The New Mutants

It didn't suck. It wasn't great, but it didn't suck. I think we all knew, as of the Disney-purchases-Fox announcement, and then the death of Saint Stan Lee, that the project was going to be rushed. Certain portions of the acting were a little ham-fisted (though Maisie Williams and Sam Guthrie were as flawless as one might expect). Toward the end, the CGI was also kind of ham-fisted, which made me think that the production was pretty disorganized and the crew had manic-depressive phases. A lot of side-stories are introduced which frankly you'll have to learn from the comics; it's very clear that they were planning on exposing them further in sequels. As a reader of the comic, it didn't bother me so much, as I have a base familiarity. I imagine that Disney is going to get around to some of them—at minimum Magick—eventually. There's a little bit of character abuse that I didn't care for. Illyana is a complete she-devil in the comics, too, but the racist remarks weren't in character at all. This is the X-Men, for God's sake. Stan Lee died and then Fox just ran it into the ground. However, that was basically one scene around the beginning. You can feel that the movie began with the intention of being a horror film, but by the end felt like yet-another-X-Men. Not terrible, but it lost its thriller feel. I regret that there's no "Snyder Cut" for this movie, as it carried a lot of promise in the beginning and I think a legitimate merger between the horror genre and the superhero genre is still a great idea.

I went into watching this movie trying very hard to be completely open minded. While at the same time fighting off a billion tiny little biases I harbored. Against 20th Century Fox; Bryan Singer; Lauren Schuler Donner Brett Ratner and the whole cabal that created a 20 year X-MEN franchise that most people commonly agree could have been so much better. Unlike some critics on Google Play; I felt the viewer can easily tell what the opening scene was; it was "the event" like so many that introduced the main character to their powers. As for the main base of the movie; that as well is crystal clear. Wherever there are mutants; X-MEN or random group of misfits like these kids; there's always a "scientific research" arm lurking in the shadows; watching; waiting; plotting and planning. William Stryker; Bolivar Trask; Alkali Lake; Transigen; Essex Corporation; the names all change but the goal is the same; elimination of all mutants. Alice Braga plays an ok Nurse Ratchet to the group. She punishes them; while at the same time she does her best to explain and mead out tough love. I never really saw her as the bad guy of the movie until she uses her force field bubble to suffocate poor little Dani. Interesting name for her. The picture perfect image of child innocence isn't she? That is until she tangles with Blair Witch Project; Anya Taylor Joy's character that is. At first I thought: this is a Marvel version of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest; then I thought; Marvel version of The Breakfast Club; then I thought: Marvel version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Zooey Deschanel's 2001 movie Manic. Given both Manic and Breakfast Club feature the group's misfit need to blow off steam to punk rock music. Nice homage to something classic among teenagers. Getting back to what I said earlier; there's not much really to give away about the movie. It's a "current timeline" thing post 2017's Logan. But if you're really an X-MEN fan; you know or at least find yourself realizing there is no escape from the men who want to snuff you out wearing lab coats and scientific genetic technology to do it. So any hero be it Wolverine; his daughter X23 or Dani and her new friends; they're all stalked with a purpose. As I said; it's not a particularly "likeable" film; but a watchable one if that makes any sense. Only once. No it's not another X-MEN adventure; you're not going to see Deadpool or trip out on a fantasy inside the mind of David Haller at Melanie Bird's Summerland. It's The New Mutants.

To say I didn't enjoy this movie is a lie, It actually was fun to watch. Honest criticism. If you are going to introduce characters like Magik and Moonstar, production companies need to understand that these characters should be fleshed out before they do a movie with an ensemble of heroes like this. Often times characters seemed rushed and their back stories fall flat.This is why the MCU has succeeded and resonated with fans. Yea, the whole racist Illiyana thing....can do without that BS.