Childs Play Is A Surprisingly Fun Remake With A Chilling Performance From Mark Hamill

      Making a remake to a classic horror film is no easy task. The original Child's Play by today standards is a slasher film classic, that not only gained a cult following since its release but spawned a total of six sequels leaving fans demanding a continuation for the character. Instead they got a modernized reboot/remake of the original film, that takes the concept of an obsessed killer toy and brings it to today's generation. This move was significant because it marked the first time in the franchises history that the original creator Don Mancini and veteran Chucky actor Brad Dourif were not involved in a film in the franchise. Instead director Lars Klevberg signed on with David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith as writers, who also happened to be producers of the 2017 horror remake of IT. Having the producers of IT involved in the remake of Child's Play was a clever and smart move as it ensured the source material was going to be respectfully handled. Losing Brad Dourif as Chucky was heartbreaking for horror fans but their fears were immediately halted when legendary voice actor Mark Hamill was casted as the voice of Chucky. Having background experience providing the voice of the Joker in the animated Batman series outside of his iconic Star Wars role, Hamill was the perfect choice to step into the shoes once worn by Brad Dourif. In an era where horror remakes are generally looked down upon, the filmmakers behind Child's Play had to successfully reboot the character while remaining faithful to the original 80's concept. Thankfully that was the case as the new Child's Play not only honors the original slasher classic, it updates it for today's generation in a fashion that's both entertaining and gruesome.

      The new Child's Play sticks to the same storyline as the original film with a young woman (Played by Aubrey Plaza), moving into a new city with her pre-teen son Andy (Played by Gabriel Bateman). While there she gives him an electronically enhanced doll named Chucky (Voiced by Mark Hamill) in hopes that it will help him adjust to their new home. While activated, the doll's programming starts to make it do unexpected things to cement his relationship status with the young boy. Upon discovering the doll is performing evil acts involving murder, Andy must try and convince everyone that something is horribly wrong. Making a remake of an original horror film classic is no easy task as the key to a successful one is to not only match the scares of the original but also to be surprising at the same time. For the most part, the new reboot keeps virtually the same plot as the original Child's Play with the main difference being the new Chucky isn't possessed by a serial killer. Instead the new doll shown is programmed to be evil by a cynical sweatshop worker. The doll in this one is shown to also be wired into all ones smart devices thanks to its manufacturer.

      While it can be argued that the sweatshop worker possessing the doll is a less scary reasoning for Chucky doing the things he ultimately does compared to a serial killer pulling his strings, its still effective and works for the style the reboot is aiming for. Andy's character is presented as being a likable young owner of Chucky as the audience sympathizes with his character when things go wrong. Andy's mother however comes across as being a generic blindsided parent in a typical slasher movie that the audience is obviously meant to become frustrated with and hope is killed off by Chucky at some point in the story. The new films most interesting change with the character of Chucky, is the fact that the filmmakers still make him scary but also sympathetic at times as all he wants is to be his owners best friend and not let anyone else get in the way. This change in the new story emphasizes the fact that Chucky by all accounts isn't an evil doll despite committing horrific acts, he was simply badly programmed and wanted to please Andy which is a clever yet odd twist.

     In terms of the acting performances delivered in the new Child's Play, the films true star lies in the incredible voice acting talents of Mark Hamill. Hamill is brilliant as Chucky, he portrays him as being obedient, loving, obsessive, creepy, smart, calculated, and sympathetic. If anyone can replace Brad Dourif in the role and match his legacy as being a great voice actor, its Hamill. Gabriel Bateman impresses as Andy, portraying him as a lonely kid struggling to adapt to his new living environment and showing obvious frustration with his mothers relationship with her questionable boyfriend. Bateman does a good job of showing those emotions while making his character push closer to Chucky during those moments despite an alarming fear towards him. Aubrey Plaza does a fine job playing a caring yet clueless mother whose more concerned about her relationship than her own sons feelings, using the doll as a way to keep Andy company. Brian Tyree Henry and Tim Matheson deliver strong supporting roles as Andy and his mothers neighbor, who also happens to be a cop investigating the murders later committed by Chucky as he slowly puts two and two together with Matheson playing the slick and sheisty Toy salesman on the commercials advertised during the film. David Lewis does an effective job playing Andy's moms slimy boyfriend Shane, making the audience empathize with his character at first for not being immediately embraced by Andy until his characters true nature is later revealed. The young child actors Beatrice Kitsos, Ty Consiglio, and Carlease Burke deliver noteworthy performances as the young friends of Andy whom he shares Chucky with and later catch onto the dolls creepy behavior.

