Mummies, the brand-new animated film from Warner Brothers, brings the afterlife back into modern-day London for a zany adventure. This family-friendly film launches right in time for the post-Christmas rush when the kids are looking for a day out of the house.

Beginning our adventure in the depth of Egypt, the afterlife doesn’t seem so bad after all, as an entire society of Mummies have banded together to create an oasis right under our noses. In a sprawling collection of homes, markets, and the illustrious royal district, an entire civilization has been rebuilt to resemble the world above as the process of becoming a mummy seems to only be the beginning.

With a society must come leadership, and the Pharoah’s daughter, Nefer, voiced by Eleanor Tomlinson, is actively struggling with the idea of abandoning what makes her happy to honour the traditional ways. For her to take over her father’s stead, a suitor will be chosen through a ritual that will choose the most appropriate match. Leaving this choice up to fate, however, left the window open for chaos to ensure as the younger brother of a former charioteer set the three of them up on a collision course of a lifetime.

Thut, voiced by Joe Thomas, has been shoved into the unwelcoming arms of the Princess and bumbled the very first task that was given to him. This comes in the form of the film’s antagonist, Lord Carnaby, voiced by Hugh Bonneville, who has been building his museum exhibit and his latest claim in the one thing keeping Thut’s eyes and tongue intact, the wedding ring.

The trials that Thut goes through are full of silly and outlandish situations, usually caused by his little brother, while Nefer eggs him on and just genuinely enjoys the ride. Lord Carnaby, with his tough and mean demeanour, is equally offset by his mummy’s boy persona behind closed doors and was arguably the highlight of the film.

The lion’s share of the film follows the reluctant couple through modern-day London as Thut desperately seeks out the lost wedding ring in hopes of going home, while Nefer is finally praised for her vocal talents. There is usually the ebb and flow of conversations that see the characters slowly break down the walls they have built as they see each other in a new light.

The shorter run time, however, seems to skip a beat, and their snarky jabs at each other seem to soften up after a single compliment. Granted, it is focused towards a younger audience, but the dialogue flow wasn’t exactly captivating and the sudden switch didn’t feel earned either.

The shorter run time also played into the events of the movie just rolling through set pieces that never really get a chance to skin in. Nefer has been thrown into the limelight by a wayward musical producer and she has taken to the mic to start producing music.

This course of events, which fills the movie with catchy tunes and upbeat moments, is quickly dispersed after her ‘single’ goes viral in a day, and then they are staging a break into the museum the next moment.

The problematic side of things can also be thrown up for debate as the questionable depictions of Egyptian culture are playfully mixed with stereotypical dance moves, and the English accents across all characters were a bit jarring.

At times, the colourful and vivid backdrops were brimming with character and coated with paintings and designs we are all most accustomed to in Egyptian history. The character animations were a bit stiff and lacking though, as they never really were able to overall convey the tones of the conversations in any given scene.

Certain moments that had civilians spooked at the Mummies sauntering around town were cartoonishly exaggerated, in a good way, but it did highlight the areas that it lacked its personality as well.

For a laid-back and calming watch, Mummies is an easy movie for kids to get behind. With a short run time and a bit of silly comedy, the journey may not be as memorable as it could be, but it doesn’t fail to steal a few laughs in the process.

Written by: Shane Fletcher