"Dark Phoenix" is Another Mess of a Stab at an Interesting Comics Arc
By: Keaton Marcus
DISCLAIMER: IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 14, YOU MUST ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!
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30/100 “sour”
Kudos to all the talented, ensemble cast members who were so gratuitously wasted in the flaming pit of garbage that "Dark Phoenix" is.
"Dark Phoenix" shouldn't have been made. Directed and written by long-time series producer Simon Kinberg, this is the last stand the X-Men take before Disney acquires Fox--and its a rough one. Sophie Turner shows noticeable potential as its undeniably intriguing title character, but a hodgepodge of a storyline and a couple of truly embarrassing performances drown what could have been a solid film. The 200 million production has flashes of what should be demanded of an expensive sci-fi film (visuals), but mainly, not even the special effects shine in this tedious waste of talented people and a notable comics arc. It's depressing, full of unnecessary angst, and it meets none of the criteria of good superhero films today. "Dark Phoenix" isn't even enjoyable, much less funny--unless you're talking about unintentional laughs, and its certainly no "X-Men" film. Sure, the film certainly deserves credit for attempting, but that alone and an acceptable lead performance are not nearly enough to overcome a wave of boredom.
The X-Men are now friends with the people of Earth, with the citizens referring to the mutants as superheroes. When a crew of astronauts gets stuck in space because of a mysterious cosmic force, the President immediately turns to Charles Xavier (a kicked-in-the-head James McAvoy) and his team to save the stranded men and women. However, when one of their own, Jean Grey (Turner) absorbs the so-called "Phoenix force", she becomes Dark Phoenix. After a compelling space-mission sequence, well-directed and scored--the film turns into a jumbled mess. Jean is a disaster after, having a dangerous battle with the evil voice inside her. Then, things get worse. An alien dubbed Smith (Jessica Chastain going Tilda Swinton) corrupts Jean to retrieve her newly acquired powers. Can the X-Men save her from herself, or is she to be considered a dangerous antagonist? Yep, wow, a dramatic twist.
A major issue is the several attempts at faux feminism in the duration of the picture, especially when Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence hoping for a paycheck) confronts Charles.
"Risking our people for theirs", Mystique intones. "It's always the women saving the men around here", she adds soon before she requests that the team should be dubbed X-Women instead. While it's critical that "Dark Phoenix" should have such actions, Kinberg is not the right director to be injecting what a female filmmaker should. Don't get me wrong, Lawrence is an Oscar-winner, and generally a terrific actress. You can just easily tell that she's hoping to get out of the movie fast. A couple of endeavors hint what could have been an amazing experience, but instead of putting the puzzle pieces together, Kinberg's directorial debut will be remembered as an unfinished riddle. Long-time fans of the franchise may find satisfaction here and there, but people who check their expectations at the theater door--or those just looking for a good, 110-minute watch will want their money back.
What disappoints the heck out of me is the lukewarm action sequences and half-assed visual effects. For a budget that soars as high as the 200M mark, you'd think the people behind the film might pay a little more attention to the choreography of the violence. It seems dated, hard-to-see, and all-and-all, there's no fun. Besides the moments of promise, compare the finale to the "X-Men" franchise to the "Avengers" conclusion, there's no parallel, the latter is better in almost every way. It's not impressive, much-less imaginative. The character design, however, for Grey/Dark Phoenix, is undeniably majestically done. Most likely the only memorable bit of the film. Despite that, the film certainly doesn't deserve the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
You want my final opinion, well, here it is: "Dark Phoenix" should have stayed in the far, far reaches of space...$KIP IT