#REVIEW: “DARK PHOENIX”

Review by Mr. Will Wong

It is never easy talking about the X-Men as we are in our second incarnation, for live action, of the beloved characters and we are fully aware that this is the end for this casts’ take on the characters. It’s even more difficult when the Writer of the most controversial and fan enraging The Last Stand takes a swing at re-doing the exact same story, this time also directing it, but Simon Kinberg certainly did things differently with Dark Phoenix and it was exactly what should have been delivered in 2006 with The Last Stand. Dark Phoenix goes back to the roots of the Comics, goes back to the roots of the original X-Men movies and delivers a proper, well executed and really well-crafted comic book movie.

The Movie focuses on Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) as she along with her fellow X-Men, Scott (Tye Sheridan), Hank (Nicholas Hoult), Raven (Jennifer Lawrence), Ororo (Alexandra Shipp), Peter (Evan Peters) and Kurt (Kodi Smit-McPhee) have to take the X-Jet to space to save some astronauts who got him by what we are lead to believe is a solar flare. Upon arriving in space, things don’t go according to plan and Jean absorbs the power of the supposed solar flare and thusly, becomes the most powerful living creature in the universe. Jean is now struggling how to contain her new-found power and is being pulled by both Charles (James McAvoy) and a new character, Vuk (Jessica Chastain).

What makes Dark Phoenix work is the fact that the Movie is not trying to be a giant Action-set piece, similarly to Days of Future Past or Apocalypse but goes back to its roots similarly to X-Men and X2 and even X-Men First Class. It focuses on Jean Grey, tells her story and the story of the Dark Phoenix and delivers. Sophie Turner finally breaks-through as well and steals the show. Her performance feels raw, albeit casually hollow. She is finally taking center stage, as she rightfully should considering this is her Movie, as everyone else plays secondary characters and supports her to truly let her shine.

Moreover Dark Phoenix will give fans the Film they have been waiting for. It conveys on all fronts and gives a satisfying ending to a nearly 20-year saga. The Movie is truly something many people will not see coming, and something that because of reshoots and rumoured movie drama, people have potentially written-off but should not. It packs a punch, it fixes the past and finally gives the fans the Dark Phoenix movie that we deserve.

20th Century Fox releases DARK PHOENIX in theatres on Friday June 7, 2019.