Dark Phoenix (watched June 7, 2019)

The X-Men universe is one that has been around on-screen for decades, as its famous television series brought consistent life to the comic books. And, while the initial X-Men live-action movies came with a ton of hype and were largely satisfying to most fans, there has been a palpable dip in excitement.

From an admittedly confusing timeline to an unclear direction, the once revered X-Men movie franchise has left fans with a lot of mixed emotions. Well, although the latest of said movies, “Dark Phoenix” has been the movie fans have been begging for the longest. The Phoenix character is among the most popular and widely viewed as the strongest of X-Men; so, a lot of comparisons can be made to the recent “Captain Marvel” film that finally dropped as well. However, whereas Captain Marvel is poised to lead the new wave of Avengers movies, Dark Phoenix is reportedly the swan song of the original wave of X-Men characters and films. So, does it do her character justice?

Absolutely. From the very beginning of the film it is made clear that Jean Grey (or “Phoenix”) has had something particularly special about her, which makes her stand out even among mutants. The film not only brings to life a number of anecdotal scenes that depict her might, it does so in a methodical way that builds up the anticipation of viewers and has us anxiously waiting for the next physical display of power. And those displays of power are nothing short of being absolutely awesome. The action scenes and CGI are incredible, while seeing Sophie Turner who plays Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones back in action is immensely satisfying for fans of both franchises.

Dark Phoenix gives X-Men fans what they’ve wanted for so many years, even if much later than perhaps should’ve been done. And, despite how incredibly murky the franchise’s future is, as a stand-alone film, it is immensely satisfying and works very well as the last of a very up-and-down first wave of mutant films. At just under two hours, the action in this movie carries it so well that not only does it feel like much less than two hours, you want to stay at least another two if it meant seeing more of the same. The culminating final series of scenes is so charged up that you wish it would never end. This film is one that X-Men and non-X-Men fans alike should see in theaters and is one that I look forward to seeing often. It gets 4 out of 5 reps from me largely for its entertainment value and deeply satisfying general plot, which has been a long time coming.

Did you fly to the movies and catch “Dark Phoenix” yet? Let me know what you think of it and the future of the franchise. What do you hope happens next? For those who haven’t seen it yet- come back and let me know how much we relate in opinion. Did I offer any spoilers or, as I proudly say, did I keep this a spoilers-free safe haven? I better have because it’s NO SPOILERS up in here ... NOT UP IN HERE!