A scare-free reboot that has no freshness

THE MUMMY Direction: Alex Kurtzman Actors: Tom Cruise, Sofia Boutella Rating:

The legendary movie monster has been resurrected so many times since 1932 that the latest reboot not only has no freshness, it’s also scarefree.

Maybe they thought it would help to make the monster a woman. Let’s be clear — it doesn’t.

In the tradition of long-running franchises, The Mummy (2017) is bigger but no better.

It’s just a bland retelling of the classic tale of a soldier-turned- mercenary explorer (Tom Cruise, on autopilot) who unwittingly awakens an ancient Egyptian (Sofia Boutella, reduced to an accessory) who’s been buried in a crypt for centuries.

Released from her prison-sarcophagus, the mummy unleashes a reign of terror. Ceaseless calamities ensue at locations ranging from 12th-century England to Mesopotamia and present-day London.

The script, attributed to as many as six writers, introduces several subsidiary characters including the explorer’s ‘undead’ partner-in-crime (Jake Johnson) and a blonde archaeologist (Annabelle Wallis) who serves as the primary love interest.

Almost indistinguishable from the horde of zombies floating around the fringes, the onceestimable Russell Crowe fetches up as Dr Jekyll (yes the same, aka Mr Hyde).

The narrative is clogged with rote action sequences and splashy stunts that quickly wear out their welcome.

Despite the best efforts of director Alex Kurtzman (People Like Us) to bind the disparate elements — horror, humour, romance — into an engrossing adventure, the outcome doesn’t even make it to goodish grade.

NARRATIVE IS CLOGGED WITH ROTE ACTION SEQUENCES THAT QUICKLY WEAR OUT THEIR WELCOME