Journal & Topics Media Group

Movie Scene: Don’t Count Out ‘Dark Phoenix’


Evan Peters and Sophie Turner in “Dark Phoenix”.

“Dark Phoenix” (114 min, Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi fantasy action violence, and some language). Rating: 6 out of 10

There’s no stopping the barrage of superhero movies — and trying to keep their story threads straight requires a Master’s Degree in Statistics. Since 2000 when “X-Men” and “Spider-Man” opened, both of those franchises have been rebooted twice. “The Hulk” has been rebooted twice…”Superman” twice… “Batman” once, soon to be twice with the next installment…and dozens of classic comic superheroes have been introduced. Embedded in the “X-Men” thread is the character of “Dark Phoenix,” an alter-ego alteration of one of its core characters. Why it was necessary to give this character title billing is something the fanboy and fangirl contingency will have to explain.

Apparently, the transformation of super-telepath Jean Grey into some invincible cosmic being — and adjust to the popular X-Men series — was worth the telling. In the original three “X-Men” movies, Jean Grey was herself…a close ally to Charles Xavier and lover to Wolverine. I’m assuming that’s how it was portrayed in the comics. Since the inception of the original movies with Patrick Stewart, Ian Mckellen and Hugh Jackman, etc., the series has had three “Wolverine” spin-offs, a reboot staring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, etc., now culminated in what appears to be the end of the current series with “Dark Phoenix.” As much as this film has to del with Jean’s transformation — to something not good — it brings momentary closure to the narrative storyline before the original time line featured in the original movies. Got all that? Good luck!

Actually, the true ending to the “X-Men” series is the excellent “Logan” (2017), nominated for two Oscars, featuring an aged Charles (Stewart) and Wolverine (Jackman) coming to grips with the end of their lives in the not-too-distant-future. At the end of that film — and with both iconic characters dead (they better be!) — it all comes down to the next generation of X-Men to come forth…the future of mutants on a worn-torn planet. I like that proposition…a true rebirth of mutants, those with special powers, that usher in their own stories with no connection to the past…certainly no connection with any of the previous 12 “X-Men” movies. So, the “closure” achieved in “Dark Phoenix” serves as a link — in its timeline — back to the 1990s, with the fate of “this” group of mutants already addressed in “Logan.”

Now that the time-jumping between movies and characters within them has been, at least sort of addressed, let’s take a closer look at “Dark Phoenix” which has opened to a hail of bullets thrown at it by fans and critics alike. I don’t understand why, but apparently the expectation of “Dark Phoenix” is set on “Avengers” mode, when in reality, it’s a fine film with stunning action sequences, a decent-enough story to follow, and serviceable performances by its a-list cast. With a near $200 million budget, it brings all the bells and whistles to a topnotch production with a who’s who cast that includes James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain and Tye Sheridan. That ain’t chopped liver there.

The origins of the Dark Phoenix character in the X-Men universe are a bit confusing. I’ve heard it’s from the ‘70s, then I read it was in 1980…and then I caught wind it was the animated TV series in the ‘90s that really put this character into X-Men lore. If Jean Grey’s transformation into this cosmic being is central to the X-Men series, I don’t know why it took to now — 12 movies later — to cover it. But, then again, the story takes place in 1992; so perhaps subsequent films have suppressed it. Nevertheless, “Dark Phoenix” opens with a brief prologue in 1975 when Jean is a little girl and accidentally causes the death of her parents — so she thinks. The youngster is a mutant and possesses great powers of mental telepathy. It comes to the attention of Charles (McAvoy) who assumes custody of the gifted child for his special school for mutants.

Jump to 1992 and Jean (Sophie Turner) falls victim to an accident when the X-Men team is called in to rescue astronauts stranded in a failed space shuttle mission in orbit above Earth. The astronauts are saved, but Jean is struck by a high-energy solar flare that infuses her body with super strength. She finds it hard to control her outbursts of rage and anger — and along with a few other X-Men, most notably Mystique — now called Raven (Lawrence) — blames Charles for the accident. I don’t get that at all. Charles has been mentor and all-around supporter and provider for his team all this time. He takes severe criticism from a number of them, all uncalled for, including from public media who want to persecute him.

A silly and unnecessary plot involving shape-shifting aliens (chief alien played by Jessica Chastain) descend upon Earth with intentions of conquering it, get in the head of Jean — now Dark Phoenix — to run her against her team and the world, and use her superpowers to take over the world for the aliens. This enlists the services of Magneto (Fassbender) to step in and help Charles (along with Beast, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Quicksilver, etc.) to snap Jean out of her deadly mission and defeat the evil aliens. This aspect of the story is the weak link, and unfortunately, it takes up too much of the film. Otherwise, the rest of the film is fine, nothing to brag about, but covers enough of the X-Men lore and tradition to satisfy fans of the superhero genre. Don’t discount seeing this film because of what you’ve heard or read — see it for yourself and decide.

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