Logan Sork Film Reviews
Dark Phoenix
Last time the Fox X-Men franchise tried to adapt the iconic “Dark Phoenix Saga” the results were… well, not good. Rather than taking the time to focus on the intimate themes and tones of the original source material, it was unceremoniously shoehorned into 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand and was a side-plot rather than the main focus. Well, it seems like Fox has realized their mistake and looks to correct things with the newest installment of the franchise. While it’s still a far cry from the original source material, it is significantly better than The Last Stand and is undeserving of most of the hate given to it… most of it at least.
Dark Phoenix is written and directed by Simon Kinberg in his directorial debut and is the final installment of the Fox X-Men franchise. The film follows the veteran X-Men as they go on a mission to space to rescue a group of astronauts after their ship is sabotaged by a strange solar flare. The mission goes wrong and one of their members, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner), is hit by the strange force, seemingly killing her. To the surprise of the X-Men and their leader Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), Jean is alive and somehow strengthened by the mysterious force. Things seem well to start, but the force inside Jean soon begins to cause her to have mental breakdowns, threatening the lives of everyone close to her. Fearing the safety of her friends, Jean leaves hoping to find answers as to what’s really going on with her. Meanwhile, a group of extraterrestrial beings and their leader (Jessica Chastain) arrive on earth to harness the force inside her for their own sinister means. The X-Men must work to save Jean from this extraterrestrial threat while Jean herself wrestles with her newfound destructive powers.
While Kinberg has been involved with the franchise for many years as a writer and producer of several films, this is his first time directing. Though he mostly does a good job, I think this film would’ve turned out much better than it is had a more seasoned director taken over duties. That’s not to say Kinberg’s vision sinks the film or anything, seeing as there are a lot of entertaining moments and interesting ideas to be found here, it just has a distinct lack of scale. The original “Dark Phoenix Saga” is one of the biggest story lines in comic book history, spanning many planets and galaxies and carrying potentially universal consequences. It is clear however that Kinberg worked to make this story manageable for him, scaling down a lot of the big cosmic moments in favor of smaller character driven ones. While this may seem interesting, it is disappointing as a fan of this story to see such a large story being scaled down to fit the talents of the head creative vision. There are some slower parts to this film that can be attributed to Kinberg’s lack of experiences as the director is tasked with guiding the editor in terms pacing the film. There are also a couple of unintentionally funny moments when it comes to some performances, but thankfully, the film moves on quickly enough to negate the impact of these moments.
Despite the so-so directing, that does not mean there is nothing good to be found in this film. Despite the lack of focus of the larger parts of the story, Kinberg’s more intimate approach brings the spotlight down on certain characters. The character that has the most spotlight of course is Jean Grey, seeing as she is the main focus of the story. The film focuses on her perhaps more so than the original story as she battles this powerful force that has inhabited her body. This internal struggle is the high point of the film and Sophie Turner pulls of this struggle wonderfully. There are also some smaller moments where the characters around Jean must come to terms with these changes. The best moments come from James McAvoy’s Professor X and Michael Fassbender’s Magneto as this change in Jean reignites their turbulent relationship. That being said however, there are some characters who don’t get as much exploration as they should. Some of these characters are Jean’s close friends and teammates who serve more as action props than real characters. The film’s alien antagonists are also severely underwritten and all around not very interesting, resulting in their presence being less threatening than intended. Still Jeans internal struggle is interesting enough to keep viewers engaged even when some other characters are left in the dust.
There are also a lot of great technical elements to be found in this film. The effects in particular are excellent as the fiery effects of Jean’s newfound power are portrayed beautifully. The cinematography by Mauro Fiore is also very good and adds a more intimate and cinematic look that most other films in the series have lacked. And of course, how could I not mention the fantastic Hans Zimmer, who’s amazing score works to elevate the film’s smaller moments in what is easily his best work since 2013’s Man of Steel. These elements work together to help elevate the other elements of the film that aren’t as great, including the directing, costume design and (weirdly enough) some poor hair and makeup choices.
In the end, Dark Phoenix is surprisingly good. Not great by any means, but no where near as awful as some people make it out to be. Sure, the film could’ve benefited from some stronger direction, a larger scale and some more character development from the supporting cast. That being said, there are enough intimate character moments, fun action sequences and great technical elements to keep the film engaging enough to enjoy.
7/10