Universal’s 2017 reboot of , starring Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Annabelle Wallis, and Sofia Boutella is a good film. No matter how many times I’m presented with pitchforks over this opinion, I will not relent. Is it a great film? Is it a cinematic work that sticks in the brain, and compels you with complex storytelling and richly-layered characters? Absolutely not – but not all films must be to be considered good.
I like the 2017 , and that’s enough for me. Regardless, there’s no doubt this adaptation was ill-received in its time. Over the last decade, the memory of and its silly sense of fun has largely faded, leaving only a grim legacy in its wake.
It’s most remembered for being a brash attempt by Universal Pictures to crib from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) playbook. It’s become a symbol of man’s hubris – symbolic of a lack of understanding for shared film universes, and what made the MCU so popular. Rather than layering years of deft storytelling to build its cinematic universe, Universal attempted to circumvent good planning by relying on massive star power, spending big, and talking big, to generate interest.
Contrary to desire, this approach led to flat-out rejection that tarred prior to release. When people finally saw it, that rejection grew louder. ‘s critical failure and overly negative reception led to the cancellation of Universal’s plans for a wider “Dark Universe” of interconnected monster stories that would have led to a major .