      As far as directing and writing goes, Lars Klevberg does an impressive job keeping the film in a dark atmosphere as he goes for the slow-buildup style of suspense while brilliantly introducing the gory moments, particularly in the films thrilling and clever third act. The movie literally earns its R rating with the carnage that is unleashed once Chucky takes matters into his own hands. Examples of moments where the director delivers the goods to the audience with Klevberg coming through as director is characters heads getting run over by lawnmowers, body parts being removed by table saws, and flying toy planes being used as knives to stab and harm a room full of people. For a remake and reboot, Klevberg comes through in the directing department and gives horror fans what they desire with the gore while staging creepy and intense moments. The doll of Chucky himself looks awesome and feels like what one would see when going to a retail store in today's world. Despite the films slick and noteworthy directing, the films script though doing a decent job at telling the story has moments where it comes up dry in the character development department. When the film focuses on Andy and Chucky, the film works as they have the strongest character arcs out of the entire cast. When the film turns to the side characters such as Andy's mom, her kind neighbor who happens to be a police officer, his wife who befriends Andy's family, and Andy's friends, the character development is just about what you expect from a slasher flick which is rather cardboard. Andy's mom Karen is such a thin character that the audience literally doesn't care if shes killed off or survives. The tone of the film feels as if its embraced the campier side of the franchise (The scene with one of the main characters being trapped in a car that's controlled by Chucky is a prime example) judging by the opening sequence that shows Chucky being reprogrammed with no other explanation other than the sweatshop worker is angry. For the films 88 minute running time, Child's Play succeeds at introducing all the characters and building up Andy and Chucky's relationship, just don't expect much else from the characters that surround them.

      Overall, Child's Play 2019 manages to beat the odds and surprise fans with being a fairly decent reboot/remake of the 80's classic. It can be argued that the original film is better due to the creativity that went into the story and character during the time period, but the remake deserves applause for successfully re-imagining the character in today's world. As a remake, it stands tall with 2003's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, 2005's The Hills Have Eyes, 2013's Evil Dead, and 2017's IT as being a worthy redoing of the classic slasher tale that's braver, slicker, and more creative than most remakes. If one were to reboot the character of Chucky, this would be the way to go with Mark Hamill being a great choice (And probably the only person) to carry the mantle while honoring Brad Dourifs work. For a whole new generation of horror fans, they will feel the suspense, the excitement, and the thrill of getting to know the character of Chucky with a re-imagining that's much better than what anyone expected it to be. Child's Play 2019 proudly adds itself to the list of horror and slasher remakes that actually works and is done right.

Final Verdict: SEE IT

Rocketman Is A Strong Musical Biopic With A Terrific Performance From Taron Egerton.

      The first serious Oscar Contender for 2019 has arrived with Rocketman, the surprisingly strong and well-acted musical fantasy/biopic about the early years of Elton John's childhood and breakthrough to the musical world starring Kingsman's Taron Egerton. Picking up the mantle from Bohemian Rhapsody which became the music biography to see in 2018 with over $900 million in worldwide box office and 4 Oscar wins total. Whats interesting about Rhapsody's success is despite all the controversy with its director Bryan Singers off screen sexual misconduct allegations, that film managed to be a complete and utter triumph both financially and critically. The hope with Rocketman is that lightning will strike twice with a part fantasy and part biography centered around one of the worlds most iconic musicians such as Elton John. It helps that John is a highly influential musician with an unusual upbringing and rise to stardom. The film feels like a cross between Bohemian Rhapsody in the biography department and Across The Universe in the fantasy aspect of its story. Put the two together and the end result is a highly entertaining and effective biographical drama, that's both entertaining and insightful to fans of Elton John while remaining completely respectful.

