"The New Mutants" Was More Dark Than "Dark Phoenix"

With all due respect to the cast and crew, "The New Mutants" was not the film to end the 20-year-old "X-Men" franchise. There were few moments of humor and teamwork, but it was too horrific and more of a drama or psychological thriller than an traditional superhero film. The film had potential, but "X-Men" should've stopped at "Days of Future Past".

Charlie Heaton as Sam Guthrie, Anya Taylor-Joy as Illyana Rasputin, Blu Hunt as Danielle Moonstar, Henry Zaga as Roberto da Costa, and Maisie Williams as Rahne Sinclair in "The New Mutants". Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. 

In "The New Mutants", Danielle Moonstar (played by Blu Hunt) is brought to a hospital housing other mutants- Rahne Sinclair (played by Maisie Williams), Illyana Rasputin (played by Anya Taylor-Joy), Sam Guthrie (played by Charlie Heaton), and Roberto da Costa (played by Henry Zaga)- who, like her, have been victims of a tragedy while their powers have manifested. Dr. Reyes (played by Alice Braga) works to help Danielle discover her new powers, and along the way, each mutant is forced to relive violent images of their past in order to grow stronger for their future. 

The film started off as a drama with Danielle being traumatized after a tornado. Similar to Callie from "The Fosters", she was forced to live with other people who have been abandoned by society and find a new sense of belonging. But as Danielle and the others revisited nightmares of their childhood or being feared by different people, the film shifted to a psychological thriller genre. 

Another way of this not being much of a superhero film is that there weren't enough supervillains like other "X-Men" films. "The New Mutants" had a way of bringing out the more human side of the young mutants, as some of their major enemies were their own fears. Most of them had to deal with losing a loved one while their powers formed, and they became heroes by learning to go beyond those fears and put their demons to rest.

One of the Smiling Men from Illyana's nightmares. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. 

Roberto's mutant form reminded me of the Human Torch from "Fantastic Four".

Roberto da Costa (played by Henry Zaga) embracing his powers as Sunspot. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. 

The film was too horrific because of visuals of demons from each kids' past and all the blood that got shed in the present. I did not like the initial hostility between Danielle and Illyana. Illyana said a lot of hurtful remarks about Danielle's Native American ancestry. However, it was nice to see that Danielle and Rahne became fast friends as they healed from their darknesses. The other light moments were when they rebelled against Dr. Reyes and had a 'Breakfast Club'-like party. And there were red lights that shined like the mutant lights from Cerebro from previous "X-Men" films. 

Despite her initial rebellious and harsh outlook, Illyana showed initiative when she helped stop the Demon Bear and protect Danielle and the other mutants. It was good to watch all the young mutants come together like X-Men, embraced their powers and save the hospital, preparing them for saving the world one day.

The Demon Bear attacking the New Mutants. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. 

Overall, "The New Mutants" was more dark than "Dark Phoenix". It had some good times with the young cast, but it wasn't the right way for 'X-Men' to end. Whatever Disney has planned for the X-Men going forward, I hope they make a fresh new story that's great for superhero film fans. If you interested in seeing the young heroes' capabilities, watch "The New Mutants".