Continuing from the previous film (X-Men: Apocalypse), The X-Men are well-respected heroes on planet Earth. When problems arise, the President himself even contacts Charles, aka Professor X, and requests for him and his team to save the day. The general attendance of the School for Gifted also appears to be consistent and well. Life for our superheroes is generally positive, and well until during a rescue mission in space, X-Men Jean Grey is involved in an accident which begins to unlock her true powers as well as her hidden memories from the past. She is now a significant threat to the team but also for all Mutants around the world with the possibility of her actions leading to the authorities taking away their peace and innocence forever… Can the X-Men stop her in time…?
While the film is similar to X-Men The Last Stand (2006), thankfully, the film still feels new and slightly fresh. This is given to the fact that this time we are in a different timeline, but it also means that we have new actors and new X-Men dealing with a new threat on Earth. Compared to all other X-Men films, this one does feel rather different. The film’s tone, look, style, and general plot is incredibly dark when compared to the previous films. Characters who bring any humour to the screen are this time removed unlike in regular X-Men films.
Not only is the film “dark”, but it also takes enormous risks in its plot. Some of these worked well, but sadly other parts just don’t work for me. One of these issues includes how a selected character is particularly overconfident in himself. While I enjoy seeing a character grow and change, here, I felt the changes were dull, silly and uninteresting. The fact the plot has somewhat been done before is also a considerable risk to repeat in 2019. Unfortunately going into this film, I had a general idea of the film’s plot. Even though the cast and crew may differ to X-Men The Last Stand, I still would have preferred something more fresh and creative rather than trying to redo this story over again. In trying to make this plot fresh, we are given a new “type” of Villain, but this is once again uninteresting, and the character lacks motivation as a plot arc.
The most enjoyable parts of the film for me were the 1st and 3rd act. Details in the middle appear to drag on, and the action is never stimulating. Naturally, the return of actor Michael Fassbender as Magneto is also a true highlight within the franchise. I also personally enjoyed the film’s audio track, in particular when it comes to sound effects. The film’s main soundtrack is sadly forgettable. Being such a dark film, I also suggest viewers watch this film in a dark room or during the late evening. This is one X-Men film that isn’t very pleasant to watch when it comes to colours as there are many bland shots and backgrounds.
Overall, I feel like I am genuinely at a crossroads with this film. I enjoyed the film’s plot, even though this has somewhat been done before. I accept the film has taken big risks in regards to the X-Men’s key characters and massive changes to the X-Men world, which will also change the way we watch any of the previous films moving forward. The best way to enjoy this film is not to think too deeply and to try and ignore the film’s timeline as well as avoid comparing it to previous X-Men films (hard I know). Compared to many movie lovers, this film hasn’t left me angry as an X-Men fan, but I found myself rather content with this instalment even if it does have a few areas which are flawed as a film.
5.9/10
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Review Written by Peter Walkden
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