My thoughts on Universal's Dark Universe

When Universal Studios announced they were reviving their classic monster movies, I thought it was an alright idea as I liked the selection of monsters they had even though the stories were far from their source material. When they announced it was going to be a shared universe mainly set in present day, I was ready to slam it.

Everyone seems to want to get in on the success of shared universes, the likes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Arrowverse on TV which are hugely popular, and I just thought Universal was doomed to failure.

This was until I actually watched The Mummy (2017).

I had watched Dracula Untold (because Dracula, I love Dracula) last year, which was meant to be the first in the Dark Universe but due to its box office results it was removed and The Mummy was then slated to be the first in the series. I didnt like how they finished the movie in a modern setting with the inkling that they were going to play the novel story in modern day. I also fine that portraying Dracula as hero, although it really worked and was written well for the film, is getting to be unoriginal.

So, The Mummy. I really enjoyed it myself. I thought the ending took a long time but there were a lot of things to like. One act of the film is set at an English church and for this they really upped the gothic horror. I loved it. Although, again, I was ready to slam Russell Crowe as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I actually thought he played it really well. I really liked Ahmanet and her story although her chasing of Tom Cruise's character was a bit cringeworthy sometimes. I also whooped when I saw Mesopotamia appear on the screen then transition into Iraq at the beginning of the film when they were there.

Upon reflection, I find that Dracula Untold and The Mummy are more similar than they first seem in that both female protagonists are very weak and damsels in distress and they are also the reason for the male protagonists becoming what they do.

After watching The Mummy, I am now of the opinion that I want the Dark Universe to work. I also want Dracula Untold to be reinstated in the series. Don't get me wrong, I miss the previous Mummy series like most people seem to, but I really think that this could work. They do need to get rid of Johnny Depp though, as he was planned to be the Invisible Man, the uproar with Fantastic Beasts should inform Universal that it would be the best idea.

I'm not sure how everything is going to fit into present day. The monsters were scary for their times which is why modern films with them don't work as well as their powers were suited for a more powerless time. We have nuclear weapons now. Maybe that's why Dracula and Ahmanet had power over their own 'armies' and they were created in the past.

It's a shame it looks like the Dark Universe is going in the direction I had anticipated - down the drain. The problem is that Universal are always going to try and find ways of monopolizing on their old monsters so I think they need to take the risk and stick with an idea otherwise people will soon get bored with the constant remakes. Looking for more original ideas to fit into the Dark Universe may also be the way forward. I also think maybe they marketed the series the wrong way. Now I'm no expert on marketing at all but something makes me think neither Dracula Untold or The Mummy will end up as cult classics because of it.

I would like to see the series progress but I guess we'll just have to wait and see. What do you think?

I hope you enjoyed reading.

Lotty
xx

My thoughts after rewatching 'The Ark in Space'

The other day I rewatched The Ark in Space which is a phenomenal Doctor Who story. It was a story that I took a long while to get to because I remembered seeing the larvae when I was about 3 or something and getting scares by it. I probably first watched it when I was 10 and watched it a couple more times before my dad moved with the videos to Sweden. My brother bought the DVD for us last year so we can watch it again.

I had a lot of thoughts watching it again and thought I'd share them in a blog post as I've seen others do this sort of thing and it's probably nicer than a Twitter thread. So here we go and I'll try to keep them chronological. THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD.

1. This opens with an intro to the monster of the story. Another story which does that which scared me into not watching it for years was The Claws of Axos.
2. Harry Sullivan is my favourite male companion but I would not be touching buttons if I didn't know exactly what they did.
3. I really don't like how the Fourth Doctor totally shrugs off the lack of oxygen until it's almost too late.

