Review by: John Delia, Jr
With what seems to be the conclusion of the X-Men saga, ends with a better and truer version of the origin of the Phoenix. There has been many stories told about the X-Men characters throughout the countless renditions of these special mutants, and this one was not the best.
The beginning for Jean Grey (Sophie Turner/Phoenix) was difficult. She could not control her powers and her life spun out of control. When things went haywire she found herself in a position she could never fix. This is where she met Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and he commits to helping her how to understand her powers and finding a way to use them for good.
Years have gone by and things are on the up and up for mutants. When a United States Space shuttle mission goes array, the president contacts Professor Xavier and he sends a team of his best X-Men. This squad consists of Raven/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Ororo Munroe/Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Scott Summers/Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Jean. During the mission to save some astronaut from the damaged shuttle flight, Jean risks everything and comes in contact with a deadly solar flare.
When she returns home everything seems to be alright, like nothing ever happened. Scott notices that her vitals have changed and have indicated some sort of high power that she possesses. He assures her that he will do anything to help her and pledges to be by her side. But Jean starts to notice that she may not be able to control what she now owns and looks to find some answers.
Director and writer Simon Kinberg puts together a good rendition of how Jean Gray’s transition to the Phoenix occurs. He stays very close to the original comic presentation of this strange event and tells the story well. Simon does bring the tale off into many directions making it almost impossible to come up with a good conclusion. The special effects are definitely state of the art and develop most of the films destructive scenes effectively.
This story is worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the mutant heroes. It does have its flair and it still is one you want to see. But a decision needs to be made, watch at the theatre or rent it on DVD. The special effects were fantastic so it might be worth the trip to see it on the big screen.
Final Comment: I based my grade on the slow but eventful storyline that seemed to go into many directions and the spectacular special effects that brought the most out of the film. 3.5 out of 5 Stars
Additional Film Information
Cast: Sophie Turner, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas Hoult, Evan Peters, Alexandra Shipp, Tye Sheridan, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Jessica Chastain.
Directed and written by: Simon Kinberg
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi,
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images, and brief strong language.
Running Time: 1 hour and 53 minutes
Release Date: Â June 7, 2019
Distributed By: Twentieth Century Fox and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release In: Standard, Digital, and Dolby Vision