Dark Phoenix

Expectations are a funny thing when it comes to movies. Or music, or TV, or games, or books for that matter. 

High expectations are sometimes a surefire way to be disappointed in the theater, though there is no sweeter moment than when even the loftiest of expectations are met or surpassed. 

Low expectations can lead to you skipping a film all together, taking bathroom breaks, checking the time, and generally being disinterested. But low expectations can also lead to pleasant surprises and those rare moments that a film blows you away.

The X-Men franchise from 20th Century Fox - now owned by Disney - has been a series of highs and lows coupled with the expectations that follow each one of those outcomes. 

For example, Days of Future Past - one of the best films in the X-men franchise, set lofty expectations for any follow ups. Apocalypse (which i vastly overrated; it's abysmally average), disappointed like the plain, stinky turd that it was. Not outright bad but so painfully mundane that it was angering. 

So now, amidst all the talks of reshoots, Fox being sold to Disney, and this being the "end" of the X-Men franchise (for now), we're left with Dark Phoenix, a rehash of a famous plot within the comics that we already saw in X-Men 3: The Last Stand. Coupled with middling, and far too revealing trailers and you're left with a Rath who wasn't really eager to do this Review, but felt like doing it out of obligation to both my site and for the great X-Men films that came before it. In many ways, this is the end of an era for a franchise that truly paved the way for the incredible superhero films we get today. And eventually they'll get reincarnated into the MCU, it'll likely be awesome, but we shouldn't forget the worthwhile films we got along the way: X-Men, X2: X-Men United, X-Men First Class, The Wolverine, Days of Future Past, and Logan...definitely Logan (not including Deadpool's films because...well...those aren't going anywhere). 

Their faces when re-shoots were scheduled

"Wait, I'm free of my contract after this film?"

Given this long-winded preface you're probably expecting me to exclaim that I loved Dark Phoenix and that the critics are wrong and it surprised us all. That's not the case -- Dark Phoenix is still middle-of-the-road X-Men fare held up against its competition. BUT(!) I did enjoy it a decent amount more than I thought I would partially because my expectations were so low and partially because it does do some things well. And...well...it's not as bland as Apocalypse, so that's a start. Overall, Phoenix is a gorgeous looking film with slick visual effects and generally feels like it's big budget. It has some punchy action that's way better than anything in Apocalypse (aside from the Quicksilver scene) and resides somewhere between the PUNCH! PUSH! nonsense in a lot of previous DC films and the choreographed power-combos of the MCU. You may also notice that there's quite a tremendous original score attached to this one that elevates the film considerably given its constant presence. Low and behold as the credits began to roll, who else could have created original music that I immediately connected with other than Hans Zimmer. So, at the very least, if you're a Zimmer fan, you should get something out of this. 

The rest of the film is really just...there. Part of the wind is taken out of its sails because it's the "last" X-Men film without having had that knowledge as they made it. Meaning that it doesn't feel as grand as one would hope for something like this. The story is fine, I guess...given that we've had two so-so iterations of the Dark Phoenix storyline that are both just "okay" I question if it's really as great of a storyline as some people say or if there's some sense of nostalgia driving it? Who knows, but basically the film ends up centering around Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) who acquires a power that levels her up and makes her unstoppable. Will she be able to refrain from evil and stay good?!? It is nice though that the Charles vs. Erik banter we usually get is really no where to be found here and, to a certain extent the film feels fresh within this franchise. Unfortunately, this cast has grown to be a truly A-list group and given their talent and stature, it's easy to tell they're going through the motions. Their true range isn't being taken advantage of and when you have people like James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, and even Nicholas Hoult (which from a pure talent perspective rival even The Avengers), you can't help but feel let down.

Dry skin? Fiery veins? Use our new Jergens Ultra ICE Healing lotion today!

There's not much else to say about Dark Phoenix. It won't make the top spot of any X-Men fans' favorites lists, but it likely won't (and shouldn't) make the bottom of them either. It's sad to see this franchise go out with a whimper but ultimately it's time to hang up the matching suits for a few years - hopefully more - to make their introduction into the MCU feel truly earned and special. And look on the bright side, at least Hugh Jackman's Wolverine got a proper send off and we got another Hans Zimmer score with Dark Phoenix.


CONS

• Most of the actors and actresses feel like they're not all that invested anymore. There's too much talent on this roster to not feel emotionally involved
• I'm unconvinced that the Dark Phoenix storyline is all that great. Perhaps I should read the comic, but so far we're kind of 0 for 2 when it comes to adapting it, but even the broad strokes seem...okay? 
• Hard to fault this film for what it didn't know, but it's less epic than it should be given that it's the end of an era. Tis a shame
• Boring trailers that revealed too much didn't help this one. I blame the marketing for a lot of the disinterest

PROS

• Well shot, loud, and well-edited. It feels like a big film
• Great cast that, even when doing it in their sleep, still offer a lot of memorable versions of these characters
• Surprisingly entertaining action
• Great visual/special effects
• Hans Zimmer's score is A) great and B) helps the movie a lot

Rath's Review Score | 6.5/10