It’s always hard to say goodbye to a franchise. Whether we like it or not, the X-Men franchise by 20th Century Fox helped pave the way for future superhero movies. So regardless of the quality of Dark Phoenix, it’s bittersweet none the less that this may be the final X-Men film we see from this studio.
Given that, of course I wish this film was better. I’m sure many people do. But it’s by no means a terrible film. We’ve definitely seen worse from this franchise and, given the production issues surrounding this film, it’s not a bad movie. In fact, I’d say it perfectly encompasses the X-Men films as a whole, both the good and not-so-good.
After a rescue mission in space goes horribly wrong, Jean Grey finds herself tapping into an unknown power that, when placed under enormous stress, causes her abilities to become amplified for the worse. As characters become more aware of her new abilities, the battle for Jean Grey’s soul truly begins.
The acting is probably the best part of this film. Sophie Turner’s performance as Jean Grey helps this film tremendously. The the emotional arc the character goes through is one of the strongest components to the film. You really feel for Jean as she struggles to not only understand her new powers but also to take control of them. And you can see the desperation as she travels from group to group trying to find a place where she can belong.
Professor Xavier’s arc is also interesting. Exploring the flaws and vanity of his character was an interesting take. It definitely puts a new perspective on the X-Men and Xavier’s goals. This also ties in nicely to not only Jean’s story but also Raven’s. Of course, the downside to all of these character arcs is that it makes no sense within the X-Men’s timeline which can be frustrating for die-hard fans. But if you take a step back from all the time travel nonsense, these emotional arcs are the best parts of the film.
With all that being said, the film does drag, especially in the last third of the movie. The plot becomes slow and characters that didn’t have much of a role suddenly start getting small moments that feel out of place. There is one moment in the film that was part of reshoots and it definitely feels like a completely different movie. The main villain’s role also feels completely pointless and, while it does move the plot forward, it’s just so incredibly boring. There’s also moments and lines that are borderline silly to the point where the audience was laughing even if it wasn’t meant to be funny. But, oddly enough, I didn’t mind those moments simply because almost every X-Men movie has them.
It’s a real travesty that this is the second time Fox has attempted to adapt Jean Grey’s Phoenix storyline and has completely missed the mark. While it is certainly better than X-Men: The Last Stand, it’s definitely not a Logan or X-Men: Days of Future Past. In short, this film is just okay. It’s not the greatest X-Men movie but it’s also not the worst. It possesses a balance of all the things that make an X-Men film an X-Men film. Unfortunately, the X-Men won’t be going out with a bang but rather a mediocre, one-time-watch film.
