Sophie Turner should rethink doing voiceovers (especially when trying to maintain an American accent), as the dull/lifeless one she gives during this film's opening illustrates (makes you appreciate Patrick Stewart's all the more. Even James McAvoy's was better). Also disappointing? The lack of opening credits sequence/X-Men Theme. It feels like a desperate attempt to be 'more serious', but instead (like the movie as a whole) just proves boring. If it wasn't already apparent that DoFP's events created a new reality, we see a totally different Jean origin than we got previously. This time she accidentally kills her parents in a car crash; then wakes up in hospital/meets McAvoy's Charles. The main 'theme' of this movie seems to be characters not listening to others (mainly Raven/Mystique, whose makeup/prosthetics have randomly been changed) when they really *should*.
The X-Men go into space (yes, really) to save some astronauts. Thanks to teamwork, everything's going fine...until a 'solar flare' attacks. Raven makes the tough call, wanting to get everyone else to safety, Charles doesn't listen, and consequently Jean absorbs this cosmic force to save everyone...then it's brought back to Earth inside her, amplifying her powers, but at the same time breaking down the mental barriers/walls Charles built in her mind (he NEVER learns, does he?) that were intended to 'protect' her from learning the truth (ie. While her mother didn't survive the crash, her father did...but he *didn't* want Jean, so Charles took her in). Whether Charles is suppressing Jean's 'alternate personality' or blocking her memories; either way...screwing with a powerful-mutant-child's-mind? BIG mistake.
Someone else who doesn't listen to Raven is Hank (now able to switch between human/Beast forms at will...it kinda defeats the point of his character, since he's not permanently stuck as a blue furball). She's sick of Charles' ego-tripping (as the 'face' of the X-Men, he enjoys all the praise they receive), but Hank talks her into staying when she wants to leave. The Mystique/Beast pairing always seemed rather random, but it's nice the movie remembered their 'relationship' (at least it's better than Jean/Scott). While many hated Raven claiming 'the women are always saving the men'/suggesting Charles re-name the team 'X-Women', I didn't take it as a personal affront like others did. It's something she says in-the-heat-of-the-moment/whilst angry just after Charles has almost gotten EVERYBODY ELSE killed to save Jean.
An eyebrow-less Jessica Chastain (looking albino-esque with her platinum blonde hair) plays Margaret, a woman who's having a nice dinner with friends, when her jerk-of-a-hubby dismisses their barking dog, Luna (a platinum-blonde...the name 'Luna'...coincidence or a Harry Potter reference?), who's just trying to warn them that their party's being crashed by shapeshifting aliens. The leader, Vuk, obviously kills Margaret (and most likely poor Luna too), assuming her form, before caving in the chest of her jerk-of-a-hubby (should've heeded your dog's warning!) and presumably everyone else. At another less-murdery party in the woods, the X-Kids (including Halston Sage, briefly appearing as Dazzler...and living up to the character's name) get blasted by Jean after she loses control, injuring people, as Charles' mental blocks come tumbling down.
After learning the truth, Jean confronts her dad, the X-Men show up (as do the cops, who Jean promptly offs), Quicksilver's badly injured (only reappearing by movie's end for a lame one-liner), but at least he fares better than Mystique, who tries reasoning with Jean...while Hank just wants to shoot her, but *again* Charles doesn't listen, and consequently Raven's impaled (which is surprisingly bloody/gruesome). Obviously J-Law was OVER IT (while she certainly was no Rebecca Romijn, unlike others...I never hated her in the role), which is why the Blue Man Group loses a member. Nicholas Hoult, bless him, gives Raven's death scene his all (while McAvoy-as-Charles does the opposite). It's satisfying when Hank later calls Charles out on his BS (though unintentionally amusing when we see Beast in the rain at the funeral, resembling a soggy blue doggy). Charles is at his MOST unlikeable in this movie. After crying in the rain, Jean flies to Magneto for help (but won't confess whose blood she's covered in), the US military appear...who she makes short work of, and Erik learns from Hank that Jean killed Raven (like Hoult, Fassbender shows more emotion regarding Raven's death than McAvoy/any of the other X-Men did).
Team Kill Jean later fights Team Save Jean, Erik's refugee mutants are quite lame (braid-whips? REALLY?), there's an unintentionally humorous moment with Jean force-walking Charles upstairs (like a puppet on strings), this time Magneto's on the *receiving* end of head-crushing helmets, Jean wants her power gone/Vuk's happy to oblige, they briefly team-up...until it's revealed this'll kill Jean, then government goons appear, capturing everyone. Turns out we've reached the film's climax without even realising it (it's THAT underwhelming). There's some semi-decent character moments: Charles FINALLY admits he's wrong to Hank, Erik switches sides AGAIN (his second-favourite pastime) and Nightcrawler gets royally p.o.'d when a government goon dies in the fight with Vuk's posse, unleashing his merciless side ('BAMF-ing' the one responsible into the path of the oncoming train). Jean offs all the aliens except Vuk, who finally gets what she wants from Jean...then wishes she *hadn't*, as it kills her (and seemingly Jean as well).
