Movie Review -- Dark Phoenix

  This is the end, my only friend, the end. Dark Phoenix marks the end of the 19-years old X-Men series as run by 20^th Century Fox and it's been quite a ride, hasn't it? We've had some ups – Days of Future Past, Logan – some downs – Origins: Wolverine, Apocalypse – and everything in between (I didn't think The Last Stand was all that bad!). And to cap it all off we've now got the twelfth and final film which takes another stab at a classic comic storyline already tried in an earlier film back in 2006. What could possibly go wrong?

  Let's start with the film's title. Why doesn't it say X-Men in it? This isn't exactly a solo movie that's all about Jean Grey; Dark Phoenix is supposed to serve as the conclusion to the “new”, soft-rebooted series that began with First Class (2011). What, are the producers trying to disassociate this film with the others or something?

  Anyways the story takes place in 1992 and the X-Men are now international celebrities, but not all is well. Professor X's motivations/intentions as the face of mutantkind are called into question and during a rescue mission in space Jean absorbs an extraterrestrial force that amplifies her powers far beyond what she's used to. A shape-shifting alien race travels to Earth to reclaim this force. Trouble ensues and relationships are put to the test. It's a plot that borrows a lot of elements from 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand: the same locations, the same external forces, even some of the same deaths. As with that film, Dark Phoenix raises a bunch of ethical debates which cause friction amongst the team, which is interesting to see. It's just a shame that the dialogue is a bit heavy on the oversimplification.

  It's also a shame that Quicksilver gets the shaft. Remember the whole he's-the-son-of-Magneto thing? Totally forgotten. And as was the case with Days of Future Past, he gets written out rather early on account of how overpowered he is.

  Speaking of characters getting the shaft, Jennifer Lawrence really lets down this time around as Mystique. She acts like she barely gives a damn about anything. There might be a bit of truth to that considering how much time she doesn't spend in her blue mutant makeup.

  Some of the acting is quite good, especially from James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Sophie Turner. But having been set in yet another decade, Dark Phoenix suffers from that old familiar problem of the soft-rebooted X-Men series: the returning characters look way too young. Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Nightcrawler haven't aged at all since 1983. Quicksilver looks just as he did in 1973. Xavier, Magneto, Beast, and Mystique were all born the 1930's and yet they look just as they did in the 1960's! After four movies they still can't get aging right. Is immortality a superpower common amongst all mutants? Am I really watching a series of Highlander films?

  But the rotten turkey award has got to go to Jessica Chastain as Vuk, the aliens' leader. Her delivery is so awkward and her dialogue is so Care Bears-esque that it's impossible to take her seriously.

  The scope of Dark Phoenix's production is a mixed bag. The Hans Zimmer score sounds excellent, but a lot of the film's other elements gives the impression of a relatively a low-effort affair. For example, the action is of notably smaller scale than in previous instalments. And even though this is a movie set in the 1990's hardly any attempt was made to make it look so. There isn't a single Nirvana song, which is pretty much obligatory for 1990's period piece films nowadays. If you walked into the theatre a few minutes late you could be forgiven for assuming that this takes place in the present day. And to cap it all off, we don't even get to see what the aliens truly look like. From beginning to end Vuk and all her minions look just like regular people! How lazy can you get?

  That's not to say I hated Dark Phoenix. There are some genuinely cool scenes, sympathetic characters, decent songs, and emotional moments on display. I'd say it's slightly better than 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse in that it has a more focused cast, is more emotionally commanding, and is less unintentionally funny. That being said its lesser scale, toned-down action, and silly villains keep this phoenix firmly mired in ashes.

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