Hot Take: Stephen Sommer's Van Helsing and Mummy Movies Should Have Been "Dark Universe"

Thread: Hot Take: Stephen Sommer's Van Helsing and Mummy Movies Should Have Been "Dark Universe"
Cryptek

Cryptek

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Van Helsing was a dumb but still rather fun movie and I liked Hugh Jackman as Van Helsing. It was the closest you have to a live action Castlevania.

The first two Mummy movies with Brendan Fraser are great.

Both directed by the same guy, Stephen Sommers, and both classic monsters.

Eventually they could have had a Van Helsing/Rick O'Connell team up.

Missed opportunity.
 
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I bloody love all three of those movies, and more such classic monster movie remakes by Sommers would have been awesome, particularly if it had ended up with a crossover.
 
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Totally agree. Watched The Mummy and The Mummy Returns with my daughter last month. Still so good. We plan to watch Van Helsing. It's been forever since I watched it but I remember really liking it except for Beckinsale's horrendous accent.
 
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Mummy Returns was awful and I still remember the sheer disappointment seeing it in theaters. It had interesting ideas for the lore of the universe but also terrible ideas and execution. Mummy 2 and Man in Black 2 were the movies that taught me sequels to amazing movies could be bad, before Crystal Skull, Independence Day Forever and the Sequel Trilogy.

The first Mummy is one of the greatest adventure films ever made, right up there with Raiders of the Lost Ark and Last Crusade.

Ditto Van Hellsing. Damn good and I can only hope the live action Hellsing movie will be half as good.

Though killing the female lead soured it for me and keeps it from being right at the top.

Also ironically the big monster missing from this one was a mummy.

I personally would also include Sleepy Hollow.
 
I thought the third Mummy with Jet Li was poo.
The first two are amazing and hold up very well.

And yes, isn't it weird how they completely forgot how to make these kind of fun silly adventure romps?
Jumanji felt a bit like that, but with its balls cut off somehow.
 
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Van Helsing was trash and ruined Sommers career. Mummies were great, especially the first one is just a masterpiece.
 
The Mummy was fun I'll admit, but The Mummy Returns was annoying with that kid.

Personally though, I hated Van Helsing. It probably had the worst onscreen Dracula I've ever seen. And Hugh Jackman and especially Kate Beckinsale were wasted in their roles.
 
Stifler's Mom said:
I thought the third Mummy with Jet Li was poo.
The first two are amazing and hold up very well.

And yes, isn't it weird how they completely forgot how to make these kind of fun silly adventure romps?
Jumanji felt a bit like that, but with its balls cut off somehow.
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The 2 recent Jumanji's and Jungle Cruise feel at least mostly there. A big problem with both is the overuse of CGI and plot armour, making the movies feel like the characters are never in any real danger. They're almost live action cartoons.
 
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Stilton Disco said:
The 2 recent Jumanji's and Jungle Cruise feel at least mostly there. A big problem with both is the overuse of CGI and plot armour, making the movies feel like the characters are never in any real danger. They're almost live action cartoons.
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It comes down to how good the director is I think. Some people may think Steven Spielberg overrated, but the man is one of the best when it comes to crafting tense action scenes where you feel like any of the characters can die. I remember watching Jurassic Park at the theater and the audience was literally screaming at all the crazy set pieces he crafted to put our heroes in peril.
 
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Stifler's Mom said:
I think there are two Spielbergs, the one from the 70ies up to Private Ryan, and afterwards.

The later one is really lost on me.
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Post Private Ryan Spielberg still did Minority Report, Catch Me if You Can and Lincoln. I think he still hasn't lost it.

But... his recent stuff isn't as good as his 70's to late 90's output. So I agree with you.
 
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Watched those two Mummy movies last weekend. The second one...was not as good as I remembered it (and the PS2 CG-quality Scorpion King was hilarious) but the first is indeed a classic.

Always heard the third one was awful so have never watched it. Tom Cruise one was weird.
 
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