In the end, we're just left with an overwhelming feeling of what was the point of all this? The idea of redoing the Phoenix storyline should've been to *improve* it, not make it WORSE (having the same person take another crack at it clearly didn't pay off when he obviously learned *nothing* from last time). Jessica Chastain's wasted as leader of THE MOST BORING ALIENS EVER, none of the new actors are a patch on the originals (even Fassbender's clearly had enough), and so the X-Men prequel quadrilogy ends not with a bang but a whimper (but, hey, at least they worked an F-bomb into each film...so yay? Wolverine's was funny, Charles' at least had a *point*, Erik's was unnecessary and Scott's one in this film feels forced). Truly disappointing. Vuk you, movie!
The X-Men go into space (yes, really) to save some astronauts. Thanks to teamwork, everything's going fine...until a 'solar flare' attacks. Raven makes the tough call, wanting to get everyone else to safety, Charles doesn't listen, and consequently Jean absorbs this cosmic force to save everyone...then it's brought back to Earth inside her, amplifying her powers, but at the same time breaking down the mental barriers/walls Charles built in her mind (he NEVER learns, does he?) that were intended to 'protect' her from learning the truth (ie. While her mother didn't survive the crash, her father did...but he *didn't* want Jean, so Charles took her in). Whether Charles is suppressing Jean's 'alternate personality' or blocking her memories; either way...screwing with a powerful-mutant-child's-mind? BIG mistake.
Someone else who doesn't listen to Raven is Hank (now able to switch between human/Beast forms at will...it kinda defeats the point of his character, since he's not permanently stuck as a blue furball). She's sick of Charles' ego-tripping (as the 'face' of the X-Men, he enjoys all the praise they receive), but Hank talks her into staying when she wants to leave. The Mystique/Beast pairing always seemed rather random, but it's nice the movie remembered their 'relationship' (at least it's better than Jean/Scott). While many hated Raven claiming 'the women are always saving the men'/suggesting Charles re-name the team 'X-Women', I didn't take it as a personal affront like others did. It's something she says in-the-heat-of-the-moment/whilst angry just after Charles has almost gotten EVERYBODY ELSE killed to save Jean.
An eyebrow-less Jessica Chastain (looking albino-esque with her platinum blonde hair) plays Margaret, a woman who's having a nice dinner with friends, when her jerk-of-a-hubby dismisses their barking dog, Luna (a platinum-blonde...the name 'Luna'...coincidence or a Harry Potter reference?), who's just trying to warn them that their party's being crashed by shapeshifting aliens. The leader, Vuk, obviously kills Margaret (and most likely poor Luna too), assuming her form, before caving in the chest of her jerk-of-a-hubby (should've heeded your dog's warning!) and presumably everyone else. At another less-murdery party in the woods, the X-Kids (including Halston Sage, briefly appearing as Dazzler...and living up to the character's name) get blasted by Jean after she loses control, injuring people, as Charles' mental blocks come tumbling down.
After learning the truth, Jean confronts her dad, the X-Men show up (as do the cops, who Jean promptly offs), Quicksilver's badly injured (only reappearing by movie's end for a lame one-liner), but at least he fares better than Mystique, who tries reasoning with Jean...while Hank just wants to shoot her, but *again* Charles doesn't listen, and consequently Raven's impaled (which is surprisingly bloody/gruesome). Obviously J-Law was OVER IT (while she certainly was no Rebecca Romijn, unlike others...I never hated her in the role), which is why the Blue Man Group loses a member. Nicholas Hoult, bless him, gives Raven's death scene his all (while McAvoy-as-Charles does the opposite). It's satisfying when Hank later calls Charles out on his BS (though unintentionally amusing when we see Beast in the rain at the funeral, resembling a soggy blue doggy). Charles is at his MOST unlikeable in this movie. After crying in the rain, Jean flies to Magneto for help (but won't confess whose blood she's covered in), the US military appear...who she makes short work of, and Erik learns from Hank that Jean killed Raven (like Hoult, Fassbender shows more emotion regarding Raven's death than McAvoy/any of the other X-Men did).
Team Kill Jean later fights Team Save Jean, Erik's refugee mutants are quite lame (braid-whips? REALLY?), there's an unintentionally humorous moment with Jean force-walking Charles upstairs (like a puppet on strings), this time Magneto's on the *receiving* end of head-crushing helmets, Jean wants her power gone/Vuk's happy to oblige, they briefly team-up...until it's revealed this'll kill Jean, then government goons appear, capturing everyone. Turns out we've reached the film's climax without even realising it (it's THAT underwhelming). There's some semi-decent character moments: Charles FINALLY admits he's wrong to Hank, Erik switches sides AGAIN (his second-favourite pastime) and Nightcrawler gets royally p.o.'d when a government goon dies in the fight with Vuk's posse, unleashing his merciless side ('BAMF-ing' the one responsible into the path of the oncoming train). Jean offs all the aliens except Vuk, who finally gets what she wants from Jean...then wishes she *hadn't*, as it kills her (and seemingly Jean as well).
In the end, we're just left with an overwhelming feeling of what was the point of all this? The idea of redoing the Phoenix storyline should've been to *improve* it, not make it WORSE (having the same person take another crack at it clearly didn't pay off when he obviously learned *nothing* from last time). Jessica Chastain's wasted as leader of THE MOST BORING ALIENS EVER, none of the new actors are a patch on the originals (even Fassbender's clearly had enough), and so the X-Men prequel quadrilogy ends not with a bang but a whimper (but, hey, at least they worked an F-bomb into each film...so yay? Wolverine's was funny, Charles' at least had a *point*, Erik's was unnecessary and Scott's one in this film feels forced). Truly disappointing. Vuk you, movie!