X-Men: Dark Phoenix
Produced by 20th Century Fox and the 12th instalment to the Marvel Comics X-Men series, X-Men: Dark Phoenix premiered in Sydney on June 5. Boasting a stellar cast including James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, Michael Fassbender and more, the film’s release was accompanied by much anticipation from fans.
Dark Phoenix opens and is set in 1992, an attempt to satisfy the continuity of the previous six films, however, the setting and timeframe are jarring. Director Simon Kinberg, making his filmmaking debut, has seemingly tried to pull elements from the history of the X-Men Comics universe, however, his understanding of the timeline of these elements appears to be slightly off.
As an audience member, Dark Phoenix throws torn pieces of historical narrative toward you, however, the plot line does not seem to stitch itself together at any point. Sophie Turner does a stunning job at portraying Jean Grey and was the highlight of the film, alongside James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier. Without the strong performances from the cast, Dark Phoenix would have been a completely underwhelming seventh addition and finale to the series. As it stands, the film exists as a cast of exceptional actors doing exceptional acting in front of a stale and incorrect timeline.
★★
Reviewed by Madison Behringer
