This is the story of one
of the X-Men’s most beloved characters, Jean Grey, as she evolves into the
iconic DARK PHOENIX. During a life-threatening rescue mission in space, Jean is
hit by a cosmic force that transforms her into one of the most powerful mutants
of all. Wrestling with this increasingly unstable power as well as her own
personal demons, Jean spirals out of control, tearing the X-Men family apart
and threatening to destroy the very fabric of our planet. The film is the most
intense and emotional X-Men movie ever made. It is the culmination of 20 years
of X-Men movies, as the family of mutants that we’ve come to know and love must
face their most devastating enemy yet -- one of their own.
Director: Simon Kinberg
Cast: James McAvoy,
Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye
Sheridan, Alexandra Shipp, Jessica Chastain
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language
Release Date:
Genres: Action,
Adventure, Sci-Fi
Runtime: 1h 54 min
Review:
It’s typically not the
biggest compliment for a film when you start comparing it to past entries in
the franchise only to confirm that it’s not as bad as some of the series low spots. In this case, Dark Phoenix isn’t the
collective disaster that X-Men The Last Stand was and it’s far more palatable
than X-Men Apocalypse. That doesn’t
necessarily make a good film though, it’s serviceable at best. The first two acts of the film rush through
exposition and tries to get the audience to care about Jean Grey whom we’ve
spent barely anytime with as a character in the previous films. Sophie Turner just isn’t terribly engaging as
the titular character, her acting ranger here seem to consist of staring
blankly into space angrily. The real
shame is that the film is stacked with excellent actors and actresses across
the board. Jennifer Lawrence is barely
given much to do and her character’s storyline doesn’t land the way it
should. It’s a consistent issue with the
film, its first two acts feel like an emotionless slog peppered with some
respectable action sequences. Jessica
Chastain’s character and performance exemplify this since she’s a walking
talking emotionless villain who’s not so much a character but a plot device to
move the story forward. She’s utterly wasted throughout the film, much like Michael
Fassbender whose role feels more like an extended cameo. James McAvoy fares slightly better but it not
enough to turn the tide, the films final battle is solid but strangely Simon
Kinberg decided it was a good idea to uses certain beats from The Last
Stand. Since the final act was entirely
reshot, it’s hard not to see a problematic production turn into a messy
uninspired film.
C
