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| Courtesy of 20th Century Fox |
(Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action including some gunplay, disturbing images and brief strong language.)
The cast: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan and Jessica Chastain.
What it’s about: During a dangerous rescue mission in space, Jean Gray (Turner) is hit by a mysterious blast that transforms her into one of the most powerful mutants of all. However, this new power grows increasingly unstable, causing her to spiral out of control, tearing the X-Men family apart.
The good: Not much, I’m sad to say. McAvoy does what he can to salvage the material and continues to prove he’s an underrated actor. Fassbender and Lawrence also try to liven things up, but they’re barely on screen long enough to register.
There are a few poignant character moments – particularly a heartwarming conversation Professor X has with Jean as a child – as well as a couple of cool action beats. But that’s pretty much it.
The not-so-good: Almost the entire movie. Frankly, I’m shocked they showed it to critics at all. Screenwriter Simon Kinberg makes his directorial debut here, which is a maddening example of how men fail upward in the film industry. He also wrote X-Men: The Last Stand, which he basically remakes with Dark Phoenix – meaning he got two chances to screw up the same beloved story from the comics.
The dialogue is laughably bad (literally – the audience howled at several moments that were intended to be dead serious), the action sequences are lifeless, and most of the special effects look remarkably cheap. A colleague sitting near me whispered that it looked like a pilot for Hulu, an astute observation that I couldn’t un-see after he said it. And poor Chastain – the less said about her involvement the better. She’s one of my favorite actresses, but this movie does her absolutely no favors.
Because of Disney’s recent acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Dark Phoenix will be the last X-Men with this group of actors and creative team. It’s safe to say that’s for the best. Let’s give viewers a few years to forget this franchise and then see what it looks like when Wolverine, Cyclops and the rest team up with the Avengers. You know it’s coming eventually.
Grade: D
Rocketman
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| Courtesy of Paramount |
(Rated R for language throughout, some drug use and sexual content.)
The cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard.
What it’s about: This gloriously nontraditional biopic chronicles the transformation of young piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into pop superstar Elton John (Egerton, who does his own singing), while also serving as a showcase for the artist’s most beloved songs.
The good: I love a great fake-out, especially when the person responsible for it knows they have the talent to pull it off. That’s precisely what director Dexter Fletcher does in the opening scene of Rocketman. John storms into an AA meeting in full costume, complete with massive devil horns, tells the group he’s addicted to drugs and alcohol (among other vices) and proceeds to talk about how it all started with his rough childhood.
Just as I rolled my eyes and steeled myself for yet another Ray or Bohemian Rhapsody, John starts singing “The Bitch Is Back” as a duet with his childhood self, who only he can see. Then both kid and grown-up are back at their old home, where the neighbors are doing a fully choreographed dance number in black and white, while adult John remains colorized.
Needless to say, the movie had my attention after that. I watched most of it with a big smile on my face and trying really hard not to sing my favorite songs out loud. Despite a couple of dips into biopic clichés, Rocketman is an absolute blast.
Fletcher, who was brought in to finish up Bohemian Rhapsody after original director Bryan Singer was fired, proves the many problems with that film weren’t his fault. He stages each musical number as a show-stopping fantasy, making it clear that this isn’t how things “really” happened. Instead, it’s a representation of how a particular event might’ve felt from John’s perspective.
It’s a risky narrative choice that could’ve been a disaster, but Egerton sells the heck out of every song in a brain-meltingly great performance. If Rami Malek, as good as he was, won Best Actor for playing Freddie Mercury, then Egerton deserves a Nobel Prize. He makes the dramatic moments hit hard, his comedic timing is impeccable, and he’s got an incredible singing voice. There were moments when I genuinely thought Fletcher might’ve snuck in some real footage of John.
Bell is terrific as John’s collaborator Bernie Taupin, while Howard manages to inject some subtly complex character development into the thankless role of John’s toxic mother. Do yourself a favor and see Rocketman while it’s still in theaters, preferably in one with a really loud sound system. I can’t wait to go back for another round.
The not-so-good: Rocketman gets bogged down a bit when it treads the familiar waters of rock stars struggling with addiction and alienating their true friends. That section was the only time I caught myself looking at my watch. Still, the sheer joy the rest of the film provides is enough to overcome a few unfortunate wrong notes.
Grade: A-
Blu-ray Review: Captain Marvel
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| Courtesy of Disney |
(Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and brief suggestive language. Available June 11.)
The cast: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Lashana Lynch, Jude Law and Anette Bening.
What it’s about: Test pilot Carol Danvers (Larson) returns to Earth after a six-year absence with several mysteries to solve. Along the way, she teams up with a much younger Nick Fury (Jackson) to stop a looming war between rival alien races.
The good: Overall, the first (and long overdue) female superhero movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is an enjoyable adventure. Although it’s far from perfect, it succeeds thanks to a handful of compelling characters and several terrific actors. Setting the story almost 25 years in the past allows for plenty of period-appropriate humor and a killer soundtrack.
But the movie’s greatest strength lies in the buddy comedy scenes between Larson and Jackson, de-aged using remarkable visual effects. The expensive, CGI-laden blockbuster soars highest when the two actors are just hanging out together.
The same goes for the duo’s scenes with Lynch (as Danvers’ best friend and a fellow pilot) and Mendelsohn, who gets to play dual roles. He’s got killer comedic timing and he’s clearly having a blast playing into the audience’s expectations for his character.
The not-so-good: The first 20 minutes are rough, with Larson and other actors delivering clunky expositional dialogue. That’s particularly true for Bening, whose talents are squandered in a thankless role. However, once Danvers returns to Earth and connects with Fury, things pick up considerably.
Special features: Intro and commentary by directors/screenwriters Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck; six behind-the-scenes featurettes; six deleted scenes; and a gag reel.
Grade: B-
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