocodile.
Inbetweeners star Joe Thomas voices lead character Thut, a former chariot racer who lost his nerve after a crash.
Pop culture
He describes himself as “allergic to marriage, diagnosed actually”, but has been chosen as the future husband of the Pharaoh’s daughter Nefer (Eleanor Tomlinson).
The threat of having his eyes and tongue plucked out is enough to make Thut say yes, but he’s warned he’ll suffer the same fate if he loses the wedding ring before the big day.
Moments later, ambitious, mummy-obsessed Lord Carnaby finds a way to reach ancient Egypt and steals it.
Thut finds an unlikely ally in Nefer, who doesn’t want to get married either and is frustrated that her future has already been decided for her.
They leave their “mundane” but “protected” paradise for London to get the ring back, but the modern world has trouble in store for these ancient relics.
The gang unintentionally star in an opera, transform a painting into an internet meme and struggle to operate a car — not understanding how 50 horses fit under its bonnet.
Nefer finally finds the fame she’s always craved, only to discover it comes at a price.
And Thut realises being vulnerable is the only way to overcome his own demons.
Mummies is a fun, family-friendly flick, from Spain, that’s packed to the brim with pop culture references younger audiences will love and adults will tolerate.
Unlike Shrek and Disney favourites, it lacks the laughs for grown-ups too and instead relies on endless mums versus mummies gags.
While it preaches positive messages about kindness, courage and mental health issues, it fails to pack the comedic punch of popular predecessors from the animated genre.
Better jokes have clearly been left under wraps.
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DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMONG THIEVES
(12A) 134mins
★★★☆☆
By Hanna Flint
ANOTHER day, another comedy action bop for Chris Pine to charm your pants off in.
This reboot is a far cry from the woeful fantasy series that kicked off in 2000.
It takes its cues from the Marvel school of knowing how to do tomfoolery, with an abundance of both CGI and practical monsters.
There are also battle-grounds, high and low, for a rag-tag team of sorcerers, shape shifters and warriors to play in.
In the role of Edgin, Pine’s musical flare and ability to hit the comedic and emotional notes helps the story sing.
But he and the rest of cast do a lot of heavy lifting to keep you invested in what is a formulaic plot.
In keeping with the game it comes from, there are a lot of mini-quests involving magic and fantastical beasts, but they drag the pace.
The motivations of main baddie Sofina (Daisy Head) are as skeletal as her appearance, yet Hugh Grant’s villain era continues to shine with his con man Forge.
Rege-Jean Page’s charmingly deadpan heroics as Xenk always earn a giggle.
It’s an honourable effort but these thieves aren’t stealing the blockbuster show.
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TETRIS
(15) 118mins
★★★☆☆
By Josh Saunders
IT is one of the world’s most popular video games, but the story behind the button-bashing classic may well receive a “Game Over” from viewers.
The film is loosely based on businessman Henk Rogers’ dangerous journey to the Soviet Union to secure the game’s rights for Nintendo.
It’s a dangerous time to be in Moscow, but if he doesn’t bag the deal, Henk (Taron Egerton) risks bankruptcy and losing his family’s home after an underhand move from real-life villain Robert Maxwell.
Maxwell (Roger Allam) needs Tetris as a lifeline after stealing £450million from his companies’ pension funds.
The film is packed with Eighties hits, arcade game graphics and nerdy references.
But at nearly two hours long, the plot’s packed with, ahem, blockages caused by boring boardroom back-and-forths as the Russians try to “beat the capitalists at their own game”.
They dominate, instead of the beautiful moments between Henk and Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, which would have brought this 2D game into the 3D world.