X-Men: Dark Phoenix

The X-Men never had a villain problem, a setting problem and certainly not a casting problem. What it had, well has, is a gaping timeline issue.

Rebooting the series after the lacklustre Last Stand was a universally approved decision (especially with the actors on board) but taking the stance that Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine could never be improved upon, and warranted the middling side-line films, has proven to be its convoluted downfall.

Don’t get me wrong; Jackman’s Wolverine is in the annals of comic book cinema history and Logan one of the genre’s finest films, but he’s left Marvel in an almighty mess. Unable to fully make sense of the disparate trilogies, not helped by Deadpool, they’ve decided to call things a day (for now) with X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

That title and storyline alone cause immediate issues as the suggestion is that we now must wipe The Last Stand from the canon (itself a version of the Dark Phoenix comic arc.) Luckily for audiences, this new version is superior to the Vinnie Jones-starring Last Stand and a, just about, worthy entry into this new series.

It sits comfortably alongside Apocalypse as ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ of this current series; not on a par with First Class, Days Of Future Past or X2 but still a sequel that you won’t avoid come the binge session.

It’s peculiarly lightweight in parts, whilst also being typically ‘last-film-in-the-series’ as well (including some, frankly, baffling and continuity-affecting deaths.) Some of the action feels a little cheap (there’s definitely some Avengers CGI leftovers in here) and at one stage a lamppost falling over is shown as a dramatic moment of action (yes, really.)

There’s some standard alien cannon-fodder and a slightly frustrating big bad (the usually brilliant Jessica Chastain told to just be emotionless was a strange direction to take) but it’s a solid story that, again, plays to the X-Men’s strengths by being more overtly political and talking about the wider implications of having superhumans in the world.

It also seems a shame to leave this cast behind, especially with the potential to link to the MCU after Endgame and the constant ‘what if’ of having Deadpool share this universe as well. It feels like some of these actors are really coming into their own (Sophie Turner and Nicholas Hoult particularly) and it’s mad to recast again.

Everyone gets a moment to shine (although Quicksilver is annoyingly underused) but without Wolverine and Deadpool we again leave with more questions than answers. As sad as it is to let the series go, perhaps it is the right time after all.

3 stars ***