      Rocketman is a brilliantly well-directed, written, and acted biopic that beautifully captures the essence of the musician as well as a perfect balance of the highs and lows of his career. The story begins with Elton John as a child with his real name being revealed as Reginald Kenneth Dwight. The film opens up with Elton John attending a group meeting for recovering addicts. He announces during the meeting that he is a drug addict, sex addict, and alcoholic who wants to get better before he gets worse. The film begins a series of flashbacks showing his youth as being a shy but warm-hearted child with an emotionally vacant mother (Played impressively by Bryce Dallas Howard), and dominating father (Played by Steven Mackintosh), who turns out to be worse as he's both controlling and shows no affection towards young Reginald. It is with the neglect of his parents that Elton begins to take an interest in music with his mother and more affectionate grandmother signing him up for piano lessons. The story then fast-forwards to the 1960's with Elton as a teenager attending a music academy in London to improve his skills as a musician followed by him meeting songwriter Bernie Taupin and forming a partnership in creating music. The rest of the story shows Elton's rise to fame as well as him becoming more emotionally unstable and depressed. Rocketman plays out like a roller-coaster ride of a biography, one that shows the high points of a musicians life followed by the low ones. Whereas many musical biographies tend to feel generic and tired out by following the same formulas of storytelling, Rocketman is aware of this trend and chooses to be different adding fantastical elements that make one think of Across The Universe in terms of visual style and the main character suddenly bursting into a musical number along with showing Elton's journey towards becoming the musician the audience knows him to be today.

      In terms of acting performances, Taron Edgerton proves to be the perfect casting choice to play Elton John and deserves both praise and award consideration for his work here. One doesn't see him as the young agent from Kingsman, they see Elton John in the part. Jamie Bell does a strong job playing Bernie Taupin, song-writer and music partner to Elton, the audience really gets a sense of their friendship as well as working relationship in the film. Richard Madden does a solid job playing Elton's lover and music manager John Reid, a character that helped the audience explore Elton's estranged lifestyle while making them angry at the way John is treated by Reid later on in the story. Bryce Dallas Howard does a notable job playing Elton's emotionless mom Sheila Farebrother with Steven Mackintosh delivering an equally effective and memorable performance as Elton's father. As young Reggie, Matthew Illesley does a noteworthy job with him also sharing a physical similarity to Elton while portraying the shy yet polite aspects of his character. Gemma Jones delivers a compassionate and heartfelt performance as Elton's grandma Ivy, one of the key figures shown in the film who helps him discover his talent. The performances from the cast as a whole are top notch with all the main actors and actresses taking great care with the roles they play with each showing dedication and passion for the story. When watching these characters, the audience isn't thinking about the actors playing them, they see the characters being portrayed making them come across as being unrecognizable. As far as Oscar nominations go, Edgerton absolutely deserves one for his charismatic and impressive depiction of John showing great amounts of range as a dramatic actor.

      The films directing by Dexter Fletcher is top notch much like the films acting performances, one can truly tell while watching the film that Fletcher has a great admiration and respect for this individual and wants the audience to experience his journey to becoming a star in grand fashion. Already having prior experience to directing musical biopics as Fletcher was brought in to finish the final few weeks of shooting for Bohemian Rhapsody after its initial director was removed. Fletcher's involvement in that film help led to it being the massive success it was last year while also serving as a test run for his work here. Whereas Bohemian shares the genes of two different directors, Rocketman is Fletcher's baby as he does a great job bringing a unique style to the film blending true to life moments with glitzy, dream fantasy sequences that make the film feel like a biography stuck in a fantasia. This tone brings flare to the film which separates it from other generic and by the numbers biopic as one moment the movie is being factual with the next minute having it drop into the fantasy music cue, that brings singing and dancing from the main actor and actresses. It also helps with keeping the story as a whole engaging while incorporating some of Elton's key songs by having them cleverly distributed throughout the film. Fletcher directs this film as if its a 21st century biography that's stuck in an old school Hollywood musical from the 50's and 60's era with the payoff being highly entertaining as well as the end result being a brilliant piece of art.

     On a technical note, the films Art-Set Decoration and Costume Designs are excellent, particularly the scenes where the film flashes to the fantastical side. The films Cinematography is beautifully shot making the musical scenes look like a Broadway show while complimenting the films other visual aspects such as the set decoration and the striking costumes the main character wears such as the orange devilish type outfit when entering the addict groups meeting in the films opening scene. That moment is significant visually because it sets the tone for the character as well as the rest of the film while also informing the audience that they are not going to watch a typical music biopic but will instead be apart of the experience. The films editing is also masterfully put together as Elton's life is told through a series of flashbacks like pieces of a puzzle being put together as he explains his life story as well as his struggles to both the audience and those in the recovery addict meeting. The editing presents Elton's life to be an extremely wild one (With him narrating his experiences to the audience) as Elton is shown to be performing music at concerts one minute, then finding love the next to him downing a handful of pills and drinking vodka before announcing to a crowd at a party his intentions of killing himself before ultimately being prevented from doing so. The filmmakers essentially take Elton's life and turn it into a roller-coaster ride that's visually stunning, exciting for those who enjoy his music, and emotionally powerful for audiences that can relate to his struggles. To say that the films sound effects are terrific would be stating the obvious, the sound mixing is at its best when it utilizes Johns music while showing Edgertons performing.

