Pros:
1.) The powers from each of the individual mutants look good. The visual effects are excellent, especially from Illyana, Sam, and Bobby since they can transform their whole bodies (except Illyana) into something else. Certain other visual effects look great as well, although one of them looks like they belong to a current-gen video game; not terrible, but it does stand out. With all the time this movie had during its several delays, the visual effects are fine to watch.
2.) I appreciate that the movie makes a couple of connections to the previous X-Men movies, particularly two of them, though I am not going to say which ones. When there is certain call-out that happens in this movie, I was actually surprised. This leaves some good speculations on what is going to happen later after this movie. Too bad that those plans are cancelled when Disney bought 20th Century Fox, but those are good callbacks nonetheless.
3.) The setting does look like it belongs in a horror setting. This hospital looks decrepit and worn-out with its low-lighting and grayish color tone. Not the most original horror area made, but it is somewhat effective on giving this movie a horror vibe…
Cons:
1.) …That is not saying much, because I do not find this movie scary at all. It does have a scary setting and shot like a horror movie, but there are things that hold it back, which I will get to in the other cons. I am not much of a horror person (though I am a fan of certain horror elements i.e. good vs. evil, the understanding or lack of understanding of evil), but nothing in this movie scared me. At best, I was slightly unsettled, but nothing got to me like any good horror movie should. I say only a child or anyone who has never seen a horror movie may get scared, but there are better choices than this movie.
2.) None of the characters stand out to me. Just because their mutant powers are cool, it does not mean that they are not generic. Other than the main lead, many of their origins are explained via exposition, which is boring way of exploring these characters. It is somewhat fleshed out with their nightmare sequences, but other than two of these characters, I fail to see why they cannot face them easily considering that they have superpowers. To be fair, they have certain issues to get over, but how they get over them seems cheap and easy.
Even then, each character fits certain horror character tropes with not much standing out: the quiet one, the mean one, the ladies’ man, the supernatural girl (or in this case, the mutant girl whose powers can be mistaken as supernatural), and the nice girl. On a side note, two of the characters’ powers are not really clear, and I was left confused on how they managed certain actions since their powers are complex. These characters are not irritating, but these guys are no X-Men.
3.) I get that the movie is going for the slow burn and having it pay off in the end, but it does not work here. The movie was going on for so long, I was getting impatient on why barely anything was happening throughout almost half of the movie. I get that we are supposed to know these characters first, but I already explained why that did not work in the previous con. When everything starts to go completely wrong, I was not that worried for any of the characters, because since I know this is also a superhero movie, these guys can handle the threat for the most part. With a lack of urgency until the third act, the whole movie is just one giant slog with a disappointing and predictable ending.
Overall:
After being delayed four times from the movie theaters due to reshoots (allegedly), scheduling conflicts, the Fox-Disney merger, and COVD-19; The New Mutants is finally released a few weeks ago. The first of a planned trilogy that is not going to happen thanks to the Fox-Disney merger, does this last X-Men movie leave this universe with a big bang especially compared to Dark Phoenix? Well, I will be nice and say that it is better than Dark Phoenix, but that is not saying much. None of the characters are compelling, the story has been done better in other movies, and the horror does not leave much dread or scares. What a disappointing end to the X-Men film universe; I guess we will have to wait and see how Marvel Studios will use the mutant race from here on out.
4/10
benzeyeview 