20th Century Fox
has often been criticized for its treatment of superhero franchises.
With the exceptions of Deadpool and Wolverine, the consensus among
diehard fans is that they don’t quite get it right.
After X-Men:
Apocalypse disappointed audiences with its uninspired treatment
of one of the the X-Universe’s most classic villains, many seemed
to lose faith in Fox altogether. When the new X-Men film Dark
Phoenix was announced, the buzz was virtually nonexistent for
this film living in the shadow of Avengers: Endgame. An
abundance of reshoots and release date postponements only added to
this collective sense of “meh” preceding the film. Is the film
worthy of all this preemptive disinterest, though?
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| Sansa sad. |
With many plot points adjusted for the
sake of time and concision (perhaps much to the dismay of comic book
purists), the film tackles arguably one of the X-Men’s most highly
regarded storylines. The X-Men are on a mission to rescue stranded
astronauts when Jean Grey is caught in a cosmic explosion that leaves
her with insidious, amplified powers. Upon returning to earth, she
and her teammates learn the destructive extent of her enhanced
psychic abilities, which not only ostracizes Jean from everyone she
loves, but ultimately causes a rift between the other X-Men, who are
divided on how to subdue her dangerous impulses. All the while,
shapeshifting aliens come to earth in search of the mysterious force
inhabiting Jean, aware of its true nature and vast potential.
Dark Phoenix is smaller in scope
than its predecessors, and that is its greatest strength. It is more
centrally focused and character-driven than Apocalypse,
allowing for more of a natural investment in the conflict at hand.
Rather than trying to make every X-Man the star here, the majority of
the film spotlights Jean’s descent into darkness and the way it is
affecting those closest to her. As a result, we see unique,
compelling sides of characters like Beast, which adds a depth not
often seen in some of the other X-Men installments. There are
occasions when the film becomes full-fledged, unwelcomed melodrama,
but for the most part, the intimate exchanges work, especially in the
first act. The problem arises when the action sequences begin to
outnumber the moments of heart, and we eventually become lost in a
sea of distracting visual effects and far too many characters
fighting for attention by its climax. In the end, the qualities that
initially set the film apart have diminished: the character
interactions start to feel cold rather than genuine, and the big
battles are so drawn out with boring antagonists that they become
tedious and disengaging.
The small victories of Dark Phoenix
are undeniably due to its strong cast of talented actors. Sophie
Turner makes Jean Grey’s turmoil more sympathetic than it is in The
Last Stand, while Michael Fassbender’s depiction of Magneto
continues to intrigue, portraying a damaged man trying to live
peacefully, but is in essence only one bad day away from becoming
spiteful again. James McAvoy plays a complex Xavier that was only
previously touched upon in Days of Future Past; had a less
adept actor tackled the role, the moments where we question some of
his intentions wouldn’t have worked as well. We see a real person
in him, not an infallible leader that seems to have all the answers.
In sharp contrast, the script fails other actors that are typically
worthy of praise: Evan Peters as Quicksilver, for example, often
brings charisma and laughs, but this time around, his inclusion in
the film feels inorganic, with one-liners that are completely
cringeworthy.
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| Sansa mad. |
Although Dark Phoenix is flawed
in many regards, there is enough about it that will be worth a watch
for followers of the previous X-Men films starting with First
Class. Fans of the Dark Phoenix Saga in the original comic
books, however, might have to dive in with a more open mind to fully
appreciate this one. It’s not the best superhero movie by any
means, but it most certainly isn’t the worst. Don’t be scared
off too easily by the naysayers, and give this one a chance if a
dark, character-based action film with a sci-fi slant sounds like
your cup of tea.
-Andrea Riley