      Rocketman ultimately is not your typical musical biography, it gives you the background on the main character while adding elements to the story that makes his life appear more intriguing. If you're a fan of Elton John then you're going to love this movie. If you're not so much a fan but enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody, then this film will wow you as well considering they both share similar elements that make them standout. Out of the two films, Rocketman is the more personal and creative film as it becomes more inventive with its fantasy elements while telling a more straight-forward story regarding the main singer rather than focusing on the band or a large concert. The film feels like a biography trapped inside of a musical with the music being used as a guide to help emphasize Johns troubled past. For those who are expecting the film to be specifically fact driven, this will come across as being disappointing as its not meant to be a typical biopic, its meant to be an experience for the audience in the same way Rhapsody was. The audience will surely get a better and more personal understanding of Elton John after the credits roll as the film portrays him to be both a fascinating yet flawed figure. Given its two hour running time, Rocketman does its absolute best to take you though the key points of Elton's life while making it a special kind of experience for the audience. In that regard its a total success as well as being the years first serious Oscar contender. For music and musical fans, this film is a must see.

Final Verdict: SEE IT

Men In Black: International Is A Mildly Entertaining Yet Forgettable Reboot That Clearly Misses Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones

       No Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, why bother audiences ask upon hearing the news of a Men In Black continuation without the two main leads that made the franchise both enjoyable and iconic. The lack of the films main stars can only mean the new film is destined to fail much in the same vein as 2016'S Independence Day: Resurgence did without Will Smith. Fast-forward seven years after the events of Men In Black lll, Columbia Pictures attempts to re-establish the franchise with newer actors and actresses in the lead with loose ties to the original films. Instead of Smith and Jones, Thor Ragnarock's Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson are chosen to lead the Men In Black universe forward largely due to the success and chemistry the two demonstrated with Marvel's Thor: Ragnarock. Gone from the original trilogy is the series director Barry Sonnenfeld and is replaced by Friday and Fate Of The Furious director F. Gary Gray. Columbia prior to the films release hoped that the combination of fresh new faces in the main roles and a young creative director with a solid track record can bring a breath of fresh air to a franchise that clearly has no real reason to continue. Men In Black: International is a film that desperately tries to recapture the magic and excitement audiences had for the franchise previously though the ultimate result is a mediocre film at best, that feels as if its going through the motions while trying to bring something new to the series.

      The plot for Men In Black: International has virtually no ties to the original films except for the fact that Emma Thompson returns as Agent O. International focuses on two London-based MIB agents (Played by Tessa Thompson and Chris Hemsworth), being assigned to investigate a series of alien attacks but while doing so also learn of a mole in the organization that handles intergalactic immigration. With International, the Men In Black universe makes an attempt to branch out and explore other aspects of its universe while further developing the men and women who work for MIB, While the films concept itself isn't a bad one and is actually smart in terms of expanding on the universe, it lacks true thrills and a compelling villain to make it worthwhile ultimately. The antagonist presented in this film is weak and rather generic compared to the villains in the previous films, particularly Men In Black where Agents Jay and Kay battled a giant cockroach. A mole in the MIB headquarters is an interesting twist but the ultimate reveal lacks the impact needed to make audiences truly care as well as feel shocked. Another problem with the films story is the teaming up of Hemsworth and Thompsons characters, despite the chemistry that Agent H and M demonstrate on the big screen they don't have a real compelling reason for teaming up other than to showcase their sexual tension to the audience. Thompson's character Agent M is fleshed out with her reasoning for wanting to be apart of MIB being believable though her character forcing her way into MIB headquarters is not and mocks the idea that the agency is supposed to be a secret. Hemsworth's character is portrayed as essentially being a goofball. What's also missing from the story that would've helped draw it closer to the original is the intergalactic threat that essentially came with defeating all the previous antagonists of MIB. The film maintains much of the same themes as the originals in regards to friendship, teamwork, relationships, love, death, loss, and acceptance. The films most noble addition to its collection of themes is opportunities for women as Thompson's character essentially takes Will Smiths side of the partnership while presenting a new female dynamic that challenges the franchises title being Men In Black as it feels irrelevant now.

