Kevin Parrish

3.5 / 5.0 It’s not a bad movie. At first thought, critics seemingly killed it because they’re Disney fanboys itching to see the X-Men wear Mickey Mouse ears. But the issue with BOTH Dark Phoenix movies is that the source material is huge. It’s epic, and the studio is having a hard time translating it to the big screen. Problem is, the first translation was so bad, the second attempt really didn’t have a chance. The 2019 retelling is a better version of the two, but it’s eclipsed by everything released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even more, we already saw this story a mere 13 years ago. The situation is similar to Star Trek Into Darkness regurgitating Kahn. Trekkies didn’t want a Kahn reboot. I’m betting fans weren’t keen on a Dark Phoenix reboot either. Honestly, the 2019 retelling actually began losing me at the beginning when the X-Men’s jet GOES INTO SPACE. Meanwhile, American astronauts must rocket up the old fashioned way in the Space Shuttle. So, being a mutant means creating super advanced tech not shareable with normal humans? Ultimately, this movie falls short of an incredibly huge, epic, explosive potential.

This is the dumbest remake ever made. Sure, a doll-possessing vengeful spirit is hard to swallow in the original films, but THAT Chucky has character. He’s relatable. He’s fun. This version is a walking, talking robot in the HERE AND NOW, making the suspension of disbelief impossible. It’s ridiculous and just lazy no-serious-thought writing. He’s stale, boring, and just not fun as a character. This movie’s message was more about Chinese-based malware causing AI to become malicious, infiltrate the cloud, and infect other devices. The only real good part is the saw scene. Ham anyone?