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It was supposed to be the start of something massive. You remember the photo, right? Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe, Sofia Boutella, and Johnny Depp all standing together like some weird, supernatural Avengers squad. It was the birth of the Dark Universe. Then the movie actually came out. People weren't exactly thrilled. But honestly, if you look at the sales data and the way physical media collectors talk, the Mummy 2017 DVD hasn't just disappeared into a tomb. It’s still kicking around in bargain bins and home theaters for a few very specific reasons.
Maybe it's the Cruise factor. Maybe it's the fact that it was one of the last gasps of the big-budget, non-superhero creature features.
The DVD itself is a weird time capsule. When you pop that disc in, you aren't just watching a movie about an ancient Egyptian princess with double pupils trying to bring Set into the world. You're watching a studio try, very hard, to build a billion-dollar world in two hours. It didn't work. But man, it’s a fascinating mess to revisit.
What You Actually Get on The Mummy 2017 DVD
Physical media is dying, they say. Tell that to the people who still want the highest possible bit rate or just want to own their movies without a streaming service "sunsetting" them.
The standard DVD release for this film isn't exactly groundbreaking in terms of tech—it's 480p, let’s be real—but the bonus features are where the "expert" value hides. Universal didn't hold back because, at the time of the DVD's production, they still thought this franchise was going to be their gold mine.
You get the feature commentary with director Alex Kurtzman and the cast. Listening to Kurtzman talk is actually kind of wild now. He sounds so optimistic. He talks about the "Dark Universe" as if it’s a foregone conclusion. There are also several deleted scenes that give Sofia Boutella’s Ahmanet a bit more breathing room. In the theatrical cut, she’s basically a walking CGI effect, but the DVD extras show a bit more of the performance that got buried under the action sequences.
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Cruise did his own stunts. Obviously.
The DVD includes a breakdown of the "Zero-G" plane crash sequence. They actually filmed that in a vomit comet. It’s one of the few moments in the movie where you feel the weight of a $125 million budget. Seeing the behind-the-scenes footage of the crew literally throwing up while Tom Cruise does 64 takes of a crash landing is worth the price of the disc alone.
The Dark Universe Dream That Died
We have to talk about the "World of Gods and Monsters" featurette. It’s on the disc. It’s basically a manifesto for a cinematic universe that no longer exists.
- You see glimpses of what was meant to be.
- The Bride of Frankenstein (which was supposed to be directed by Bill Condon).
- The Invisible Man (before it was rebooted into a much better, low-budget thriller by Leigh Whannell).
- Dr. Jekyll’s "Prodigium" lab, which takes up a huge chunk of the 2017 film's runtime.
It’s awkward. It’s like looking at a high school yearbook of a couple that broke up two weeks after graduation. But for film nerds? It’s a primary source document for how Hollywood tried to copy the Marvel blueprint and failed.
Technical Specs and Regional Quirks
If you’re hunting for the Mummy 2017 DVD, you’ll likely find the standard US Region 1 release or the UK Region 2. They’re basically identical.
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The audio is Dolby Digital 5.1. It’s loud. The sound design in this movie is actually pretty decent, especially during the sandstorm sequence in London. Even on a DVD, the low-end frequencies of the Mummy’s voice (that weird, multi-layered whispering) come through if you have a decent subwoofer.
Don't expect the crispness of the 4K Ultra HD version, though. DVD is a legacy format. If you’re watching this on a 65-inch OLED, it’s gonna look a bit soft. But for a kid’s bedroom or a van with a built-in player? It’s perfect.
Why Do People Still Buy This Specific Disc?
You’d think everyone would have moved on to The Mummy (1999) with Brendan Fraser. Most people did. That movie is a masterpiece of adventure cinema. But the 2017 version has a different vibe. It’s darker, weirder, and much more of a "Tom Cruise movie" than a "Mummy movie."
Collectors want it to complete the set. If you have the 1932 Karloff original and the 90s trilogy, your shelf looks incomplete without the 2017 reboot. It’s the black sheep of the family.
Also, it’s cheap. Really cheap. You can find this thing for $2 at a thrift store or $5 brand new on eBay. For the price of a coffee, you get a movie that features a pretty intense fight between Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe (as Mr. Hyde). Honestly, the Jekyll/Hyde fight is better than people give it credit for. Crowe looks like he’s having a blast chewing the scenery.
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The Controversy of the "Cruise Edit"
There’s a persistent rumor—documented by outlets like Variety—that Tom Cruise took over the editing room for this film. This influenced the final product heavily. When you watch the DVD, you can see it. The movie shifts from a horror film to a "Tom Cruise runs away from things" film very quickly.
Is it a good horror movie? No. Is it a fascinating look at the power dynamics of a mega-star in 2017? Absolutely.
Decoding the DVD Menus and Interface
The menus on Universal DVDs from this era are pretty standard. You get the looping theme music—which is actually a great score by Brian Tyler—and a montage of action shots. It’s functional. It doesn't have the artistic flair of the old "special edition" DVDs from the early 2000s, but it gets the job done.
One thing to watch out for is the "Digital Code" inside. Most of these have expired by now. If you're buying it used, don't count on being able to redeem the Movies Anywhere code. Those things usually have a two-year shelf life before the studio turns them off.
Actionable Insights for Collectors and Fans
If you're actually going to go out and grab the Mummy 2017 DVD, keep these things in mind so you don't waste your time or money:
- Check the Disc Surface: Universal’s mass-produced DVDs from the late 2010s are prone to "disc rot" if they weren't stored in a climate-controlled environment, though it's rare. Just look for cloudy patches.
- Don't Pay Full Price: This is a high-volume disc. Never pay more than $5 for it. It's everywhere.
- Watch the Stunt Featurettes First: If you're bored by the movie, skip to the bonus features. The "Becoming Ahmanet" and "Cruise in Action" segments are actually more entertaining than the third act of the film.
- Context is Everything: Watch it as a "failed experiment" rather than a standalone epic. It makes the experience much more enjoyable.
- Audio Settings: If you have a soundbar, make sure your DVD player is set to "Bitstream" so you get the full 5.1 mix. The whispering effects in the surround channels are the coolest part of the movie's atmosphere.
The 2017 reboot might not have saved the Dark Universe, but it remains a weird, loud, and shiny piece of Hollywood history. Having it on your shelf is a reminder of a time when every studio was swinging for the fences, even if they sometimes tripped on the way to first base.