     As far as acting performances go, the main cast is appealing and remains strong despite the source material they are given. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson bring their Thor: Ragnarock A game to the project making their characters fun and appealing for audiences despite their jokes coming across as being misfires half the time. Liam Neeson is an equally nice addition to the cast as Agent High T, playing the agents superior who demonstrates his loyalty to the agents when needed. Regardless of the project, Neeson always delivers a strong performance and is no different here. Rafe Spall delivers a notable performance as Agent C, making the audience dislike his character but also understand his reasonings for wanting to find the mole at MIB headquarters. Despite the appealing cast and solid performances all around, none of the actors capture the charisma and energy that Smith and Jones brought to the table, or even MIB3's Josh Brolin or Rip Torn as former MIB Agent Zed. The alien side characters aren't as engaging as the old ones with Tony Shalhoubs character Jeebs being missed. The film however gives audiences cameos involving the worm guys and Frank the puppy, that can talk which help in merging the old and new storylines together. Despite the films shortcomings with the script, the cast clearly seems like they are trying to make the best out of the story presented to them and look as if they are having fun,

      In terms of directing and writing, F. Gary Gray directs this film in a style that tries to stay connected to the original movies with moments involving the main characters looking up at the stars or reusing Danny Elfmans iconic score. Gray tries hard to keep the universe entertaining and interesting though the desert scenes feel out of place given the previous MIB movies were heavily centered around New York City with key sequences taking place at night. Despite Gray's reasonably solid directing, the film is missing the gross aspect and edge the other films had, particularly the original in how they presented the aliens. The aliens in the original Men In Black were portrayed either as being the sweetest things passing through the universe or the scariest. Gone are also the slow beat moments where Barry Sonnenfeld captured the thoughts and wonders of the characters with small yet pivotal moments such as them looking up at the stars wondering what else is out in the universe or questioning their purpose in the scheme of things. It was quiet moments such as these that gave the original films the heart they possessed making their stories fun for the audience while making them want to become agents of MIB themselves. The films weakest point lies within the script written by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum. While the writers carried good ideas with their concept of taking the story to a more global level in terms of exploring the agency, the narrative at times felt like it was jumping all over the place along with the humor between the two leads being a completely different style than the previous ones established. The strong chemistry between the two main actors is not due to the films writing but their own way of playing off each other in their scenes together.

      The question that fans of the series who've largely avoided Men In Black: International in theaters find themselves asking is whether its a bad movie. Its not a bad movie and its even mildly entertaining at times but its forgettable when you look at the potential it had and compare it to the first and third Men In Black films. What made Men In Black a hit was its creativity at making a plot that centered around a New York police officer who joins an organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Add to that the rising status of Will Smith in his early career transitioning from being a TV star to film and Tommy Lee Jones at his prime during his 90's Fugitive era, a unique type of buddy cop/Sci-Fi action movie was being created. The script was smart, the makeup effects were out of this world at the time, its action set pieces were impressive, and charisma between its two leads being so effective it essentially was what X-Files would've end up if it dropped the serious tone. What Men In Black: International is missing that would've made it a similar hit with audiences is the same type of creativity that went into making the original as well as the inclusion of the original leads. As hard as the franchise tries to move past Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones characters, the audience can't help but miss their presence as the leads despite being strong in their own right ultimately don't compare in the end. The films greatest flaw lies within its writing making the overall film come across as being rather bland. The characters for the most part are rather flat and cliche as they don't really give audiences any compelling reason for them to exist. The films big plot twist is interesting yet predictable the more you think about it, with the overall plot lacking the drama and emotion that generally comes with a typical MIB storyline.

      For a reboot that almost no one asked for, Men In Black: International is not the disaster its been made out to be in the press nor does it stand up with the best films in the series, it just falls into the category of being average. There is enough fun and entertainment value to get one through a Redbox rental but beyond that its ultimately forgettable and gives little reason why a universe that's clearly peaked and burnt out should continue. You're better off watching the first Men In Black, skipping Men In Black ll, and head straight to Men In Black lll as one genuinely gets the feeling that the story comes full circle with the way the third one ends. International wants and desires to be The Force Awakens of the Men In Black sequels in terms of rebooting the franchise but without much connection to the originals or supporting roles from Smith and Jones, its not worth the time and investment. Danny Elfman's return to the franchise though was a much appreciated and welcomed gesture.

