Dark Phoenix got a lot of negative prerelease buzz, and it was deserved.
Wow, what a sad ending (essentially) to such a great series. By sad I mean immensely disappointing, considering how amazing the series often was.
It actually starts off pretty strong in 1992, with the younger X-men, led by Beast and Mystique (who are now leaders of them) saving a bunch of astronauts whose shuttle exploded. The effects of that lead to Jean Grey, who was already uncomfortable with the extent of her own powers, and wondering what her place in the world is after her complicated family history, leaving the group, feeling too dangerous. A group of supernatural beings with a leader played by Jessica Chastain then pursue her, wanting her power. What these things are is never really explained – we’re simply told repeatedly that they’re not mutants. That leads to a very weak conflict.
The stuff involving the existing characters is often strong though. We see Charles, Nightcrawler, Storm, Beast, Raven, Quicksilver, and Jean’s beloved Cyclops try to convince her to come home. Beast is willing to resort to drastic measures to prevent tragedy, which may or may not be the best idea. Erik, who has been living in a secluded commune with other mutants, also wants to put an end to Jean for the safety of less dangerous mutants. They all ultimately rally together, though, to battle the whatever-they-are who want Jean’s power. That leads to an exciting final fight sequence aboard a train.
Nonetheless, the movie falls flat. I’ll leave aside the fact that the characters have been looking the same for 30 years but eight years after the film is set they’re supposed to look like they did in the first film; I do think it’s cool they had a prequel in the 60s and worked their way up to the present day. I’ll also leave aside the way these prequels mess with the continuities of the later films – Beast and Nightcrawler had been part of the X-Men for decades, Mystique is not fighting on Magneto’s side, etc. Let’s do a handwave and say the changing of the past in Days of Future Past had a ripple effect that affected all sorts of things.
Still, thematically the movie is a bust. It’s the THIRD time we’ve seen Jean die in one of these films, and it’s getting old. Regarding her transcending this world, what does that even mean? Can she still interact with the other characters? Will they ever see her again? Raven and Hank’s bitterness over Charles supposedly making the X-Men about himself doesn’t lead to anything, despite a flimsy attempt at a speech by Charles seemingly accepting wrongdoing. Raven and Hank’s romance, for which the seed was planted in First Class but which never went anywhere, is suddenly something in which we’re supposed to be invested?
And what about the ending? Is it supposed to be hopeful? Why would Charles retire and leave the mansion? Even if he’s grieving, doesn’t he still care about the other X-Men and students and want to offer help via his powers? Why does Charles still reject Erik’s offer to come stay with him? Is Erik still on the commune, and if not where is he? The image of those two as old men (at least acting like it – fitting since they’ll look like Patrick Stewart and Ian MacKellan in eight years) playing chess at some random restaurant innocuously is such a dull, pointless last imagine on which to close a decades-long story that had so often been mesmerizing.
Well, just glad it’s over now as far as the main story. Put the series out of its misery.
Bottom Line: Thumbs down.
Up Next: One last gasp.
Questions? Comments? Feel free to write below.
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