Young Jean: You think you can fix me?
Professor X: Jean, you are not broken.
Okay, people, I know it’s gonna be a lot to take in but Marvel just released it’s new installment on the X-Men series. Not everyone loves X-Men because of the not-so-working order of movies being released through the years, but this year, looks like there’s an end to it. Well, everyone’s aware about recent purchase of Fox by Disney, by this happening, the possibilities of mutant getting into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite good which means, X-Men: Dark Phoenix is the last entry for the X-men series, but if you’re not a fan, at the end of this movie review, I’m gonna give you a list of X-Men movies you need to watch before diving to your popcorn and cinema to watch X-Men: Dark Phoenix.
But first, let’s get into the review. Just like I always remind you, people, this moview contains some spoilers ahead, please read at your own risk.
The Synopsis
The story revolves around Jean Grey, played by Sophie Turner (From Game of Thrones). Jean Grey is one of the sought after characters in the X-Men comics. The movie starts on some flash backs from Jean’s life when she was a kid.
Jean and her parents were in a drive when she caused a car accident, killing her mother. Professor X, played by James McAvoy, was able to arrange her transfer to his school. He was convinced that he can help Jean to control her powers. The movie was fast-forwarded to the field during a rescue mission in space and Jean was hit by a solar-flare that makes her light up like Captain Marvel, making her the most powerful mutant of all.
With all that happened, it just opened a close wound in her mind; her memories from when she was young and the confusion on how to control her powers got in her head and all these were to blamed to Professor X causing some misunderstanding among the other members of the Xmen. A death of a friend made all of them face conflicts on each other and clashes.
While Jean was summoning all the demons in her head, group of shape-shifting aliens including Jessica Chastain, roams around the earth searching for her and when they finally saw her, they tried to convinced her that her powers is an extension of terror to be put in her hands which was she believed at first but later on decided to keep her powers. Trying to save her family of X-Men, she killed the aliens causing her to sacrifice herself in the end.
The Verdict
This is probably the saddest X-Men movie that I have watched, aside from Logan. I’m surprised how they managed to get up from those a little-bit-confusing plot of the previous X-Men movies. However, since I liked the previous Dark Phoenix movie that was released long time, there were some holes in the movie that are actually in need of filling.
The old movie Dark Phoenix was somehow more accurate than the ones that was released now. The elements of the X-Men were there however in this recent comeback it looked like it was just a flop. It was made to end s story that has been opened for years but I’m not sure if everyone feels the same.
Another one was the death of Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence was just heartbreaking but, they got to do whatever they have to do to make it more believing. I bet many of you also were shaken up but I think it was all worth it although it wasn’t executed well. And I’m looking forward for the New Mutants considering there were tons available in the school.
The movie was never boring but I’d like to say that it felt like it was fast forwarded too much that the whole film was too short and lack of substance.
I liked how they managed to create a scene between Hank and Raven but all those sweet tell all were not enough like they just push those scenes right there to be able to take part on the plot.
Two things; Jean and Professor X, that’s it. They are the main characters of the movie. All the power hungry moment of X and the anxiety scenes for Jean. The other X-Men were all props in there. It didn’t feel like X-Men at all, well, yeah maybe because this is a self entitled film but nonetheless I wanted more and they didn’t give it to me.
Considering this is the end of the X-Men plots, I think they have made the film a little on the safe-side which is undoubtedly not fulfilling. If you have watched the previous X-Men entries, Jean Grey was not there, she wasn’t in focus at all. X-Men First Class, She’s not there, however in the Days of the Future Past, she was there but a little different from the one we have seen in the Dark Phoenix. No anxieties or whatsoever.
You’ll notice that they actually shuffled the timeline and it got confusing. Let’s just say the setting of the film is 1992, before Jean even met the rest of the gang, like Wolverine, if in this film Jean has sacrificed herself to safe the others, naming the school after her, then why is she even present on the Days of the Future Past? She’s there, right? That movie was set on 2023, which gives her the timeline of getting older and meeting all the X-Men, so the whole timeline was messed up that’s why maybe they just decided to end this confusing sequels unlike MCU, everything has a connection and that made the whole series go along its timeline.
The Days of the Future is like a dream from someone else’s head, it just killed all the movie entries made for X-Men, it made it more complicated and hard to follow. But news have been surfacing that they will release a movie entitled The New Mutants which I guess might be a start of at least a well polished series for X-Men Universe. I think rebooting the whole series is one of the steps they need to consider if they really want to get the X-Men going just like the MCU or maybe putting them in the MCU is also a possibility instead of creating another timeline.
Of all the X-Men related movies, I liked Logan the best, coz it’s not only about Logan but it was also about Wolverine and his darkness which is actually what the X-Men I think meant to be told about. Each characters are not angels they started from something dark and the rest of them have seen the light seeking help.
I’d like to consider Dark of the Future Past to be the conclusion of X-Men, I mean it could be like their Endgame and inevitably there will be holes if they don’t follow that plot coz the movie cannot be literally be unseen and if rebooting is made, there should be a lot more to do than just starting with a twist on the plot; but when you look at it, creating a new plot for X-Men series can be difficult especially now that most of the viewers wanted it to be more connected on their origins.
Anyway, let’s go to the much awaited post credit scene; Yes, there’s no post credit scene, like always they don’t put a cliffhanger on X-Men movies but I think it’s much expected that Dark Phoenix will not have post credit scene because it is supposed to be an end of an X-Men ere and aside from Fox teamed up with Disney so that’s much like it.
Anyway, to end this review, I’d say I didn’t have any expectations aside from ‘it has to be good’. I will give this movie a 80% wonderroanne movie rating.
Oh! yes, I didn’t forget. For all those who haven’t watch any X-Men movie, might as well consider on watching the below films in order for you to somehow understand the Dark Phoenix.
- X-Men: First Class
- X-Men: Days of the Future Past
- X-Men: Apolcalypse
Many people are saying you need to watch Logan too but no, Logan is actually set in an altered timeline, 2029 so watching it won’t actually do some understanding but hey, you can too. It’s my favorite entry of X-Men after Wolverine.
So for those who haven’t watched it, grab some tissue and popcorn and enjoy!
Wonder Roanne 