Final Verdict:  Worth a Redbox rental but that's about it.

Dark Phoenix is The X-Men Film That Ultimately Crashes And Burns The Once Great Franchise

     What was once one of Hollywood's strongest superhero franchises that's been in film history for nearly 20 years has reached the concluding chapter to its timeline. That's to say the road to getting there has been a bumpy one as the X-Men franchise at best performed like a yo-yo with the qualities of the films ranging from good to great to bad to simply terrible. In the case of Dark Phoenix, the film falls into the category of being a huge letdown that ends the current X-Men timeline with a whimper. After beginning strong in the early 2000's with Bryan Singers first two X-Men installments only to be ruined by Brett Ratner's largely disappointing third entry, the X-Men universe attempted to right the wrongs of the past by introducing the First Class trilogy which managed to clean up much of the mess that was created by other filmmakers in the timeline while re-establishing the franchise through a new pair of faces. Most of which are younger versions of the ones introduced from the older trilogy. First Class served as being a fine reboot for the franchise as it reintroduced the characters of Professor X and Magneto as much younger individuals who built the X-Men team together before parting ways over differences in philosophies. Though First Class succeeded in re-establishing the universe, Bryan Singer returned to the directors chair with Days Of Future Past and managed to blend both set of films together while erasing the work done by Brett Ratner with X-Men 3. X-Men: Apocalypse however, managed to turn out to be a huge step down from the earlier films in the First Class trilogy as it felt like the series as a whole was running out of steam and needed to be handed over to Marvel to get a full reboot. Watching the trailers of Dark Phoenix up until its release, one can say that notion was not wrong as the movie looked uninspired and lacked the fresh energy the other films had that drew fans to them. Dark Phoenix is not just a terrible movie, its the darkest moment in the X-Men franchise that ends a near 20-year timeline with a major whimper which is a total shame given the massive potential it had.

      The plot for Dark Phoenix centers around the famous saga in the X-MEN comics with a young Jean Grey being taken to a school for mutants with special abilities after the death of her parents. As she grows up to be a young woman, she becomes trained to use her powers for good and controls them until an accident occurs, giving her more power as well as ones that are invariably corrupt. Directed by Simon Kinberg who helped co-write X-Men 3, the X-Men universe once again attempts to take another shot at the Dark Phoenix story now that the wrongdoings of previous filmmakers was erased with Days Of Future past while establishing a new timeline. One has to wonder why 20th Century Fox allowed Kinberg to attempt another Dark Phoenix storyline after the previous one he was involved with turned out to be largely disappointing. The new film lacked the heart and emotional message the strongest films in the X-Men franchise carried as Phoenix felt rushed and a poor attempt at replicating one of the episodes of the popular Saturday morning cartoon that aired during the 90's on Fox. Dark Phoenix carries with it powerful themes such as unchecked power, abandonment, truth, love, family, control, grief, and coping with the death of loved ones yet the film manages to fail at exploring most of these themes because there isn't enough time to develop them with the films brisk length. The end result feels rushed and lacks the stamp on the material that both Bryan Singer and Matthew Vaughn, the two best X-Men directors to date brought to their stories. The ultimate message behind Dark Phoenix says that incredible power can be hard to control as it corrupts the ones that possess it. Somehow as shocking and as sad as it is to admit it, X-Men 3 despite all its flaws and failure to properly capture the Phoenix saga on film, somehow does a better job at conveying that message than Dark Phoenix does. Yes, its that bad.

