When it comes to Fox’s X-Men film franchise, it’s always proven divisive. Despite being highly lucrative and enduring for nineteen years, there exist many comic book purists who simply haven’t been able to swallow all the deviations from the source material. Though I’ve been able to get past that myself, I won’t deny the parabolic quality of the series.
Still, this is an ongoing saga that I’ve largely enjoyed, thus I’m willing to see any new entry – even X-Men: Dark Phoenix. Right now, though, it’s proving to be a flop amongst critics. Heck, as of the time of this writing, it currently sits at 19% on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, with 67 reviews already having been counted. Yes, that’s a far cry from the “certified fresh” stamp proudly adorning my First Class DVD copy.
Our own Matt Donato eloquently expressed his displeasure in his dismemberment of the picture, as this quote does a fine job of summing up his viewpoint:
“Dark Phoenix takes arguably the most heavily thematic X-Men comic arc and delivers the most dully procedural, chopped-to-bits cinematic franchise entry in Fox’s mutant canon.”
Like I said, I’m going to see the film anyway and reserve my own judgment, but Matt dubbing it “Contractual Obligations: The Movie,” does give cause for concern. After sticking it out with the mutants for so long, it’d be heartbreaking to see them going out with a whimper in what’s pretty much the finale to Fox’s contribution to the enduring mythos.
No matter the outcome, let’s not forget the X-Men will one day be integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Granted, that won’t be for some time, but an extended hiatus will give moviegoers the opportunity to accept a new cast. I’m actually still amazed by how Tom Holland’s debut as Peter Parker went over so well in Captain America: Civil War, especially since it came only two years after The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had its run.
For better or worse, X-Men: Dark Phoenix opens in theaters this Friday, June 7th.