STACK September 2017 Issue 155

82 / 101

030 SEPTEMBER 2017
Universal’s bid to create a Dark
Universe populated by the studio’s
iconic monsters gets off to a
promising start with a visually
creative and surprisingly fresh take
on Mummy mythology that’s far
removed from the 1932 original
and Brendan Fraser remake.
Where both of those were period
pieces, the big difference here is a
gender switch for the monster. The
eponymous Egyptian is Princess
Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), mummified alive for a heinous
act and unearthed in the present day by Tom Cruise’s
soldier of fortune. Now on the loose in London, Ahmanet
seeks an ancient gem that will summon the God of Death,
with her eye on Cruise as a suitable vessel for this dark
entity. Enter Russell Crowe’s Dr. Henry Jekyll (and alter
ego, of course), who wants to capture the Mummy for his
own experiments; he’s the connective tissue that will bind
this Dark Universe together. A mix of olde worlde horror
and contemporary blockbuster razzmatazz, it’s a case of
Mummy: Impossible, but the good news is this fledgling
franchise appears to be shaping up as a modern day Penny
Dreadful rather than turning its classic creatures into the
horror equivalent of the MCU. SH (See page 16)
THE MUMMY
Gru (Steve Carell) had been turned
to the side of good by new wife
Lucy (Kristen Wiig), as well as his
trio of adopted “leetle gorls”. But
is Gru really a changed grump,
or is it a case of once a bad guy,
always a bad guy? Enter shoulder-
padded supervillain Balthazar
Bratt (Trey Parker) – a former ’80s
child star who’s lost track of the
line between his TV role and real
life. Gru is still under the employ
of the Anti-Villain League, until a
failed takedown of Bratt sees both he and Lucy sacked.
Then comes word that Gru has a twin brother, named Dru
(also Carell), who’s everything that Gru isn’t – rich, stylish
and, well, not bald. But he’s been a failure in the family
business of evilness, and wants to tempt Gru back into
the life. Will our anti-antihero succumb to the temptation?
While DM2 didn’t quite get the parents/kids amusement
balance right, this third outing is bang-on. From choice ’80s
cuts (Michael Jackson, Madonna, A-ha, Nena) bumping it
with new Pharrell tracks, plenty of genuinely clever-funny
era-related gags (thank you, Van Halen) and just the right
amount of slapstick, Despicable Me 3 is genuinely superb
all-in-the-family entertainment. AF (See page 12)
Gru meets Dru and there’s Minions, too.
DESPICABLE ME 3
BD ONLY
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Cruise & Kurtzman: A
Conversation
Rooted in Reality
Life in Zero-G: Creating the
Plane Crash
Meet Ahmanet
Cruise in Action
Becoming Jekyll and Hyde
Choreographed Chaos
Nick Morton: In Search of a Soul
Ahmanet Reborn Animated
Graphic Novel
JB HI-FI EXCLUSIVE
4K UHD VR Edition Including
VR Cardboard Headset,
Download Code for “The
Mummy, Zero Gravity VR
Stunt”, Graphic Novel & Bonus
DVD with Extra Features
4K & Blu-ray edition including
bonus DVD with extra features
The Mummy (1999)
EXTRAS
FURTHER VIEWING
Release Date: 06/09/17
Format:
Despicable Me 1 & 2/
Minions
EXTRAS
FURTHER VIEWING
Release Date: 20/09/17
TOP
HITS
TOP
HITS
DVD & BD
Deleted Scene
Minion Moments
Character Profiles
The Making of Despicable
Me 3
Developing Dru
The AVL Files
Freedonia Visitors Guide
Despicable Me TV
“Doowit” Sing-along
“Yellow Light” Music Video
Minion Mugshots Gallery
Wanted Posters
Mini-Movie: The Secret Life
of Kyle
Format:
visit DVD&BD REVIEWS
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Margo’s shirt has The Grinch
on it. This is a reference to
Illumination’s next film.
DID YOU KNOW...