      In terms of acting performances, the main cast does the best job they can do with the material that's given to them. The acting in the film is one of the films few high points which isn't saying much. James McAvoy despite delivering another strong performance as Charles Xavier is completely wasted in this film. The dude is born for this role and one must wonder how he would've fared if he was under another directors guidance with a stronger script. Michael Fassbender also does the best job he can with what he's given despite the fact that his character is also poorly developed and useless in this film. Jennifer Lawrence turns in a serviceable performance though one clearly gets the vibe that she's in this one for the paycheck, especially when one see's the direction they took her character. Nicholas Hoult like the rest of the main cast attempts to make the best out of the material presented as Beast as well as Tye Sheridan as young Cyclops. Alexandra Shripp and Evan Peters despite having promising roles in the previous X-Men films are given barely any room to truly grow or develop in this one. As talented as Jessica Chastain is, she feels out of place in this film and feels as if she's sleep walking through her part. In terms of playing Jean Grey, Sophie Turner does her best at trying to nail the part but she never truly feels like the young Jean Grey audiences know from Bryan Singers films nor represents a young Famke Janssen.  Despite the majority of the performances being convincing, they lack the energy and spark that made the characters so engaging in the previous films which partially has to do with the films poor writing and directing. One wonders what the actors could've done with their roles had Matthew Vaughn from First Class returned to direct this one rather than everyone just feeling as if they wanted to get the film over and done with.

      The problem with Dark Phoenix is not that its shorter than the previous First Class movies but that it feels rushed, distorted, lifeless, uninspired, emotionless, and lazy as a whole with an uneventful third act. The film lacks the grand and epic production that the other films had and feels smaller in scope despite its story being more destructive and intense than previous X-Men film plots. The production values from costume design to art-set decoration feel like a major step down with John Ottman's X-Men theme and score being sorely missed here and Hans Zimmer's score feeling misplaced. The films editing was poor with the film moving too quick with little to no character development at all. What made Singer and Vaughn's movies effective as X-Men films was that they structured their stories to carry deep human messages within the action, so that the audience could connect with the main characters and understand their situation. Singer mirrored his X-Men movies to parallel both the Civil Rights and LGBT movements in which both sides are essentially fighting for equality and acceptance. Vaughn understood the emotional core of those movies and carried those elements over to First Class giving the series a fresh new look while maintaining the heart of the previous X-Men films. Dark Phoenix is a film that's sorely lacking in a soul and doesn't possess much emotional weight towards it. There is nothing there besides blatant exposition and cringe-inducing dialogue, that lacks the polishing the other films had in the writing department. Despite how hard Simon Kinberg tries at being a first-time director, he's no Singer or Vaughn when it comes to handling this franchise nor James Mangold who helmed the fantastic Logan.

       In terms of being a disaster, Dark Phoenix isn't on the same level as the 2015 Fantastic Four nor the recent Hellboy but for the X-Men franchise, its easily the worst installment and ranks lower than both X-Men 3 and X-Men: Apocalypse. The fact that the filmmakers could take the Phoenix saga and somehow make a worse movie than X-Men 3 is mind-blowing. For a series that's ranged from being phenomenal to being terrible, it deserves a far better end to its two decades of timeline building than this. Perhaps this is what fans needed so that the rights to the franchise can finally get passed onto Marvel so they can start fresh and bring the X-Men universe closer to both the comics as well as the iconic cartoon that used to air on Fox during the 90's. For a movie that was mean't to capitalize on the 90's era much like Days Of Future Past did with the 70's and Apocalypse with the 80's, Dark Phoenix doesn't really take much notice of the decade its in unlike this years Captain Marvel which capitalized on that era with a clever Blockbuster Video cameo. This movie is essentially the same film as X-Men 3 even going as far as killing off key characters midway without much showing much emotion. Despite it being the same movie basically, it feels less inspired and more dry which should never be the case when dealing with the Dark Phoenix storyline.

      As far as this years comic book film rankings go, Dark Phoenix is the years first major disappointment as its story had potential to be an amazing X-Men movie but had the wrong person writing and directing it. What made the previous X-Men movies special (And dare I say the previous worst X-Men movies better than this one), was not the action or visual effects they showcased but the messages they carried and conveyed to the audience. Even if they're made just for purely entertainment purposes, the audience connected with those films and felt something after the credits rolled. Audiences will feel nothing for Dark Phoenix other than relief that it ended as well as heartbreak that nearly 20-years of cinematic buildup in the X-Men universe ends this way. Here's hoping that Marvel lays the franchise to rest for a couple of years then fully reboots it with a brand new cast and timeline as this series needs to be rid of the previous works in order for the audience to become connected with this universe again. As far as this fan is concerned, the X-Men timeline ends with both Days Of Future Past and Logan. Dark Phoenix is a major cinematic disappointment that's both lifeless and uninspired making for the worst kind of X-Men movie. It's been stated that the producer of the film hasn't bothered to see the official cut of the film yet, looking at the final version its no surprise as its simply embarrassing.

Final Verdict: SKIP IT