I have to say I have never really been a fan of the X-Men movies produced by Fox. In fact, the only thing I did like was Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. I had hoped the franchise was about to get a boost in the right direction when Matthew Vaughn directed X-Men: First Class, but then the studio went against Vaughn’s plans and decided they knew better, and from that point on I feel the same old problems appeared.
X-Men, as we know, is no longer a Fox property, because Fox and all its IPs are now owned by Disney, who will be placing the X-Men under the guidance of Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige going forward. So this means that Dark Phoenix will indeed be the last X-Men movie from this franchise, unless you count New Mutants, which in itself feels like a sideways move from X-Men rather than the main series. I am also still not convinced New Mutants will ever see a cinema screen, but I could be wrong, as it has been dated. However, no matter what happens with New Mutants, we can still see Dark Phoenix as the end to the this version of the actual X-Men themselves. So how are the critics finding the final X-Men movie?
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Honestly, I’ve seen worse reviews, but I get an overall feeling from around 20+ reviews I’ve read that the film is very mediocre, with some good moments and some not so good moments as well. But, let’s get right into sharing some of these with you shall we? Below is a small selection only, but I feel a good selection to gauge the overall feeling from critics.
Thus the X-Men franchise, for now, goes out not with a grand finale, but a relentlessly mediocre entry that once again whiffs on one of the canon’s great stories. The blame doesn’t lie solely with Kinberg, the studio, or the actors, although they’ve factored into it. Kinberg should get the chance to direct again, and perhaps once he’s free of the burden of trying to untangle the past 19 years of tortured X-Men continuity, his writing will pick up as well. [2.5/5]
Mashable –
The phoenix that is the X-Men saga has completed its latest rebirth cycle to be reduced to ashes yet again — and this time, mercifully, it looks like it would stay that way.
Better than Last Stand or Apocalypse but never hitting the heights of X2, Dark Phoenix thrives when its heroes are front and centre. If this is the end, it’s a solid rather than spectacular goodbye. [3/5]
James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, as Charles Xavier and Magneto, respectively, have also consistently elevated this prequel series with performances that go way beyond the usual park-and-bark of the genre. They will be missed. For thus ends Fox’s X-Men series that’s lasted nearly 20 years. As Disney and Marvel Studios take the reins, I hope they embrace the stakes, humanity and scrappiness of these special characters. And, for the love of God, go easy on the quips, Mickey.
IGN –
Dark Phoenix is ultimately yet another fumbled take on the classic saga from the Marvel Comics, albeit one without the side plots of The Last Stand. Add to it a jarringly uneven latter half and some underdeveloped cosmic villains, and Dark Phoenix is fortunate to have not fully ended the X-Men’s current big screen run on a completely down note. While the MCU may prove better suited to give so many of these beloved mutant characters the rich dimension and care they deserve, the property itself deservedly needs a good long rest before the X-Men return to the screen. [6.3/10]
Guardian –
The point of a phoenix, dark or otherwise, is that it rises from the flames. But these are the flames in which this franchise has finally gone down. [2/5]
Overall, it’s not exactly high praise, though it does seem like some of the characters get some decent moments and the actors give acceptable performances for the most part. I have to say that even if the reviews were saying this was 10/10 and one of the best films of all time, I’d still feel melancholic about seeing it. That’s partly due to not being the biggest fan of the franchise so far, along with the fact that we know X-Men is ending and these characters won’t be going anywhere.
Check back later this week for LRM‘s own review from our fantastic Mr. Fox Troilo, if you want to see what the Fox thinks of Dark Phoenix.
What do you think of the reviews so far, do you plan to see Dark Phoenix at theaters, or will you skip this one? Share your thoughts in the usual spot below.
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