4. It's amazing how much Doctor Who would put women in leadership roles in Earth's future with a Prime Minister (then a President and then in this there was a High Minister.
5. I think I want one of those tranquillary beds.
6. Entering a sterile area and you can tell Harry sensibly fears there will be another security system but no the Doctor tells him to go first anyway. I don't know if that's the Doctor making Harry face his fear knowing there isn't a security system (or not being sure) or just being selfish really.
7. Ok, Harry has been a bit stupid but how can the Doctor shrug off Harry's claim of seeing an alien when the Doctor encounters them all the time?
8. Brilliant monologue but I actually find it not as great watching it in the story.
9. I can't believe the Doctor really just thought they couldn't revive Sarah and didn't look for something like Harry does.
10. Kudos to Harry keeping it cool and moving out of the way when the dead Wirrn falls out the cupboard. No screams from him.
11. Did they seriously not have female doctors when this episode aired because Harry is quite surprised by Vira.
12. I understand how first med-tech is woken up first to help everyone else wake up but how would have Vira woken up if Harry wasn't standing in front of her with the equipment she needed?

13. I don't understand how sometimes the Doctor keeps information about how he and his companions arrive in places when the situation doesn't seem to call for it.
14. I get the whole calling Lazar Noah as a  joke but I'm wondering if he did adopt the name Noah full time? The story seems to indicate yes but these people are so upper class that I doubt it.
15. Saying that Noah and the ark was a myth makes me wonder what happened to religion or if they even have one.
16. I wonder how this story fits in with the new series story The End of the World? Earth destroyed by solar flares but habitable again after thousands of years?
17. I think I'd like to have seen Noah/Lasar more before he was infected but I guess his actions as a Wirrn during the episode prove he was truly a good person.
18. I'm very curious about the Wirrn larvae. Was there loads roaming around the ark but budget meant we could only see one at a time or would the one we saw split into many pupae?
19. Noah is incredibly xenophobic and maybe a supremacist. The Doctor and co. are clearly passing through they weren't ever going to stay and mate with anyone lol.
20. Wouldn't it have been great to have a longer duration of Noah hiding his hand and interacting with everyone while Libri kept seeing him as a Wirrn?
21. The second Noah said "I am Dune" I'd have stunned him under grounds of insanity. I don't care who he is but anyone saying they are a dead person should then be questioned in a secure environment.
22. Why the hell did the Doctor send Libri after Noah? He clearly wasn't up for the job having been scared of Noah as he woke up and being very trusting of his leader. This is one time where the Doctor should have just done it himself especially as only he had an idea of what was going on and would have saved the loss of an innocent life.
23. That is a rousing speech by the high minister that I guess the people who had woken up needed to hear but I think everyone on the ark needed to hear it. How many times would that be replayed?
24. I like you Harry, and then you had to go and call Sarah/the High Minister a female chauvinist.
25. I think Rogin is all of us. Most relatable person we've seen on the ark.
26. I like how Noah was able to tell everyone about the Wirrn. Some characters like this keep it to themselves until it's too late.
27. This is the most human we've seen Vira when she encounters a mutating Noah.
28. Noah looks really horrific. I don't think they'd show that with updated prosthetics and effects in modern who.
29. To wake people up or not? Why not wake up soldiers because they've clearly gone for killing rather than reasoning with the Wirrn?
30. How can Rogin and Lycett not hear that larvae approaching?

31. So was Lycett absorbed? Is Lycett a Wirrn now too?
32. Harry and Rogin make a good team.
33. Have I said before I love Harry?
34. Sarah is very brave going through the vents. I've been 'caving' in concrete tunnels and the fact I couldn't be on my knees meant I wasn't confident at all.

35. Ironic how Rogin says he likes heat considering what happens to him.
36. I liked seeing the moment Rogin realises the Doctor's plan. It was something I always missed before.
37. I love Rogin's sacrifice. In fact I really like self-sacrifices as a plot device.
38. Noah's isn't as noble. I mean he kind of got himself into that mess being arrogant so high and mighty in the first place.
39. That was a very quick change for Sarah.
40. Vira laughs. She's become someone we can relate to and a doctor who cares. She's very different from the woman we first met.

Finally...

I think we need the Wirrn to make a reappearance. They would really benefit from a makeover (looking at you, bubble wrap larvae) and the horror aspect could be increased although that may exclude them from Doctor Who. They probably would have worked for a Torchwood story so I don't know if Big Finish plan on transporting them through space and/or time but that's a great idea right there.

Have you watched The Ark in Space? Do you agree with my thoughts or have any of your own you'd like to share?

Lotty
xx